Carrying a rucksack and feet problems.

[gunwharfman]

When I strap on my rucksack (weighs about 10kg) I know that I will have certain feet problems for the first day or two.

For example, I'll have a toes problem. After a few hours, a couple of my toes on each foot, the left one is more acute, will become painful. The pain can feel like excessive pins and needles as if my toes don't want to bend and flex anymore. My feet can also feel like they are burning especially if I have to walk a few miles on tarmac. The pain can be most uncomfortable but by constantly taking my boots and socks off and massaging them I've learned to 'walk through' this problem. By day two or three my feet return to normal.

I also tend to experience an underfoot problem, it can be a nagging pain on the ball of my feet and feels for a while that I'm walking on rough bones. I've experienced it before but it normally fades away after a few hours. It was very severe on my last hike and for the first time ever, it didn't fade away, it got worse day by day until I was hobbling. I've not experienced the problem since.

I also have a tendency to feel pain in my heels, they feel 'bruised' for a while which often subsides by the end of the first or second day and then doesn't return.

I've always assumed that these 'niggles' are influenced by how many miles I may walk on the first day and the downward pressure on my feet caused by my rucksack carry weight?

Does anyone experience similar oddities when setting off on a hike?

[BrionyB]

Yes! In fact I was thinking of posting something similar, having just come back from a camping trip where I really struggled to carry my rucksack. Just the couple of miles walk from home to station and station to campsite was quite painful for my feet, especially the ball of the foot and big-toe joint. I think it's to do with the increased "leverage" on your foot from having to raise the additional weight with each step?

Choice of footwear, boots vs. shoes, might be a factor; I was wearing boots too but would more flexible shoes have made it better or worse? I couldn't tell. Boots laced too tight - pins-and-needles and burning sensations sound a bit like a circulation problem?

[richardh1905]

My old Karrimor Jaguar backpacking rucksack, good in other respects, used to give my shoulders some jip at the end of a day's walk - couldn't wait to throw the wretched thing off.

Its replacement, an Osprey Rook 65, is much more comfortable - hardly knew it was there even after ten miles over the Dodds recently, despite carrying 12kg.

The extra weight doesn't seem to affect my feet in any way though.

[Mel]

Do you have hammer toes GWM?

[richardh1905]

Might be a good idea to seek some professional advice, gwm.

[tonyk]

 This article might help.

https://health.usnews.com/wellness/aging-well/articles/2018-08-08/6-things-you-dont-know-about-your-aging-feet


 I suffer a similar a problem to your "walking on rough bones" myself and presume its down to loss of fat on the soles of the feet.The tingling and numbness is a different matter and it says in the article that if you suffer this symptom you should get checked out by a GP as it can possibly be signs of an illness.
 

[gunwharfman]

No Mel, I have beautiful feet,  and I've never had to have anyone professionally look at them before. It may be that the article will help me to understand why I experienced this years particular problem? Thanks for the link.

The other problems that have always happened to me when I first start to hike with my rucksack on have always faded away within a day or two. I've always assumed that it's the carry weight issue that brings on these difficulties (the rucksack weight must have some effect on one's feet?) so have just taken it for granted that the first couple of day are days when my body and feet would just adjust to the new normality of carrying weight for hours and days on end?

[BrionyB]

It's interesting that the problems (usually) get better not worse after a couple of days walking. The only type of pain I can think of that works like that is the post-exercise muscle soreness that some people get when starting a new type of exercise or returning to it after a break - something like that affecting the muscles in your feet? Or could you be somehow adjusting your walking gait over time to accommodate the extra weight?

[gunwharfman]

I run off-road on an almost daily basis and I don't suffer feet problems, both of my running pairs of shoes and my feet go comfortably together. Obviously, I hike less so, hardly any real outings in 2020, 300 runs in 365 days. I finished running in April 2021 and then hiked but only three times carrying my rucksack. I'm back to running now and have no problems at all. Until I find out otherwise I still believe its to do with carrying a full rucksack over days, plus perhaps to do with body/feet changes due to age? I'm not worried about it, I accept that I will have a short period of discomfort each time I go for a hike.

I'm hoping of course that my last long walk pain was just a fluke? I just don't know at this time of the year how to find out because I will not be long distance hiking again until next year.

[BuzyG]

I think it is what you are used too. If I don't walk any distance for a few weeks then when I next walk all my little niggles, especially my injured left knee, will give me jib for a day or two.  I know to ignore it and after a few days all is good again. Subtle changes in posture, caused by loger distances or heavy load are most likely the cause. Assuming your boots fit. You just have to retrain a few muscles to deal with the changes and it usually goes away. 

[Southwester]

I think it is what you are used too. If I don't walk any distance for a few weeks then when I next walk all my little niggles, especially my injured left knee, will give me jib for a day or two.  I know to ignore it and after a few days all is good again. Subtle changes in posture, caused by loger distances or heavy load are most likely the cause. Assuming your boots fit. You just have to retrain a few muscles to deal with the changes and it usually goes away. 

Whilst I have never suffered from feet problems after carrying heavier rucksacks, I understand the point from BuzyG. My walking regime consist of say 2 long walks per month (say 8/12 miles) with heavy rucksack, with regular shorter walks from home say 4/5 miles around 4 times per week usually with no or small rucksack. I now find to avoid posture or balance problems when wearing heavier rucksacks I now wear the heavier one at least once a week on shorter walks - this seems to work for me.

[Slogger]

When I strap on my rucksack (weighs about 10kg) I know that I will have certain feet problems for the first day or two.

For example, I'll have a toes problem. After a few hours, a couple of my toes on each foot, the left one is more acute, will become painful. The pain can feel like excessive pins and needles as if my toes don't want to bend and flex anymore. My feet can also feel like they are burning especially if I have to walk a few miles on tarmac. The pain can be most uncomfortable but by constantly taking my boots and socks off and massaging them I've learned to 'walk through' this problem. By day two or three my feet return to normal.

I also tend to experience an underfoot problem, it can be a nagging pain on the ball of my feet and feels for a while that I'm walking on rough bones. I've experienced it before but it normally fades away after a few hours. It was very severe on my last hike and for the first time ever, it didn't fade away, it got worse day by day until I was hobbling. I've not experienced the problem since.

I also have a tendency to feel pain in my heels, they feel 'bruised' for a while which often subsides by the end of the first or second day and then doesn't return.

I've always assumed that these 'niggles' are influenced by how many miles I may walk on the first day and the downward pressure on my feet caused by my rucksack carry weight?

Does anyone experience similar oddities when setting off on a hike?

Heel bruise feeling could be Plantar Fasciitis and ball of foot pain, Metatartalgia. I among other issues am suffering metatartalgia at the moment due to my left as yet unoperated arthritic hip causinng a change in gait. I suffered with PF for three years once until it burned itself out. It is self limiting usually in 18 months but mine lasted twice that.

[gunwharfman]

Thanks for your opinion, it may well be I have a problem but have not yet owned up to it?

One thing I do know however is that in order to get my 'pains,' as I experienced them on my last long hike in August, they develop, as on previous hikes, over a bit of time. Since then, I go out to the woods to run every day, possibly a 5-mile walk as well later in the afternoon, but never of course wearing a rucksack, and to date, I haven't experienced a twinge.