MANCHESTER, Tenn. – When I left my house for Bonnaroo, I thought I was prepared. Each day's clothes were packed in an individual Ziploc bag; all electronics as well. I had enough clothes and supplies in my carry-on to last me through the week in the horrible event that the airline lost my luggage. Finally, I had shoes for every occasion: sandals for short walks, tennis shoes for everyday wear, and hiking boots in case it rained. I was all set, right?
That's one nasty blister! Photo by Adam Dubbin/TheSequitur.com
WRONG.
I'd covered all my bases as far as the variety of footwear I might need, but made the amateur mistake of overlooking the quality of that footwear. In the end, it meant that I couldn't enjoy as much of the festival as I would have liked.
See that on the right? That's the blister that I had Sunday night after we left Bonnaroo. If you've ever had blisters, you may notice that this one is exceedingly large. That being the case, it also treated me to a lot of inflammation and quite a bit of pain, so much so that, by Saturday afternoon, I was limping like I had a sprained ankle.
What happened? A new pair of sandals that I bought for Bonnaroo rubbed one part of my foot almost raw. The next day, the heels collapsed on my cheap tennis shoes. By the time I was left with just my boots, my feet were a complete and total wreck, and it was only Saturday morning.
I continued to see concerts on Saturday, even watching Phil Lesh & Friends at three in the morning, but it hurt like hell, and I cursed myself for neglecting a golden rule of any multi-day music festival: those shoes you love so much? Make sure you can walk twenty miles in them.
Here's a quick guide to avoiding foot ailments at Bonnaroo and other music festivals:
Drink plenty of water. Why? Because no music-festival-health-advice piece is complete without telling you to drink water and stay hydrated (plus, according to TheWalkingSite.com, dehydration can lead to chaffing and increased friction on the feet).
Don't buy new shoes for the event. The shoes you wear at a festival should be reliable and worn in. Buying new shoes to wear to Bonnaroo is like getting your hair cut the day before your wedding: You may luck out and be fine, but if something goes wrong, you're screwed.
Bring a first-aid kit. For blisters, include alcohol swabs, moleskin, safety pins, Neosporin (or equivalent), bandages, gauze, and medical tape. Always remember to sterilize those safety pins before you drain the blister.
Keep your feet as dry as possible. While this may not seem easy at a festival, take advantage of the times you take a break and sit down. If you're wearing socks and shoes, take them off and let your toes get some air for a few minutes. The more moist your feet are, the more likely you are to have problems. And if anyone accuses you of having stinky feet, blame the stench on the hippies.
Pace yourself. When you're at a festival like Bonnaroo, it is tempting to run from concert to concert and try to take in as much music as you can. But it is near impossible, and unless you're Superman, trying to see everything will wear you out within 48 hours. Take time to sit down and rest your feet in between shows, or sit down during a show and kick off your shoes.
Festivals can be ruined by a lot of things: severe dehydration, bad drugs, natural disasters. But there's no reason for Bonnaroo or any other music festival to be ruined because you get a blister the size of your fist on your foot. Take the precautions and pay attention to what your feet are telling you – it could mean the difference between not being able to walk to see your favorite artist and making the trek to even more shows. [TheWalkingSite.com, Bonnaroo.com, PhilLesh.net]Branden Hart, a TheSequitur.com assistant managing editor, works as an editor in San Antonio.
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