Hiking Blisters and Foot Care: Trailhead to Tent
Hiking · Skin is gear

Hot spot at mile four. Blister at mile six. Limp at mile ten.

Feet carry the whole trip. Wet socks, a heel that slides, a toe that rubs, and a long day of sun on the neck and the backs of the hands. This is the hiker's foot and skin kit, from the trailhead to the tent.

Skin is gear
Why feet blister

Moisture, heat, friction. In that order.

A dry foot in a well-fitting boot does not blister. A wet one does. Sweat soaks the sock, the sock drags across softened skin on every step, and the layers of skin separate. Thru-hikers figured this out a long time ago: the foot routine matters more than the boot.

The routine is short. Keep the feet dry before the hike, not just during it. Tape the known spots before they talk. Deal with a hot spot the minute you feel it, not at the next break. At camp, let the feet breathe and put water back into the skin so it does not crack on day three. Rhino's sweat cream was built for climbers' hands. Feet in boots have the same problem.

A trail day, hour by hour

From the trailhead to the tent.

Where hikers' skin goes wrong over a long day, and what goes on at each stop.

The night before · 9 PMDry feet start dry.

Performance on the soles, heels and between the toes. Socks stay drier, skin stays firmer, blisters do not start.

Trailhead · 7 AMTape the known spots.

Heel, little toe, the ball of the foot: tape wherever it always rubs. Sun hoodie on, zinc on the lips, Skeeter Scatter on the ankles.

The hot spot · 11 AMStop now.

Boot off at the first rub. Dry the foot, tape over the spot, change socks if you have them.

Camp · 5 PMLet them breathe.

Boots off, feet up. Hydrate on sun-tight skin on the neck and hands. Split on any raw spot.

Tent · 8 PMBuy tomorrow's miles.

Split+ whipped balm on cracked heels. Repair on the feet and hands. Massage Cream on calves and quads.

Find your way in

Tell us what happens. We'll point.

No score and no wrong answers. Pick what sounds like you, and every answer opens another door: a fix, a page, a longer read.

The pack

What's in the lid pocket.

Ounces count. Travel sizes for the pack, full sizes for the car.

Rhino Foot Kit
All of it, one boxRhino Foot Kit

Dry feet, durable skin, fresh legs. Three full sizes for the trip.

The whole routineRhino Foot Kit$56.85$44.95
12 items · pick a size, hit Add
Feet, the night beforePerformance$8.95
The known spotsRhinos' Own Adhesive tape$3.95
Whipped balm, cracked heelsSplit+$8.95
Raw spots on the trailSplit$4.95
Feet and hands, at campRepair$8.95
Sun-tight neck and handsHydrate$8.95
Calves and quadsMassage Cream$8.95
All daySun Hoodie - Bamboo - SPF 50$19.95
DuskSkeeter Scatter$7.95
Chest pocket sipsPocket Water$12.95
Camp washAll Natural Castile Body Wash$5.95
The crew

The people who test this on trail.

Thru-hikers, weekend backpackers, trail runners. Our crew puts in the miles and tells us what blistered.

Seen on the trail

Show us the summit.

Camp feet, the alpine lake, the taped heel that made it. This wall is yours.

Post it, tag @rhinoskinsolutions and #SkinIsGear. We pull the best ones onto this wall every week.

Field reports

From the comments.

Hiker reviews land here as they come in.
Made in
Redmond
Oregon

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Made in Redmond

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How Rhino started
Made in Redmond
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