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Originally Posted by Books
The nice thing about toe nails is that they grow back. Some folks are prone to losing them (such as myself) and others never give it a second thought.
As I understand it medically, the pressure created during the movement (or motorcycle accident, ruck dropped on it, etc.) causes swelling/hematoma that separates the nail from the nail bed. As it loses its anchor, the nail falls away, the toe heals and the nail regrows. Takes a few months. During the last couple of years in the course, I've lost several. So it goes.
As for PM. . . remove the initial insult. Since you seem like the kind of fellow who enjoys 250 klick movements over a week and a half, never mind.
Basic foot care works. Trim your nails (correctly: straight across the toe, not curved), clean your feet, everything TR said. . .
One terrible secret though (and I know I'll get a ration of sh-t for this). . . I got this idea from the aforementioned Fixing Your Feet. About a week before I anticipate going into the field, I spend the fifteen bucks to have a nice Vietnamese lady give me a pedicure. They soak your dogs and buff out the rough edges; fewer rough edges, fewer opportunities for blisters. Kind of gay? Not so much, so long as you skip the toe nail polish.
Books
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Oh, it wasnt what I expected. We had no shade in the entire "march" and we were pushing 6-8km/per hour over 25-35km per day just to beat the heat and it was brutal. We probably picked the worst week possible with zero cloud cover and no rain so it wont rank as one of my best experinces but it was an experince.
I lost both my big toe nails (one dropped out a few days after we finished) and my end toe nails and had them bandaged and cleaned daily but it was such a bitch to have to walk with shoes on; ended up doing the last two days in ACG sandals and then got my feet sunburnt so I was not only dumb but silly not to think of getting sunburnt as well...
But I think I was just to exhausted and was not thinking straight more than anything by the time we got past day five.
The blisters were just out of this world and the borneo heat and humidity doesnt help one bit.