The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Backpack Hunting What do you make out of this boot issue?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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| One of Us |
I am on my 3rd pair of Lowa Tibet's. Love them. I think I got this last pair in 2017. They have been on a couple of sheep hunts, an ibex hunt and a chamois hunt. I train in them. Right now probably 5 days a week at 3-4 miles a day and 1 day a week at 8-10 miles a day. Mostly on soft surfaces. I have no doubt walk over 1,000 miles in them. I have never gotten a blister until about 2 weeks ago. I got a blister on the outside of my left heel. I was on a 3 hour hike carrying a 50 pound pack. It was HOT! I initially attributed this to sweating so much my socks were drenched. Now it has happened a couple of other times even on shorter hikes although with a heavier backpack. I am a bit concerned as I have a stone sheep hunt in less than 6 weeks. What do you experts make out of this? | ||
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I have candy-ass feet and have fought blisters and blood blisters throughout my mountain hunting life. Heat and moisture are your two big enemies. I doubt you have a boot problem. When your feet get really hot you have to get the boots off to let them cool down. Changing out damp socks also helps, but heat is the main problem. Think of the times your feet get wet crossing a stream but do not cause problems. | |||
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Generally, I would agree with you. However, I have done the same hike many times and never got a blister in the past. In fact, I could pour sweat out of my boots it was so hot and I never got a blister. Last Sunday, I changed socks at about 4.5 miles and I still got blisters. Something has changed. | |||
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Any change health or medication wise? After much searching, one of my patients was noted to have much easier blistering after developing diabetes and going on simvastatin. Got rid of the simvastatin and it got better, but still never back to baseline. | |||
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No, not that I can think of. | |||
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Foot powder helps some with moisture, up to a point, but does not do much for heat. Once you blister bad it takes a long time for that skin to toughen up. Sounds like you should consider taping, at least for the hunt. | |||
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If you are getting the blister in the same spot, with your training regimen, I would look real close at the boot liner. What have you done to protect the damaged tissue? Your post would indicate you continue to train on damaged skin. | |||
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Thanks all. Last Sunday, I used powder and also changed socks. I still had the problem. Perhaps I should have protected it more after the initial incident. That is a very valid concern. I will check the liner. In the past, I have had a tendency to damage the liners in my running shoes. A new pair of boots are being delivered Monday . I can probably over 150-200 miles in them before the hunt. | |||
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Same socks/material? Same insoles? | |||
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Exact same. | |||
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Suggest that at this time you start using leuko tape (or duct tape) in the area and let it heal. Antlers Double Rifle Shooters Society Heym 450/400 3" | |||
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+1 ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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1000 miles the boots could be breaking down on the inside. Causing a hot spot. | |||
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That is what I am wondering about. This makes me think about a pair of Keenes that I used to have. I took them on countless safaris. Walked insane mileage. Never a problem. On my last trip to Dande, one day we were out. On our first little venture into the bush, we walked about 8 miles. No problem. On the next walk within a mile, they started wearing my foot out . It was BAD! I told the PH we needed to go back. I wasn’t worried about blisters, I was worried about an open wound. The PH recons that those shoes just wore out. He may have been right. | |||
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Have you consider wearing two socks that are thinner. Mike Legistine actu? Quid scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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I will have a liner sock on the sheep hunt under my normal Darn Tough socks. | |||
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I always wear a liner sock even when training. | |||
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Larry, I too like Lowa Tibets. Just got my second pair after stopping in at REI to get help with my first. I was getting some discomfort too and hoped new insoles would help. The footwear staff there evaluated my Tibets and concluded that after many hundreds of miles (creeping up on 1,000), they were just worn out. You might be in the same boat. I'm now breaking in the new pair in preparation for a backpacking adventure at Philmont Scout Ranch and this fall's hunting seasons. _____________________ A successful man is one who earns more money than his wife can spend. | |||
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You can try new insoles, I like spenco original insoles. Or, the heel counter in the boot is giving up the ghost. Have you tried a different lacing technique with better heel lock? Tape is going to be tough in Florida. I had a hell of a time here in Indiana training in 2017. After a lot of blisters, I settled on armaskin socks. They are a nylon liner sock that literally sticks to your foot with a silicon grip coating. Weird, hard to put on, but worth every penny. Jeremy | |||
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If nothing else has changed, I would agree with the assessment that the boots are broke down and causing the hot spot/blister. Years ago when I was a strong Ranger (as opposed to a smart Ranger  ), I never wore socks and never got blisters. I still have teflon coated feet but I have to use socks now. I rarely get a blister or hot spot but when I do I clean it and cover it with moleskin. That allows me to drive on with no issues. Safe travels....LL | |||
