Hiking and the Joy of Leukotape!

My Feet

As many of my 51 years as I can remember, and well before I ever heard of Leukotape, I’ve struggled with boots and my feet. I can remember so well the many numbing experiences on the mountain. In those days, ill-fitting boots weren’t really my problem. Rather, it was the cheapness and crappiness of the available boots. We didn’t often hike very long distances, so weatherproofing and warmth meant more.

I do remember one time we had to hike six or seven miles from a broken-down blazer. That time I got blisters for real and, lucky me, a nice case of blood poisoning because I didn’t know how to handle them. About that time in my life, we started chukar hunting more and blisters and I became well-acquainted. As I got older, got a job, and started buying my own boots, some of that got a lot better.

Good Boots

I spent a no-bullshit three full hours in the Reno sporting goods store to buy my first Danners. They were a few dollars north of $200 and my wife and I were new parents. I had my first job out of my master’s degree, and that $200 represented my largest purchase of the year. I loved those boots. Blisters were mostly a thing of the past and cold, wet feet were as well. It wasn’t until some 10 years later I started to realize that on really long hikes, those boots were still torture devices.

I purchased quite a few boots over the years and never could get satisfaction. Nothing worked, and I threw away more boots than I wore out. In 2012 or 2013 I won a pair of Kenetrek boots. I would have never considered buying these, but the first day out with them made it clear…problem solved. These boots are fantastic mountain boots and give me everything I need in the roughest terrain. They are also slow to give blisters.

Different Test – Leukotape Newbies

My wife and I now enjoy backpacking and hiking, and so naturally I’ve tested my mountain boots in that world. They still function spectacularly, but the ascent of Ruby Dome in 2016 taught me that blisters still happen. I confirmed that on our ascent of Thomas Peak a year later, so it was with some concern that I noticed some flaring heat and pain in my big toe only seven miles into our 35-mile Ruby Crest Trail adventure in 2018.

Lucky for us, my daughter’s friend Matt had clued us in to a secret foot-protection weapon. We stopped alongside Kleckner Creek to cool and dry our feet and give it a try. The previous elk hunt in Idaho had involved Matt, and he opened our eyes to the joys of Leukotape! Out came the knife and tape…on went the Leukotape to every warm or red spot on our feet. Problem solved, and I mean fully solved.

Leukotape

Matt had mentioned that when he does backcountry hiking, he puts Leukotape on all his known bad-actors before he even laces up. While at the time I thought that a bit silly, I’ve come to agree that he was dead right. I just got back from yesterday’s seven-mile talus, scree, ice, snow, and mud northern Nevada chukar hunt and my application of the tape to my feet before I booted up leaves me with comfy little tootsies today. Sore muscles and joints are whining at me right now, but not my feet!

Leukotape is a very waterproof and heavy sports / injury / medical tape that grips your skin like a vice. Warning: if you do get a blister eventually under the tape, you can almost count on the removal of the tape to result in the removal of that skin if you aren’t extremely careful (and maybe even if you are). This stuff protects your skin like even moleskin cannot, and my Ruby Crest editions did not come off for three days!

Do Yourself a Favor

This is a short topic today because there is one clear, simple message: Buy a roll of the 1.5 inch Leukotape and keep it at hand anytime you are hiking in the mountains or taking long treks. Generally, I’d take this over moleskin every time, but moleskin will still have its place when things go bad. Use the Leukotape to prevent that.

Both my wife and I came off a 35-mile, 3-day hike with thousands of feet of daily climbing and descending with only moderate blistering. Nothing popped and nothing bled, which meant a lot to us! Leukotape saved the trip, as I otherwise would have had a popped blister on the very first day. The 1.5-inch roll weighs a few ounces, so you might want to make wraps around a trekking pole instead of taking the whole roll, but we surely never regretted having that roll along.

Leukotape Hero

Leukotape has many uses, as it is an incredibly strong waterproof tape. Duct tape has nothing on this stuff for strength and adhesion, so I suppose you could make some real equipment repairs with the stuff as well. This is an obvious choice for splints and other first aid purposes, so it isn’t just for blisters! Consider the uses and add this stuff to your pack, as you will find more than a few reasons you’ll wish you had!

Be a hero…bring Leukotape with you on your next backcountry hike or overnight backpacking trip. Your backcountry pals will be patting you on the back and thanking you!