For years now I have explored the hills and mountains and some trips have been ‘extreme’ to say the least. Most of the discomfort areas affect either the feet, under arms or between the legs. All of these areas involve a high degree of friction and there are ways to minimise discomfort.

It’s an old saying I know but prevention really is better than a cure. What you wear is incredibly important and I will address this a little later but for now I am going to elaborate on a few systems that have worked for me and have either been passed onto me by the people who have taught me with me adding my own angle on it or, I may have come across the solution by chance.

Firstly, when involved with endurance events such as the Centurion Way, 100 miles and over 8,000 foot of ascent personal hygiene is vitally important. Baby wipes are a very useful piece of kit to have around. They clean better than toilet tissue alone and so prevent discomfort which later can lead to rashes which in turn can mean the difference between completing and quitting.

Perhaps extreme to some people whenever I leave for a long expedition I remove all hair from potential problem areas. Laugh you might but rest assured it makes life much easier when you’re out in the sticks for a long period of time.

Ok, this is my preventative methods of potential and common problem areas. Feet first, my feet have always been a little on the sensitive side and this is especially so since suffering frostbite in 2006. Wash the feet and allow to thoroughly dry. Then apply a good quality Zinc Oxide Cloth tape to any areas that are prone to blister. When I refer to quality I mean the heavy duty white cloth tape that you sometimes have to ask for. The great thing about Zinc Oxide tape is that when applied to dry skin it moulds to the skin and sticks very well. So well in fact that it often has been removed by being soaked in water.

The second part of the foot treatment is down to preference. Some people prefer a thin lining sock made from either polyamide or silk and then a thicker outer sock for cushioning. Either option is best when the sock has a liberal dusting of ‘Mycota’ foot powder inside to ward off odour and help keep the feet dry and comfortable.

I am particularly passionate about looking after my feet since loosing four toes to frostbite and have been very involved in creating my own range of socks. The Mountain Junky 2/3 season Elite Mountain sock made from the double antibacterial yarns Bamboo and Wool Ultra. I wore a pair of these socks in Africa for nine days continually without a lining sock and they performed great. The picture below shows one of the socks on my return compared to a new and un-used one.

The other sock in the range is the Mountain Junky 4 season Elite Mountain Sock. These socks are made form Wool Ultra which is 20% lighter than merino wool and are great at wicking moisture away efficiently and are perfect for life in the mountains.

Feet out of the way moving up the body to the groin area which, as we all know is seldom discussed and can be made much more comfortable by applying a small amount of petroleum jelly or, as it’s better know ‘Vaseline’ to areas prone to chaffing. When this is combined with proper fitting boxer shorts such as the Mountain Junky Bamboo boxer short range comfort can almost be guaranteed.

Even when you go to this length of prevention when the going gets very difficult things can deteriorate and, often do. So, as a back up system it’s always a good idea to carry some nappy cream with you or even better ‘Sudocreme’. When used on its own it will soon rub off but when mixed with a little Vaseline it stick for much longer and really does speed up the healing process, allowing you to continue with whatever your doing.

Another problem area is under arms and the same concoctions of cream works wonders. As I’m a little on the broad side I often have problems with the strapping on my backpack cutting into the front of my upper arm. So, to remedy this I had a couple of 100mm x 100mm pieces of foam covered in leather and they just push under the straps if I’m carrying a heavy pack making it much more bearable. Note, I did not say enjoyable. Anybody who says humping a pack around is enjoyable must be a sadist.

It’s also very sensible to compliment a good pair of boxer shorts with an equally good base top layer and the Mountain Junky Tech shirt is well up to the job. Made from no less than 95% Bamboo Viscose its hypoallergenic properties combined with natural antibacterial properties your sure to feel comfortable at the end of the day.

Pictures include;
The Mountain Junky Bamboo/Wool Ultra Elite Mountain Sock (before and after 9 day’s of continuous wear)
The Mountain Junky Wool Ultra 4 Season Elite Mountain Sock