The seasoned hiker is little apt to be separated from his outfit, but it can and sometimes is done and then one must be able to cope with a real emergency. Every individual outfit should contain emergency food. It is a safe plan never to become separated from your party without an emergency ration with you and materials for securing game and fish if such abound in the region.
CHAPTER XII
HEALTH HINTS FOR HIKERS
Care of the Feet
The conditioning of the feet will be done while as a pedestrian you are preparing for some long hike. Curative measures for foot maladies then are to be undertaken at home. In caring for the feet a definite toilet routine should be established and adhered to in order to keep these worthy members in a shape fit to do the work expected of them.
In the morning before starting dust talcum, equal parts of talcum and zinc stearate, or the United States Army foot powder inside the stocking or smear over the foot a medicated ointment, oil or vaseline.
On a long tramp should the feet become tender one may well at the noon rest change socks and substitute dry ones or at least beat the worn socks with a stick to straighten out any wrinkles that may have formed, then dry them as well as you can.
In the evening attend to washing the feet and legs as soon as possible after the march. Cool water seems best to allay the sensation of heat and irritability resulting from their forcible impact on the road. Use very little soap if any and dry the feet well with a soft towel and apply friction gently until the skin is red.
If there is any tendency toward rawness of the skin add common salt to the bathing water. Weston, the famous pedestrian, when asked what special preparation of the feet he made before his long record-breaking walks said that he “pickled his feet in a strong solution of common rock salt—the kind used for ice cream making—at the temperature of the body. Souse and soak the feet at bedtime. Then dry and if available souse them with extract of witch hazel which is allowed to dry on.”
A tendency toward sweaty feet is natural with certain individuals. The sweat glands are simply over-active and the secretion easily decomposes and is highly offensive. The resulting softening of the skin permits of its rubbing off easily, and abrasions and blisters are apt to form. The treatment should be applied as soon as there is any sign of the trouble and is as follows: Bathe the feet in cool water and carefully dry them. Then paint with commercial formalin 1 part and water 9 parts and if this causes a burning of any portion of the raw skin wash it off with water. If formalin is not at hand a strong tea infusion or tannic acid solution will work as well. The object is to harden and practically tan the superficial layers of the skin and alter the secretions of the sweat glands. Repeat the above every other day for six days. Then dust with the Army Foot Powder.
| U. S. Army Foot Powder | |
| Salicylic acid | 3 parts |
| Powdered starch | 10 parts |
| Talcum powder | 87 parts |