Moleskin

[Lee1959]

Moleskin is a felt like material with a very sticky adhesive backing. It is often used in footcare, to help prevent and treat blisters. Dr. Scholl's sells it for about $3.00 for 3 approx. 4.5" X 3.5" sheets, and theirs is usually fleshcolored, but I have also seen white.

It is very easy to cut and trim to desired sizes. I find that the 4.5 sheets are pretty handy sized and good for most tasks. The adhesive is VERY sticky and stays in place very well, even when it gets wet.

I find it very handy for numerous tasks. It can be used as a handle material on anything slippery, or that may be cold in cold weather. I have used it on flashlights I leave in my vehicles or that may be used outside in winter.

It can also be used to help with noise control, a pad of it on something hard can keep it from clanking if it hits another hard item. I used it on my wifes compound bow to quiet the cables. Small thin strips wrapped around the cables where they crossed, rememeber to go all the way up where they rub when drawn, quieted cable slap completely. I have also used it on her riser around the arrow rest, no more arrow slipping off the rest and clanking there.

It has thousands of uses, I usually keep some in most all of my kits. If you do not like the color it can be "painted" using various dyes and markers to almost any shade you need.

[bruner]

Please feel free to consider me a bit slow for not understanding this, but...

I've seen this stuff, but don't understand how it helps with blisters. Is the idea, that you use the adhesive back to attach it to a "rough" spot on the inside of your shoe/boot to prevent that rough spot from rubbing you?

I'm thinking that you wouldn't want to adhere a piece to a blister itself, but I could be wrong??

Thanks,
Dan

[beardy]

I think the trick is to put the moleskin on your foot before the blister appears. (i.e. when you have a hotspot.)

Alternatively, I've seen people cut donuts out of it and then stick it around the blister to take some of the pressure off. (The blister goes in the hole of the donut.)

[Lee1959]

Normally you can tell you are going to get a blister prior to it appearing, it is usually a very noticible feeling. Once you start feeling a "hotspot" cover it with the mileskin. If you wait until it is too late then like previously mentioned you cut it to surround the blister so it is not rubbed upon.

[bruner]

Thanks guys,

That makes sense to me. You would think that they would put instructions on the packaging, but the stuff I've seen (at Gander Mountain) didn't have any instruction at all.

Dan

[Vic303]

I want to put some of this in my BOB, but I also have a tape-adhesive allergy that has developed over the years. SOME adhesives will cause blisters on my skin...not a good idea! so I need to find a time when I can to a controlled experiment with moleskin in those areas identified as common hotspots for my feet, to see if it will blister, or not. (Not all areas will raise a blister--some skin areas seem immune.) I don't want to find out on a hike or extended trip that moleskin causes blisters! YIKES!