avoiding boot shock?

[phishnguy]

I am heading to Quantico for June OCC 186. I have been P.T.ing and started running in boots (jungles). I got blisters on the inside of each heel and the plastic heel cup was digging into the outside of my ankle cutting it. Any ideas are welcome about how to overcome this and especially prepare for OCS. I realize you don't get down time there because your feet are shot. That's only if they don't send you home!

Thanks in advance

 

[skidkid]

try very thin dress sock under a heavier cushioned sock or as a last resort cover the areas that run liberally with duct tape yes duct tape you wont sweat it off. mole skin before you get a blister take it from someone who almost got sent home with celulitus infected blisters

 

[Jrunbel]

The biggest problem at OCS is keeping your feet dry. The boot socks they issue you do a terrible job which leads to blisters and raw feet. I purchased about six pairs of black wool socks before I went last summer. The one brand I remember is SmartWool from www.ems.com, but there was another brand I remember getting from www.thewalkingcompany.com. These socks look exactly like any other boot sock. During long humps when other candidates were changing their socks (dripping wet) my feet remained dry which allowed me to focus on other tasks. These socks cost about $15 a pair so make sure you don't throw them in a community bin to be washed when you are being rushed. I put them in my laundry bag and washed them at a later time (like when you pull firewatch, but that's just me). For some reason, most candidates had no idea about bringing their own wool socks, but you can bet your a$$ that quite a few went searching for them on liberty. Just make sure there black, thick, and labeled on the inside. You would be surprised how fast things dissappear at OCS. Anyways, candidates with severe blisters get put on light-duty which is good for your feet but attracts unwanted attention from the staff. A corpsman comes to the squadbay every morning around 0500 and takes care of candidates medical needs, he will get the ball rolling if you need to be on light-duty. Keep in mind, light-duty could prevent you from participating in graded events which could hurt you. Hope this info can help and buy the socks.

 

[KBayDog]

You cannot possibly bring enough of your own foot-care gear! Moleskin, foot powder, antifungal spray/cream, etc.

Yes, Doc visits at 0500, but when you wait in line to see him, you are doing three things:

1. As Jrunbel stated, you are bringing unwanted attention on yourself,

2. You are taking time away from the tasks you need to get done, and

3. You are shifting the burden of your morning work onto your fellow candidates. (Not something you want to do, especially once the Spear Evaluations start!)

Your feet are your Motor-T...they are the only things that will get you around at OCS. Treat them better than you would treat your significant other!

-Keep them clean and dry; air them out at every opportunity.

-An ounce of PREVENTION is worth a pound of cure - if this means keeping moleskin on 24/7, so be it. You will figure out soon enough where the hot spots on your feet are - COVER THEM with moleskin ASAP.

-Epsom salt foot baths are an excellent way to dry/heal your feet. Most platoons will have a few foot baths, but you can buy the baths/salts on libo.

-If you do get blisters, KEEP THEM CLEAN!!! I cannot stress this enough. If you go through the IMC and the Quigley with open blisters (I found the IMC to be much, much more disgusting than the Quigley), your risk of celulitis is extremely high. Again, don't risk it.

Finally, though I suggest not visiting Doc for small, routine matters, if you sense something is wrong, DO NOT HESITATE TO SEE HIM!

 

[semperfi1812]

Throw those stupid warm weather boots in the trash (not really) I only ever wore those for inspections. They killed my feet similar to how you described what they did to yours. I only wore the gotex IBC's for any physical event. It made it a hassle at some points because I had to deal with essentially one pair of boots. But I would rather do that than destroy my feet. The other problem you might run into will be uniformity. Just try to get the rest of the candidate's to agree that those boots absolutely suck a@# and limit the use of them during physical events. Alot of candidates felt similarly about them. It is not always possible, but sometimes necessary.

Good luck.

 

[Crowbar]

The problem we ran into was that the new Bates jungles are murderous on the old feet. Some kind of crazy stitching in the heels left (literally) scars that a year later are still visible on my heels. Since I've been home I bought Belleville jungles and love them. I think if you get the new Bates you just might be screwed. I've yet to meet anybody who doesn't hate them (anybody here?).

And yes, go with the thin socks under boot socks. Everything K-Bay said is true. Epsom salt kicks ass. IMC sucks much worse than the Quigley. You will get open sores all over your body and they need to be scrubbed out (scuz brush!) at the first opportunity. That crap can get infected and mess up your mojo in a hurry.

Foot powder is nice but when I go back I'm going to take some sort of foot spray (Tinactin).

 

[KBayDog]

A frag...

Men, you want to keep your twig n' berries as dry as possible. You will be sweating like crazy, and after the PT showers, you won't have time to dry. Rashes or even crotch rot could develop.

I suggest taking some extra powder for the frank n' beans. I had a lot of luck with Gold Bond, which I carried around with me and reapplied liberally.


Plus, it left a nice, cool, and very pleasant tingle...

 

[ben]

Gold Bond... I believe my friend Andy said it best with "It's like a thousand fairies blowing on your nuts."

 

[skidkid]

Gold Bond... I believe my friend Andy said it best with "It's like a thousand fairies blowing on your nuts."

Breath mint for the boys!

 

[FrogFly]

Breath mint for the boys!

I must agree with this. While regular Gold Bond will keep your boys in check, the medicated formula will provide that extra kick that will keep you smiling almost until it's time for the next rest period. I highly recommend taking some with you to Quantico.

 

[FrogFly]

Throw those stupid warm weather boots in the trash (not really) I only ever wore those for inspections. They killed my feet similar to how you described what they did to yours. I only wore the gotex IBC's for any physical event. It made it a hassle at some points because I had to deal with essentially one pair of boots. But I would rather do that than destroy my feet. The other problem you might run into will be uniformity. Just try to get the rest of the candidate's to agree that those boots absolutely suck a@# and limit the use of them during physical events. Alot of candidates felt similarly about them. It is not always possible, but sometimes necessary.

Good luck.

This is also very true. As semperfi1812 knows, we went on a hump that basically took the bottoms off my feet. I would try to avoid this route at all costs if I were you. There is nothing more important that your lower body, while at OCS, especially your feet. Take note of this, it will make your life less complicated while in training. If I were you, I'd do everything I could to toughen up those feet right now. That would include bringing a comfortable pair of boots, that are authorized, with you. Do whatever you can to make this happen prior to leaving.

 

[Killer2]

Does any here know where to get the Belleville jungles with the EGA on the side. I had the unfortunate pleasue of being issued the Bates jungles which turned green(from tan to green go figure) in the Quigley, and the IMC didn't help them either. I did't get the scars Crowbar speaks of but humps were always bad, because boot of the day would be the Bates and so it sucked.

 

[Crowbar]

It wasn't a problem for me to buy them-I just called the different exchanges until I found one that had Bellevilles. Think I ended up getting MCLB Albany to ship them to me. MCAS Miramar had them, too, just not in "normal" sizes.

 

[P_Durnin]

Are the bates jungles the same type of boots that are going to be issued at Pensacola? If so, where can I get the Belleville, and what color do I need to get them in?

 

[Killer2]

Are the bates jungles the same type of boots that are going to be issued at Pensacola?

Umm I think you are talking about Navy OCS. This was about Marine OCS. You should be fine with what ever black boots they give out down there. We have this problem because the Marines are working out the bugs of switching to the new MARPAT uniform.