athlete's foot........

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

Cade

Life Member
Apr 27, 2012
174
0
Bristol
One of my kids keeps getting it and when out for a week camping it seems to get worse as he wears stocks to bed etc.....

now then anyone know know of any natural ways of getting rid of this whilst out in the woods?

Pete
 

Catfish1972

Member
Feb 11, 2013
48
0
London
Do you have a dog? I once went camping with a couple of dogs, one of which had a foot fetish. She spent all night licking my feet and my athletes foot cleared right up (until I went back to the jungle).
 

widu13

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 9, 2008
2,334
19
Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt
Treatment and prevention. Use a proprietary cream to get rid of it and an anti fungal powder to prevent it.

Wash, dry and powder the feet before bed. CLEAN socks to bed if it's chilly. Cracked and sore skin between the toes is not fun if you are walking any distance.

If no creams/powder is available, washing and drying the feet with clean socks is important. Our feet were not designed to be contained in a hot moist non breathable environment.
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
One of my kids keeps getting it and when out for a week camping it seems to get worse as he wears stocks to bed etc.....

now then anyone know know of any natural ways of getting rid of this whilst out in the woods?

Pete

Hi Pete,

First off make sure they're washed and dried properly at least once a day, and get him some wool sock. Wool will naturally keep fungal and other infections to a minimum whereas synthetic socks will promote it. Also the wool will help with moisture management as damp feet through sweat wet boots wont help. So at the end of the day if he washes and properly dries his feet and then maybe puts on some medicated talc before putting on FRESH socks it should hopefully clear up. Synthetic sports socks are really bad for promoting infections.

Also at the end of a day if you remove the laces, take out the foot beds if you can and let them air in the sunshine (if there is any) the air and natural UV light will keep the boots dry and cleaner. Don't stuff damp boots with paper as it keeps them damp and promotes fungal growth.

Unfortunately our warm damp climate promotes fungal infections.

Hope this helps,
ATB,
GB.
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
Do you have a dog? I once went camping with a couple of dogs, one of which had a foot fetish. She spent all night licking my feet and my athletes foot cleared right up (until I went back to the jungle).

+1 on this too, also peeing on your feet in the shower seemingly helps, wash afterwards though.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,109
2,847
66
Pembrokeshire
I used to suffer a lot with AF.
Getting wool socks, keeping my feet as dry and clean as possible and using a medicated foot powder help keep it at bay in the field while a wipe down over the feet and between the toes with a cotton wool ball damp with surgical spirit morning and evening after washing and drying works well at home :)
 

Uilleachan

Full Member
Aug 14, 2013
585
5
Northwest Scotland
I used to suffer a lot with AF.
Getting wool socks, keeping my feet as dry and clean as possible and using a medicated foot powder help keep it at bay in the field while a wipe down over the feet and between the toes with a cotton wool ball damp with surgical spirit morning and evening after washing and drying works well at home :)

I agree with all of that. One has to keep on the case though. I've taken to steeping my feet in a basin of hot water with a good few capfuls of detol (other brands are available) added, once or twice a week, that helps too.

Have to say my reoccurrence, after years clear, happened after my return from the eastern egyptian desert in the winter of 2009/10 when I practically lived in woolen socks, changed them every day did all the usual stuff etc I do to keep it at bay, but then it returned out of the blue. I blame the wool.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
As said, wash and dry your feet often. Also change into clean socks often. Ideally socks should be washed and bleached after each wearing (not just dried overnight as is common when in the field) There's a reason athletic socks are white, so they can be repeatedly bleached.
 

chimpy leon

Full Member
Jul 29, 2013
543
139
staffordshire
I used to suffer with athletes foot most of my chidhood. It kind of semi went on its own as I got older but then flared up terribly during recruit training as my feet were wet most of the time and you dont always get chance to dry them out properly. I dont know how to get rid of it naturally but boots sell some cracking "single application" spray that I cant remember the name of. Anyway it worked brilliantly, made me wish I used it sooner.
 

Teepee

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 15, 2010
4,115
5
Northamptonshire
I've suffered for years with it, those who have camped downwind of my feet know this well :lmao:

In camp, I powder once a day and keep socks as dry as possible. I've found no benefit to using wool, I find it as bad as cotton or nylon.

