Masterguns Survival Primer

[Spikedriver]

I'll try and contribute. For my backpack first aid kit I have 2 rolls of 2" x 5yds vet wrap which sticks to itself. Cheap on Amazon

+1 for vet wrap. I've used that on dogs and horses but never thought about putting it in my own kit. It is great stuff.

 

[303tom]

Post #7. Footwear

Anyone who ever served in the infantry will tell you are only as good as the condition of your feet. Wet or cold feet can not only slow you, but also can end up as a medical condition like trench foot or frostbite. A blister can be debilitating until you lance it. When you lance it there is always a possibility of infection. So taking care of your feet in a bug-out situation is critical. Let’s consider how to avoid cold and/or wet feet and blisters.

Blisters are caused by parts of the foot rubbing against the inside of footwear. For the rest of this post I will use the word boot for all footwear.

The way to avoid blisters is to do five thing things.

1. Wear boots that fit, and that you tried on with the kind of socks you will wear. My socks are from Costco and cost les than at an outfitter.
2. Loose footwear will rub the foot, and that can cause blisters.
3. Be sure to lace footwear tightly without cutting off circulation. That keeps the foot from sliding in the boot.
4. Wear good wool hiking socks with padded soles. Wool is warm, more water resistant, it dries more quickly than cotton, and it protects the foot from the footwear leather.
5. If the sock bunches up in the boot open the boot and refit the sock.

There are popular methods for keeping feet dry in the boot. One is to have Gore Tex lined boots, and the other is to waterproof the outside of the boot. I avoid Gore-Tex boots because if water gets into the boot it is much harder to dry the interior. I prefer leather boots that I waterproof with mink oil, which is rubbed into the leather and into all seams on the boot including where the top meets the heel and sole. That included the the tongue of the boot. I use a Qtip to wax the crevices. It can be reapplied routinely, and if you do that it does not deteriorate like Gore-Tex can. Another advantage of using mink oil is that it helps keep the leather supple and that reduces the likelihood of blisters.

I also choose ankle high boots because they can be dried out faster if they take on water, and I can get them on faster than high tops. The photo below shows my actual boots, a can of mink oil, the socks I wear and a rag for applying mink oil. The Qtips are in my first aid kit. The photo shows the boots with laces. I do not carry extra laces because ParaCord is a staple in my kit, and it is stronger than any boot lace.

SOCKS !.....................Preferably WOOL !.............or wool blend.............