In order to prevent chaffing, attention must also be paid to socks, which will be preferably seamless and made of cotton. In the case that boots are used, besides the cotton socks, another woollen pair may be worn over these. It is very important to keep these clean and wash them frequently insofar as this is possible.

The characteristics of the stage or the state of the weather sometimes make it necessary to freshen the feet more frequently. To do so, the person can take advantage of the short stops or rest periods and look for springs or streams in which to briefly wash his feet. However, if it is important to freshen them, it is more important to dry them thoroughly, preferably in the open air as excess humidity can generate the appearance of mycosis, the colonisation by fungus, popularly known as “athlete’s foot”.

In order to treat feet damaged by blisters, it is essential never to eliminate the skin as this serves as protection and will help to heal and regenerate the damaged area. You must be equipped with hypodermic needles to prick the blisters at one or two points in order to achieve total draining. Once emptied, a gelatin dressing of the proper size will be placed on the blister and fixed with a sticking plaster. These applications must be withdrawn before washing the feet so that a new dressing can be applied once the feet have been properly dried. The treatment will be repeated the following day before beginning the walk again. If a blister forms again, it will be pricked once more in order to extract the liquid.

If cracks appear between the toes, which can sometimes cause itching and pain, we are dealing with the aforementioned mycosis. In order to treat this, correct hygiene is essential, as well as thorough drying, however, a doctor or chemist must be consulted and he will recommend the use of an antimycotic spray. In this case, it is not recommended to self-prescribe the use of ointments or creams as they may humidify the area and encourage the proliferation of the fungus, substantially aggravating the problem. The operation must be repeated after each washing before commencing the day’s activity and on finishing it.

Trainers can be worn, but it is advisable to use footwear which secures the feet more strongly and prevents injuries to the ankle. Boots are recommendable precisely because they secure the ankle better. They must secure without pressure, therefore, models with the back of the leg of the boot lowered should be chosen. The soles must be hard with no cushioning on the heel.

Seamless, cotton socks will be used with trainers and these can also be used with boots if we use others made of wool over these. The socks must be kept as clean as possible. We must take advantage of the stops at hostels in order to wash them, dry them properly and put on clean ones.

A backpack which is correctly packed for this type of activity must not exceed 10 kg in weight. When the backpack is acquired, we must check that it has protection systems on the straps in order to prevent chaffing of the skin. We must bear in mind that we spend a lot of time with them on our backs while we are in continuous movement.

As a complement to our first aid kits, if space allows this, we can add anti-inflammatory cream, aspirin or paracetamol, together with anti-acid tablets for the stomach in case it is upset by some kind of food.

It should not be forgotten that care of the feet and footwear are fundamental if we are to avoid injury. It is preferable to choose trekking or mountain boots. There are models of these adapted to summer if that season is chosen for the Camino.

Footwear must be well adapted to the feet, secured without pressure and with a certain flexibility, waterproof and transpirable. The soles must be hard and made for walking on irregular terrain.

Likewise, the socks must avoid injuries, therefore, those which are seamless and made of cotton will be worn. In order to rest at the stoops, slippers or light sandals can be used as these help to air, freshen and relax the feet, especially if these have been hurt.

Besides the correct consumption of food, good hydration is also fundamental. We must take in liquids before, during and after the walk, approximately two litres of water per day. These two litres will be distributed in a balanced fashion: about two hours before starting each stage, it is recommendable to drink three glasses of water, and another two glasses a quarter of an hour before. During the walk, approximately one glass every forty minutes should be drunk.

You should not wait until you are thirsty in order to drink water, good hydration prevents muscular problems such as painful cramp occurring. The 15 kilometre barrier must never be passed without drinking water. For this reason, we will always have a small bottle of water or an isotonic drink on hand, which helps to replace mineral salts. So, we will combat fatigue by punctually absorbing small contributions of energy, such as rapidly absorbed glycides.

Another important question is to take care if we drink non-bottled water at the stops we make. We must avoid drinking water from streams, springs or fountains unless we are absolutely certain that it is drinkable.

If we are walking in summer, it will be necessary to look for places protected from direct sunlight in order to rest. These rest periods must not be prolonged excessively, if we are walking, stops of a maximum of 5 or 10 minutes are recommended, if cycling, the stops will be infrequent, short and always off both the road and the hard shoulder as a basic precaution.

If we organise our stage in two sessions, between these a longer stop will be made in order to have something to eat and recover our strength.