Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

HOW TO WALK 139sleep— for few men sleep well the first night ortwo in the open. He is probably constipated fromchange of diet, and from drinking too much on themarch. More serious still, he probably has sorefeet. This latter ailment is not so much due to hisfeet being tender at the start as from his not havingtaken proper care of them. Aside from the downrightnecessity of seeing that one's shoes and stockingsfit well, and that the shoes are well brokenin before starting, there are certain rules of pedestrianhygiene that should be observed from the word"go."Care of the Feet.— "An ounce of preventionis worth a pound of cure." I have already saida good deal about the choice of shoes and stockings(Vol. L, Chapter IX). Let me add another reasonfor wearing heavy but soft woolen socks whenyou are in the wilderness, regardless of season ; theyventilate the shoes. You probably will be wearingrather heavy shoes coated with some waterproofingpreparation. The pores of the leather are filled sothat no air can get through. But one's feet cannotbe kept in good condition if the shoes are notventilated somehow. Thick socks do it in this way:when your weight is thrown on one foot as in steppingforward, the air that was confined in themeshes of the fabric is forced out through the shoetops (but not through a high laced boot) ; then,when the pressure is relieved, fresh air is sucked backto fill the partial vacuum. Thin socks, especiallycotton ones, become saturated with perspiration, andlittle or no air can get into them at all: then thefeet have their pores clogged and they become tender.Thin hose also admit sand and dirt more readilythan thick ones.One's feet can be toughened and hardened beforestarting on a hike by soaking them for some time,the night before, in a solution of alcohol and salt,or in one made by dissolving a tablespoonful oftannic acid in a wash-bowl of cold water. (Amer'ican Red Cross Text-Book on First Aid.) A littlealum m water mav be substituted.