Anybody who has spent time in a military infantry unit knows what foot blisters are. I remember on numerous ruck marches, whether it was for PT or moving from one objective to another on a field op, there were always guys getting foot blisters and hot spots. every time we would stop for a short water break, our Corpsman would go around dealing with blister issues with the guys. We all had very basic first aid kits, but were never instructed on the use of the contents.

When going through both the Mountain Warfare Training Center and Jungle Warfare Training Center, blisters were a common occurrence. Typically we treated blisters by changing our socks regularly and applying foot powder to our feet. If we felt a hot spot on our feet we would use riggers tape (also known as duct tape) to put over the hot spot in hopes of preventing a blister from forming. Mostly though it was just fresh socks and foot powder. It would have been nice to have some type of blister kit inside our first aid kit that could have been pulled out and administered during breaks in the field.

GORUCK has addressed that very issue by putting together a foot blister kit for use with the GORUCK challenges. This is also a nice kit to be carried and used if you’re a backpacker, hiker, trail runner or hunter. Although these simple items can be found in most modern first aid kits, it’s nice to have a dedicated kit for foot blisters. It is a-lot easier and simpler to pull this kit out, then to go through your first aid kit looking for the items.

GORUCK has assembled the items in a nice compact zip lock pouch. At only $6 you can buy several of these kits to keep on hand if you have an active lifestyle.

Contents of the kit (shown above):

(1) 18g x 1.5″ Needle
(1) 6″ Rock Tape
(2) Alcohol Wipes
(1) Antibiotic Ointment

There is one item in this kit that sets this kit apart (in my opinion). That piece of kit is the 18 gauge needle that is used to lance the blister to prevent it from spreading/growing.

Also included with the kit are simple easy to read and understand instructions for using each item. The directions are printed on the backside of the packaging. No guessing as to what order to do things to address blisters when using this kit.

The only area I was unsure of was using the included rock tape. The last step says to cover with tape. I’ve used moleskin before on blisters, but never tape of any kind. Not wanting to add moleskin to this kit I decided to educate myself on using rock tape for blisters. After searching several websites I came across this website that explains the use of tape for either preventing blisters or treating blisters.

Head on over to the GORUCK website to get your Foot Blister Kit. You can’t really go wrong for only $6!

This article is courtesy of Scott Witner from The Loadout Room.