Quote Originally Posted by Five Tango View Post
I have had a black toenail on my right foot since July 4th.Walking downhill was the culprit and it was not that long of a hike either.Just a simple overnighter walking a river trail in a local national forest.

Nail is stable and not going anywhere like yours is.I wonder if you could soak yours in epsome salt nightly and douse it with hydrogen peroxide and tape it up after daily maintenance on the trail?I like the idea of the film canister;don't know how comfortable that would be.Have you got time to get larger shoes with more toe box room?Also,don't forget to take some pain killer in your kit.

Having never lost a toenail before I would like to hear the experience of those that have.How painful and how long to get over it?
Most thru-hikers will loose some toe nails before they finish. One reason is your feet get larger as you hike making your shoes tight in the toe area. As you hike, with a heavy pack going downhill your toes contact the front of your boots. Damaging your nails. Hiking hours on end with wet feet also leads to loosing toe nails. It’s a thru- hiker problem you have to except.