Stockpiling socks may seem foolish but it can actually confer several advantages for preppers. Clean socks provide protection to your feet and keep them from smelling after wearing shoes for a long period. Whether clean or dirty, they also have a wide range of other uses, from cleaning surfaces to making a fire. Here's why you need extra socks when SHTF: (h/t to BackdoorSurvival.com)
While most preppers plan to hunker down when SHTF, the truth is that moving around is part and parcel of survival. Because a survival stockpile can only last for so long, eventually you will need to forage, bug out, barter, tend to your garden, etc. To do any of these things, you have to keep your feet healthy by wearing socks.
Think of socks as personal protective gear: Depending on the kind of socks you're wearing, they can wick away sweat and prevent germs from building up in your feet. Without socks or if you're wearing a dirty pair, your feet will start to smell and become susceptible to infections like athlete's foot.
Also known as tinea pedi or ringworm of the foot, athlete's foot is a fungal infection caused by the fungus Trichophyton. Trichophyton exists harmlessly on human skin; its reproduction is limited as long as your skin is dry and clean. But under damp and warm conditions, it can multiply rapidly.
Skin becomes dry, flaky and inflamed in people with athlete's foot. It can also crack, crust, swell and ooze with small itchy blisters. When athlete's foot is severe and causes open sores on your skin, your feet can also get infected by bacteria, which can lead to more complications including blood poisoning and bone infection.
It can be uncomfortable to walk around with athlete's foot. Besides the foul smell, cracks and blisters on your skin can make it painful to get on your feet. To prevent athlete's foot, it is important to use a clean pair of socks that can draw moisture away from your skin. (Related: Foot care: An often forgotten practice when SHTF.)
Stock up on the following socks before SHTF:
Besides providing cushion to your feet, socks can also be used for many other things. Here are some:
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