I've cleared mine up with Canesten. I spoke to a specialist about it and he recommended using Canesten first and it that fails, bring the big guns out and wash my feet in Hibiscrub. So far, the Hibiscrub hasn't been needed.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I've suffered for years with it, those who have camped downwind of my feet know this well :lmao:

In camp, I powder once a day and keep socks as dry as possible. I've found no benefit to using wool, I find it as bad as cotton or nylon.

I've cleared mine up with Canesten. I spoke to a specialist about it and he recommended using Canesten first and it that fails, bring the big guns out and wash my feet in Hibiscrub. So far, the Hibiscrub hasn't been needed.

Just out of curiosity, what sort of specialist? Sports Medicine? Dermatologist?
 

Teepee

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 15, 2010
4,115
5
Northamptonshire
Just out of curiosity, what sort of specialist? Sports Medicine? Dermatologist?

I'm pretty sure it was a Dermatologist as that was one of the complaints of the family member I was with, never asked TBH though.

A member on here also recommended Canesten after speaking to his GP wife about it.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I'm pretty sure it was a Dermatologist as that was one of the complaints of the family member I was with, never asked TBH though.

A member on here also recommended Canesten after speaking to his GP wife about it.

Sorry if the question came off as skeptical, it wasn't meant to be. I'd trust the advise of either specialty (or a GP) TBH.
 

ozzy1977

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
8,558
3
46
Henley
Canesten worked for me, only had it when working at food factories when my own boots get muddled up with other or some one else wears mine and I don't know about it
 

northumbrian

Settler
Dec 25, 2009
937
0
newcastle upon tyne
Sorry if the question came off as skeptical, it wasn't meant to be. I'd trust the advise of either specialty (or a GP) TBH.

lol trust a GP, i used to do security on building sites in the winter it was allways muddy up to your knee's in places, so i had to wear wellys for 12 hours at a time.Im sure you can imagine the plyte of my feet ! Anyway i went to my doctors and was seen by a locum who (lmao' sorry it still makes me smile even now !) recomended a talc based powder http://www.echemist.co.uk/p-scholl-athlete-s-foot-powder , and suggested that i boil my socks in my mams pan after comming home each mourning after work !
Needless to say that did'nt happen !

p.s that make of powder works a treat !

cheers andrew.
 

feralpig

Forager
Aug 6, 2013
183
1
Mid Wales
I suffer from Athletes foot, ringworm, and some other unidentified affliction that causes blisters on my feet.
The athletes foot and ringworm are not exclusive to my feet either..........

I've tried all sorts of creams and potions, nothing touches it. For all the use the doctor was, I may as well have gone and asked the local blacksmith.

The only things that will control it for me, is strong sunlight, given the rare chance, or Lemon essential oil. Two drops in a small bowl full of water, and pat it on the infected area. Twice a day in theory. Three times a week in practise. Do not use it neat, or get it in your eye.
I also find drinking half a juiced lemon in an appropriate amount of water, three or four times a week, keeps it at bay. There are various theorys as to why this works. No idea if any are right or not, I just know it works for me.
I rarely get a problem in the summer, soon as the nights start drawing in, it flares up.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,440
2,864
W.Sussex
I suffer from Athletes foot, ringworm, and some other unidentified affliction that causes blisters on my feet.
The athletes foot and ringworm are not exclusive to my feet either..........

I've tried all sorts of creams and potions, nothing touches it. For all the use the doctor was, I may as well have gone and asked the local blacksmith.

The only things that will control it for me, is strong sunlight, given the rare chance, or Lemon essential oil. Two drops in a small bowl full of water, and pat it on the infected area. Twice a day in theory. Three times a week in practise. Do not use it neat, or get it in your eye.
I also find drinking half a juiced lemon in an appropriate amount of water, three or four times a week, keeps it at bay. There are various theorys as to why this works. No idea if any are right or not, I just know it works for me.
I rarely get a problem in the summer, soon as the nights start drawing in, it flares up.

Tea Tree Oil. As far as I can work out through a quick google, Athletes Foot and ringworm are one and the same and respond well to application of 100% Tea Tree Oil. I can't link you very well as I'm phone posting, but Google is your friend. Hope that helps both you and the OP.
 

feralpig

Forager
Aug 6, 2013
183
1
Mid Wales
I've tried Tea tree oil. Its great for bites, I used it loads for mozzie bites when i was in Australia. For some reason, it doesn't seem to work on the athletes foot, it just makes my skin cracked and scabby.
Maybe I ought to try it again, thinking about it, I used it neat, same as for a bite. That might have been the wrong thing to do.
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE