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Engo Blister Prevention Patches
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77
kg)
Shoe size: US women's 9
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
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Backpacking Background:
Finally
pursuing a long-time interest, I started backpacking
3 years ago. I've progressed from day-hiking and single
overnights my
first year, to weekend trips the second, and finally to a 7-night trip
on the
Appalachian Trail in Georgia this year. I hike and backpack
mainly in the
hills and valleys of West Virginia, and generally use a hammock
sleeping
system. In general my backpacking style is
lightweight and minimalist without giving up safety or comfort, and I’m
always
interested in ways to lighten my pack a bit more.
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Initial Report
- September 12, 2006
Product
Information:
Manufacturer: ENGO
Year of manufacture: 2006
Date of Delivery: September 6, 2006
Item: E-STR Six Pack plus one 3" x 4" (8 cm x 10 cm) rectangle
Advertised Weight: not available
Weight as delivered: rectangle 0.1 oz (2.8 g);
ovals under 0.1 oz (2.8 g) each
(2 small & 2 large ovals together weigh 0.1 oz or 2.8
g)
Manufacturer Website: http://www.goengo.com
MSRP: $11.95
US for the E-STR Six Pack
(rectangles not available individually)
Several different combination packages are available at varied prices.
Product sizes:
Small Oval listed: 2 x 1.5 in (5.1
x 3.8 cm)
measured: 1.9 x 1.5 in (4.8 x 3.8
cm)
Large Oval listed: 2.75 x
1.75 in (7 cm x 4.5 cm)
measured: 2.75
x 1.75 in (7 cm x 4.5 cm)
Rectangle listed: 3 x
4 in (8 x 10 cm)
measured:
2.75 x 3.75 in (7 cm x 9.5 cm)
Product Description:
The Engo Blister Prevention Patches are a thin (.012 in or .03 cm
thick) laminated patch consisting of a friction resistant film on top,
a white fabric middle layer for stability, and a pressure sensitive
adhesive bottom layer. The adhesive is protected by a peel away
layer of paper. The patches have a bright blue surface that
reminds me of a theme notebook cover in appearance and feel. They
are designed to attach to footwear or other gear to prevent friction
that causes blistering, and to help heal existing blisters faster,
according to the manufacturer.
The small ovals are designed to be used in the toe area; the large oval
on the heel, arch, ball or side of the foot, and the rectangle patch to
be used on equipment or cut to fit other areas exposed to excessive
friction and prone to blistering. The products are somewhat
unique in that they are designed to attach to the shoe or gear instead
of being applied directly to the skin, which should result in them
lasting longer than blister treatment products.
The E-STR Six Pack provided me includes 2 small and 4 large ovals in a
cardstock weight folding brochure encased in a small (3 x 6 in or 7.5 x
15 cm) plastic zipper seal bag, and Engo included a rectangle patch
within the package. The full color brochure includes a
section of user tips, a reference to their website address, directions
on how to apply the patches, and ideas on what type of footwear and
equipment to apply the patches to.
The patches are much as I expected from the website description,
although I was somewhat surprised by the thinness and slick texture.
Preliminary
Installation:
I installed a set of the large ovals
in my year old Dunham WaffleStomper Terrastryder Lows,
which for the first time ever, gave me terrible blisters on my
last trip, likely due to holes that have worn in the heel area.
The paper backing was easy to separate
from the patch itself.
Engo recommends removing part of the paper and leaving a "tab" to hold
the patch while applying the exposed part of the patch, then completely
removing the backing and smoothing the remainder of the patch in
place. This worked extremely well.
The patch was easy to apply where I
wanted it, and simple to smooth into place.
After applying the patches, it was easy to slide my feet into the
shoes, and the patches don't feel bulky.
Likes –
Easy to apply
Sleek and thin (not bulky)
Dislikes –
None so far
Field Report -
November 21, 2006
I have used the Engo Blister Prevention patches for about two months
now. The first significant trip I used them on included a trip to
the Spruce Knob Lake area of West Virginia (elevations from around 3850
ft or 1170 m to the highest elevation in the state of 4861 ft or 1482 m
at Spruce Knob Mountain). Temperatures ranged in the 35 - 55 F
(2-13 C) range. This was to be a one night backpacking trip with
one night of car camping, but it turned into a two night car camping
trip with a day hike of about 6 mi (7 km) due to heavy rainstorms and
the group decision not to chance creek crossings and overnight stays in
the backcountry in the stormy conditions. The Blister Prevention
patches held up well on this trip and made slipping into and out of my
shoes very easy due to the slick patch at the heel. Even with my
worn shoes, I experienced no problems with blisters on this trip.
The next significant trip I used the patches on was in early October,
for a two night backpacking trip to the Cranberry Backcountry region of
West Virginia (elevations from 2800-4100 ft or 850 -1250 m).
Temperatures ranged from about 35 - 60 F (2-16 C), with rain showers
most of the first day, a hip deep creek crossing, and a lot of dampness
and humidity the second and third days. On this trip, the Blister
Prevention patches didn't fare as well. One completely fell
apart, with the top layer wadding up and sliding down my heel. I
felt the discomfort of a blister beginning, and had to stop and add a
bandaid and a top covering of duct tape to the back of my heel to
prevent further damage. I would have replaced the patch, however
unfortunately my shoes were still soaked from all the rain, dampness,
and humidity (the Goretex lining having failed due to wear) and I knew
a replacement patch would not have stuck, per
the manufacturer's directions to apply them to DRY footwear. A
photo of the deteriorated patch (and its still good mate) is shown
below.
To further test the patches, I cut the large rectangular patch provided
to cover the buckles on a pair of sandals I have been unable to wear
for any significant walking due to the tendency of the buckles to
create large blisters in the area just behind my toes within minutes of
setting out walking. I was able to customize the fit fairly well
even though the buckle is triangular in shape. The sandals don't
look very fashionable with the patches showing, but I was happy to find
I am now able to wear them comfortably and even hiked 3 miles (5 km) in
them. A photo of the sandal patch is shown below.
I pretty much concluded my old hiking
shoes were beyond repair, so I applied a new set of large ovals to the
heels of my reserve pair of Vasque hiking shoes. I had a bit of
trouble getting these smoothly in place, probably because the heel of
the Vasque shoes seems to have a little narrower opening than my older
Dunham Terrastryders. I had to remove and reposition one of the
patches, which isn't really recommended. I also applied a set of
the small ovals to the front of the footbed, where I sometimes get
calluses on the bottoms of my toes and to the corresponding area at the
front of the shoe. Getting the oval smoothly into place in the
toe box was a little tricky, and I ended up with slight bumpy areas,
but they haven't created blisters or problems so far. I've worn
the Vasques with the Blister Prevention Patches in place at several
Girl Scout weekend campouts and outdoor training weekends, and for
several day hikes, including a 10 mile section of the Appalachian Trail
(AT) not far south of Damascus Virginia in early November. So
far, they are holding up fairly well, although one did come loose from
the heel are of my shoe on my AT hike, but stayed put once I pressed it
back in place. I believe this was probably the one I had to
remove and reposition, but I'm not positive about that. The photo
below shows a little more wear on that patch (in my left shoe), with
the edges peeling loose a bit, but this is also the same side shoe that
deteriorated previously, so it may be I am just harder on my left shoes.
The patches on the insoles seem to be
staying in place well and showing no wear so far.
Conclusions So Far:
So far, the Engo Blister Prevention Patches are
very comfortable to wear. I like the way they make my shoes easy
to put on, since my heel just slides into place down the slick
patch. The first set didn't last as long as I expected, possibly
due to the joint factors of extreme moisture and worn shoe
linings. I am curious as to whether the second set will last
longer, and hope to get them into some wet conditions for
testing. Since blisters are more likely (for me at least) with
wet footwear, rainy, humid, or damp weather is when I expect they
would be most helpful in preventing foot problems, and I hope I find
they will last more than a couple of trips. The patches do seem
to stay in place when properly installed without sliding around.
They haven't stained my socks or caused extra wear on them that I can
tell.
The patches are very easy to carry in my pack -
I've simply slid a few inside a Zip-Lock bag along with my bandaids and
other first aid items, and scarcely even notice they are there.
I would like to see the patches offered in a few
different colors, black being one, and perhaps brown. This would
make the patches less obvious when applied to sandals or the edges of
clogs.
Long
Term Report - January 22, 2007
In the last two months I have worn the Engo
Blister Prevention patches on several additional day hikes, including
2-4 mile hikes on dirt/mud county roads near my home, a 2 mile hike on
dirt trails near a local school, a 10 mile hike on a gravel/dirt 'rail
trail', and 1-3 mile hikes at a couple of Girl Scout camps, in addition
to general all around wear. Terrain varied from hilly to nearly
level on the rail trail. Weather varied from sunny to rainy to
snowy, with temperature ranging from near 60 F (16 C) down to about 20
F (-7 C). Oh, and one of the toughest 'hikes' - several miles of
walking back and forth on concrete during a Girl Scout 'mall lock-in'!
On most of the hikes (and at the mall) I used my
Vasque trail shoes, but I also installed a pair of the patches in my
Merrell mid-height leather boots and wore them on a couple of the
hikes. The patches installed as easily in the boots as they had
in the shoes.
On the rail trail hike, where it rained most of
the day, I again had a problem with the patch at the left heel
delaminating, and had to replace it again. Below is a photo of
the remnants of the delaminated patch:
When I removed the remnants of the delaminated patch to replace it, a
bit of adhesive remained, as shown below:
The patch in the right shoe at the heel is
deteriorating slightly, curling a bit at the edges, in a manner similar
to the photo of the left heel in my field report. The patches in
the toe area still seem smooth and unworn.
Final Conclusions:
The Engo Blister Prevention Patches do the job they are advertised to
do. I haven't had a single blister (other than the one when the
patch came apart in my badly worn Dunham Terrastryder Lows). They
have lasted for numerous hikes, although when the patches begin to show
evidence of wear with the edges curling, they seem to delaminate when
worn under wet circumstances. Overall I consider them long
lasting, since I've had one patch last over 3 months, and an additional
patch installed in shoes that were in good condition lasted over 2
months. The patches make it easy to slide my feet in and out of
my shoes or boots, have enabled me to wear sandals I otherwise wouldn't
have been able to wear due to blistering, and have extended the life of
my shoes.
I feel they work best when applied ahead of time to areas with
potential for problems, since they need to be applied to dry
footwear. When I am in the field hiking, my shoes are seldom dry
- they're either damp from sweat, or wet from stream crossings or
rain. Although I've carried a couple of sets of patches in my
first aid kit, I haven't had an opportunity to apply them in the field
- either I didn't need to, or my shoes weren't dry enough to do so if
the need arose.
The only complaint I have is that the patches aren't available in
different colors. I'd like to see at least black and brown
available. I would have applied the patches to a pair of casual
shoes I wear to work, which were rubbing the side of my heel, but I
would have needed to apply the patch to the very top of the shoe,
overlapping the top edge, and the blue patch just wouldn't be
acceptable in a work situation. My original likes about the
product still stand - they are easy to apply and thin and light.
I definitely consider this a worthwhile product, and plan to apply them
to shoes with problem areas in the future.
Thanks to
ENGO and BackpackGearTest
for
the
opportunity to test the Blister Prevention Patches.
Read more reviews of ENGO gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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