By Jon Vonhoef he Eco-Challenge Borneo required the best in foot care skills and hammered the unprepared. The combined effects of days of wet and cold feet brought many racers to their knees as blisters, fungal infections and trench foot destroyed their primary mode of travel.
Moisture softens the skin and over time maceration makes the feet look like prunes.
Blisters form, the skin folds over on itself, layers separate, blisters spread and rupture, the feet begin to bleed, and they become a breading ground for infections. Trench foot is a serious nonfreezing cold injury that develops when the skin of the feet is exposed to the combination of moisture and cold for extended periods. The combination, in boots or shoes that constrict the feet, for periods of 12 hours or longer, can cause skin tissue to die. Other names for trench foot are immersion foot and chilblains. Due to the cold, wet, and constricting environment inside the shoe, blood vessels constrict, reducing circulation to preserve heat loss.