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This post helped me massively with a new pair of Kennetreks I'm currently breaking in. I was getting a lot of heel slip and trying a different lacing technique made it nonexistent now. Thanks, Jeremy! Larry - has your weight fluctuated at all? I've had to change my work shoes recently because I was literally walking out of them after losing 15lbs. I was shocked my feet changed so much with that little weight loss. | |||
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In the summer months I go barefoot as much as possible. This includes time in and out of the swimming pool, I will walk around the inside perimeter of the swimming pool doing laps. I live in a very hot western environment so one has to be very careful not to walk barefoot outside on the driveway etc. during the heat of the day and burning the bottoms of your feet. Usually I can develop almost calluses on the bottoms of my feet within in 5-6 weeks. I have been on several sheep hunts and never experienced blisters. Also I ALWAYS wear a pair of lightweight silk liner socks as a base layer. Also I try to wear fresh socks on rotation every day while hunting.I too agree you may have developed a hot spot in your hiking boots. | |||
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I am getting ready to go hiking . I picked up the boots in question. They are in worse shape than I thought. They may be worn out. I noticed things as I was cleaning them. | |||
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How did this turn out Larry? I actually ended up with a pair of Camino GTX rather than Tibets. A few weeks ago I hiked ~70 miles at Philmont Scout Ranch carrying 40-50 pounds and they worked out great. _____________________ A successful man is one who earns more money than his wife can spend. | |||
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I got a new pair of the same boot in the same size. Strangely, they felt larger. I managed to walk about 100 miles in them before I left. Always felt a little big. At least they were broken in. The boots worked well. Had I known the weather conditions, I might have chosen an insulated model. Never got a blister or hot spot. | |||
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1000 miles the boots could be breaking down on the inside. Causing a hot spot. Highly likely, just like tires, brakes, shocks, boots wear out | |||
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I have a pair of Danner leather 6 inch hiking boots. After 18 years I just had new soles put on by a local cobbler. Yes I found one. The old sole were wore flat. After break in I only wear them on back packing trips. That is way they lasted that many years. Same with my hunting boots after break in. I only wear them on hunting trips. Every day working boots. I would wear them out in around 3 years. Now that I retired and I walk about 5 miles a day. I wear out my favorite every day boot out in a year. | |||
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Ive noticed in Africa, the indigenous go barefooted most of the time and wear shoes only on occasion..Ive noticed in Mexico the Mexicans of the back country and the Indians cut soles from tires and tie them on with rawhide..Ive also noticed they have few.if any foot problems and get by in any kind of weather including snow... Ive always wondered why that is and I can only assume it is because they have toughened their feet to that point out of necessity, I also noticed the Mexicans of Mexico ranch country can get by in very cold weather with nothing more than a Levi jacket, I noticed this over many years of using Mexican cowboys on our border ranches..Id be wearing wool and down, they a not lined Levi jacket. I would give them my jackets and they were grateful, but never wore them. Makes one wonder, are we just soft from soft living? must have something to do with it, I sure noticed my hands when ranching were tough a rawhide, today they are tough as cookie dough and smooth as a babys butt!!!  Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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I was told by someone in the know that anytime a boot sits, unworn, for any length of time they will tend to "morph", especially as they get older and the miles pile up. Their suggestion is to stuff the toe section with newspaper when not in use. Tightly. Boots in question are Kenetreks. | |||
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NEVER purchase anything at REI. They Donate to PETA!!! | |||
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I think Mole Skin will be your friend. The only easy day is yesterday! | |||
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Nothing changed and now problems. Obvious answer. You got your boots reversed and put them on the wrong foot. | |||
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Larry, glad your hunt worked out well boot-wise -- TWO YEARS AGO! There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t. – John Green, author | |||
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Most of my life Ive worn cowboy low heeled boots and like the new square toes best, but most of my hunting is horseback and walking combined, its never been a problem in most hunting season, but the late hunts require Sorrel's because of snow, but I sometime ago bought some Kenatreks packer, a wool lined packer, rubber lined foot and leather uppers, have spur ridge, and simi pointed toe for horse back and work very well indeed for walking.. In my many trips to africa I found tennis shoes of one kind or another work best, most African hunters with lots of experience wear them also, such as Saeed and his party. Walking thru water and they dry quickly and always comfortable.. Its worked for me for 60 to 87 years so far... I always have those Chamois skin packages to cover the sore area before it gets bad..they are stickey on the back side and stick where you put them.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Backpack Hunting What do you make out of this boot issue?
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