Hygiene and medical.

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Thanks Sky. Thats good to know. M

CERT should quallify.

[reddawnspokane]

Well, I know what I am getting next. Pretty neat stuff

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Ski

Do you use tinture of benzoine for you taping and moleskin?

Many hours (10,000+) of sugrical assisting taught me this trick.

Apply to the skin where you eant the tape/moleskin to stick, let dry to a tack then apply the tape/Mskin. Will stick forever until you want to remove it.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=compound+tincture+benzoin&tag=googhydr-20&index=hpc&hvadid=8052382764&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8389988683670167431&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_1z6qsp4pmp_b

[Betty Buckshot]

Vicks vapor rub works better on mosquito bites than hydrocortisone. Sometimes you have to experiment with what you have on hand

[SkiwM1A]

Ski

Do you use tinture of benzoine for you taping and moleskin?

Many hours (10,000+) of sugrical assisting taught me this trick.

Apply to the skin where you eant the tape/moleskin to stick, let dry to a tack then apply the tape/Mskin. Will stick forever until you want to remove it.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_1z6qsp4pmp_b

No AD. Never knew that and thank you so very much for the link too.
And a thank you to Betty Buckshot for that tip.
See why I hang out here?

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When I was younger I did a lot of hiking into the Grand Canyon and Havasupi.

Blisters were alway an issue for those in the group. I would preach and preach bout feeling the "hot spot" and telling me early before it blistered. Usually with in the first two miles i would ask the group about there feet and sometimes there pack straps.

When detected, take off the shoes/socks, find the spot, treat if it was blistered(clean, small amount of antibotic cream on the spot, then a small round bandaide(after benzion)).

Then cut the mole skin to fit about an inch beyond the hotspot area on all sides

Then apply the TOB at least 1-2 inches outside the hot spot area.

Let tack dry(it gets very sticky and protects/tufffins the skin)

Apply the round padded bandaid over the blister if there.

Then apply the mole skin. Depending on the area of the heel, when the mole skin is applied and you need to go around curves of the heal, and it would tend to bunch and wrinkle, cut "V" in the moleskin so it all lays flat.

At this point you should have at least an inch outside the moleskin with TOB on it.

Then this is my twist to this:

Have some 2 inch cloth athletic tape(the kind you got taped up with in football)

Cover the moleskin with the 2 inch tape, especially under the heal to the bottom of the foot(make sure the TOB) cover this area too. This keeps you moleskin for peeling up as your heel moves up/down in the boot.

Using this method, we could go for days with out changing the dressing.

Now if the blister was into the subQ tissue(red raw meet). I would change the dressing every day or two to be sure no infection was setting in.

BTW, I LOVE the smell of TOB!!

[AmericanBTGoG]

Odd, funny story of my youth. It gets to the topic at hand, eventually. I was probably 11 or 12, summer Boy Scout camp. I was truly a tenderfoot, and with brand new (was I proud!) unbroken-in boots, and an ill-fitting backpack, we had a loooong (or so it seemed) hike, portaging canoes (metal, not fibreglass or such) to the Delaware River (which was in a drought state, so canoeing became more portaging, but now with damp feet. Our scoutmaster, bless his heart). On the return hike, I was suffering. Out of shape anyway, and we had to travel over landmarks such as "Heart Attack Hill." And my feet were killing me; distinct pain, not "old, worn out feet" issues. I still give thanks to 2 fellow scouts (oddly, both with bad neighborhood reputations, and whom I haven't seen or heard of in 40+ years) one last name of Hertz (and you can imagine the ribbing he took "Oh, my Sam (not his real name) Hertz') the other Feister (I surprise myself remembering his name), who on their own initiative, took my portage turns, carried some of the troops' equipment for me and, at times, literally pushed me to the next steps. Finally got to our Camp Kiawa, and I peeled off my boots and socks from my swollen feet. And the socks were bloody, and had other guck, as well. And my feet were bloody, and had broken blisters. So, it was off to the first aid station. I don't have any recollection if it was a nurse, or a doctor, or a staffer, who looked at my feet. And proceeded, as the only treatment, to paint them with "gentian violet." I was told that it would toughen up the soles of my feet. To this day, I have no idea why they used that or said that. They probably knew it was used for the feet, but with no more knowledge than that (I later learned it might, might, help with athlete's feet, as an anti-fungal, and possibly thrush in the mouth). My scoutmaster (bless his heart) allowed me to sit for the one evening formation and then chewed my butt thereafter because I couldn't keep up with other activities. Hell, for 2-3 days I could hardly walk.

So, a cautionary tale about blister treatment. Your solutions sound a lot better.

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Make sure you get Compound Tinture Of Benzoine


Here is a wiki on TOB

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tincture_of_benzoin

Tincture of benzoin is a pungent solution of benzoin resin in alcohol. A similar preparation called Friar's Balsam or Compound Benzoin Tincture (USP) contains, in addition, Cape aloes and storax (liquidambar resin). The latter was invented by Dr Joshua Ward around 1760

Tincture of benzoin has two main medical uses: as a treatment for damaged skin in the "Compound" form, and as an inhalant in the non-Compound form.

Compound Tincture of Benzoin (CTB) is often applied to skin before applying tape or other adhesive bandages. To some degree, it protects the skin from allergy to the adhesive in the tape or bandage, but mostly it makes the tape or bandages adhere much longer. Plain Tincture of Benzoin will not do this, and tape will tend not to stick to skin treated with it.[2] It is also used by athletes for its reputation of toughening skin exposed to the tincture. Orthopedists applying a cast often spray CTB in an aerosol can onto skin before casting, as it protects the skin under the cast, and diminishes itching.

It can be applied to minor cuts as a styptic and antiseptic (an effect of both the benzoin and its alcohol solvent).[2]

As plain Tincture of Benzoin, it is also used as an oral mucosal protectant, for recurring canker sores, fever blisters, and the like.

Plain Tincture of Benzoin can also be inhaled in steam as a treatment for various conditions including bronchitis and colds. There is some disagreement as to whether or not benzoin should be used as a treatment for asthma.[3][4]

It is used in the U.S. military to treat blisters. A common treatment utilized by medics in the U.S. Army is to drain the fluid from a blister and to inject the same amount of compound tincture of benzoin, to help seal the space created by the blister, to serve as a local antiseptic, and to prevent further abrasion or loss of skin. This is commonly known as a "hot shot" amongst military personnel due to the extreme burning sensation that will be experienced for several moments when the tincture is applied.[citation needed]

[Jstwaiting]

BIG thanks AD. Sounds like a really great way to fix a blister. I will print that off for future reference.

[Betty Buckshot]

The aerosol spray compound tincture of benzoin is also used by bull riders to spray on their rope & glove to make them sticky. It makes a giant mess when your brother leaves it in your car in August & it explodes. Jus' sayin'

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We used the spray in surgery for a cast dressing like the wiki says. Thats where I learned about it.

We had a anesthesiologist who was a boy scout troop leading and he turned me on the the technique.

I miss those days when all of this including lidocane, sutures, needles and dressings were available.

[W.Lynn]

Vicks vapor rub works better on mosquito bites than hydrocortisone. Sometimes you have to experiment with what you have on hand

The mister has trouble with vap-o-rub and other strong mentholatum products I've used, he's a bit tender. Tiger Balm he can use, and I find it's great on bites.