Sock options (for boots)

[Brian-]

Hello chaps. Got my PRMC next week and need to know what to put on my feet when we have the tasty bottom field session! Thick? Thin? Multiple layers?

I've got some of those 1000 Mile double layer socks, but they still seem a bit thin on their own. How about wearing those with normal socks over the top? Basically I have no idea, so any help from anyone who's done a PRMC will help a lot!

Cheers.

[themattmeister]

Go for an extra thick pair on top of the 1000 mile socks. Also put a bit of that zinc oxide tape around your toes and on your heel. Compeed blister plaster on the heel with the tape is helpful aswell.

[pablo]

I used to run in rough shoes, so for my long distance runs I used to tape up my feet (heels and toes) then put a thin sock on first, then a slightly thicker sock over it. That seemed to help, and was a pretty comfy.

Rich.

[steve6887]

when i was on prmc last month they gave you are pair of thick socks before bottomfield, they didnt really help though i got huge blisters on my heels.

[Greg The Great]

I've got 1000 mile sockes, I've used them running in boots, shooting when I'll be walking around the farm all day and I wear them in my fire boots. Great socks, I'd stick with them personally.

Regards,
Greg.

[fubar84]

For the record, I think 1000 mile combat socks are shite. You can already see through the heel and toe area of my dual-layer pairs and I've done nowhere near 1000 miles in them.

As mentioned before taping your feet with Zinc-Oxide tape is the best protection for blisters. Make sure you tape wherever you are prone to blisters - you'll know this from where you get them when you ran during training, but make sure you tape up your whole heel regardless.

This is the best prevention, but wear a thin pair of socks (like proper running socks or your 1000 milers) and a thick layer (like Army style boot socks or hiking socks) over the top. This is what I used on my POC. I still got a blister the size of Luxembourg on my big toe, mind.

If you wan't to go the whole nine you could coat your feet in vaseline (or talc if you don't like the feeling) before putting on your socks. These tips will reduce friction to a minimum, whilst the extra pair of socks will remove the majority of excess movement in the boots also reducing friction.

Best of luck mate,

[TDB]

THE BEST combination of socks are Thorlos thin Liner Socks and then their thick Climbing socks. The thin ones cling to yor feet and wick away moisture, there is no friction between the two socks as the combination are designed to work together, and there is loads of padding in the outer pair = heaven!

I did POC in a two week old pair of boots and no blisters and i always use them in Scotland and the Alps. They are the SH*T! The only down side is that the pair costs around £23

Also place zinc oxide tape on heels and prone toes, just to make you sleep easier. Put it on the night before and then sleep in a thin pair of socks to stop it from rolling up at the edges.

It works - gd luck!

[Brian-]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I don't know which toes would be prone though because I don't recall getting any blisters on them! I'll still be doing a full heel job though.

[fubar84]

If you don't know which toes to do, do your big toes, and if you have a couple of minutes spare on the day tape up the rest to be sure.

Another couple of things, if you get blisters with the zinc-oxide tape, you might be tempted to leave it on for a while. This is fine but after about 3 days the tape will interweave with your skin, making it a b*stard to take off. When you apply the tape make sure your skin is dry, clean and not sweaty. This will help it to stick as much as it can.

[ali_hire]

I think someone on here before has mentioned something about rubbing meths into your feet regularly to toughen up the skin and reduce blisters this way.

[Sarastro]

Not meths, Surgical Spirit BP, you can get it at any pharmacy. You can also put surgical spirit on open blisters to harden the skin, but this will be very painful, and not as effective as those compeed blister things. I use those on any large blisters, surgical spirit on smaller ones.

[Sonne]

The problem with surgical spirit is that it causes your skin to tighten as well as toughen. So if there is a breach it is usually far more severe than untreated feet.

Personally i have pretty tough feet and i just used run of the mill £2 socks from the market. Not that i'd recommend doing it my way but the best prevention is gradual conditioning. After all i've seen many young kids out in Jamaica on visits running about playing football barefooted on concrete. Some of the little things i'd do is instead of putting my shoes on to put the bins out i'd go barefooted. Small things like that in the long run can really pay off.

My way takes a few years however so 1000 mile socks and / or double layering might be better for you

[ali_hire]

Cheers for putting me right Sarastro.

Saw a programme ages ago called Tribes, it was about this guy going round to various remote parts of the world visiting these indigenous tribes (some of whom had never seen a white person before!)
Anyway, there was this one group who lived some dense jungle and were running around chasing boar and the like in barefeet! Running through thorns and nettles, it looked so painful. As such they had developed soles like JCB tyres and didn't bat an eyelid.

[Sarastro]

Remember that too Ali, fairly sure that the presenter of that is actually an ex-Royal officer, he's done a few other things along the adventure presenting line.

PS: Yep, that's him