Isle Royale Forums

Last fall I hiked the Manistee River Trail Loop (20 miles over 3 days) and pre-taped my feet with Leukotape on the back and bottom of the my heel, the ball of my foot, the bottom of my big toe and my pinkie toe. While the tape was a gross, sticky mess by the end of the trip, I didn't get any blisters. I don't know if I got lucky, or if the tape prevented any issues?

Does anyone else regularly pre-tape their feet? Should I do again for my IR trip in September?

ViaChicago wrote: ↑Wed May 31, 2023 12:42 pm
Does anyone else regularly pre-tape their feet? Should I do again for my IR trip in September?

Yep, I do it with ducttape on the back of my heels/ankles.

If you know that your shoes/boots will bother your feet then yes, I would continue taping them.

I talked to someone on a long distance hike - not Isle Royale - that taped his feet like that. He swore by it. He tried to talk me in to trying it but I have sensitive skin so the whole tape thing is risky for me. He ended up with 0 blisters and I had 6 or 7 I think. Seems like it might be worthwhile if it worked for you before.

I've taped, but with leukotape, I'd recommend taping a few days before hitting the trail. The tape seemed to meld to the skin better with warmth and time. I hiked IR last year with sock liners and darn tough wool socks without issue.

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By all means, pre-tape areas you know are trouble spots. You can even paint up the area with tincture of benzoin which acts as a primer and makes the tape stick better and longer. Carry an alcohol wipe or two to clean off the benzoin after you remove the tape....

I do for exceptionally long trips. Especially when we did the crucible (22miles in one short day). I use luekotape and never get blisters when I do it.