If you can IM me that would be cool! Got a new phone and it wiped my contacts

@Extrabonez

I don’t really do ruck marches much these days. Along with the weight, you have also have to consider the speed. In my college days, every weekend was a “ruck run”; mostly a 10k with 40-50 pounds. Stupid and I’m surprised my body is still functional. A whole career of doing road marches you learn how a properly fitted back should work, but rucking for time is where you can strain or stress your body badly, even if conditioned well.

We still backpack longer distances, but our daily average is 12-15 miles. The problem is that rucking (or backpacking) isn’t something can simulate in a gym. It’s one of those events that you actually have to do it and start slow. Sure, most average males in average condition “should” be able to 10-12 miles with 35 pounds, but most aren’t conditioned and those who mentally push through will be on their ass for a week.

Even doing a 50-100 mile backpacking trip, our first couple of days are kept under 10 miles, just to not overly stress the body and make the recovery a little easier. Big point in backpacking is that we typically don’t go “Division 350-1” training standards of 12 miles with 35 pounds in under four hours. Our times are usually 6-8 hours with plenty of breaks. That said, I’ve found 30-35 pounds is my maximum weight (starts to drop from that point with food, fuel consumption) for multiday trips, but I can wear my pack literally all day while on the trail (I don’t take it off for a 5 minute snack break or a 10-15 minute water filtering break).

I did just under 110 miles in 7 days (and a wake up) a few years ago (I was 50), and my starting weight (including food, fuel, and 3 liters of water) was just under 50 pounds (not my normal pack load,  but I was doing a non-resupply trip and planned for 9 days). It slowed me down quite a bit and I could certainly feel it more. More weight for me requires me to move slower, not as far in a day, and needing more recovery time at the end of the day. Needless to say, on my last full day, day 7, I cranked out 22 miles on the steepest terrain.


Not any more, at least for the officers. My son is currently in Infantry BOLC at Fort Benning and the Army treats them as the D1 Athletes of the Army. They have four professional athletic trainers, a few nutritional specialists, and they get several medical researches who do studies on every class. They didn’t have that when he was enlisted Infantry about six years ago, but they have easy access to professionals for individual training, assistance, recovery, therapy, and nutrition.

For those interested, rucking is the type of full body exercise that will condition muscles you never knew existed!  

ROCK6

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@freefallret
Do you have any pics of proper walking sticks?

Varusteleka regularly has surplus NATO rucks in the $90 to $150 range-I'm using a Belgian late 90s vintage internal frame ruck with a bag of river rocks from HD.

cypress stick from the swamp

Links, or any other details about the packs? I couldn't find anything relevant through Google.

Just Google surplus MOLLE backpack. Dozens of links including Amazon. You will want one with a frame. Last ones I got were from Midway and I think they were less than $40 with the frame and 2 sustainment pouches

@L_JE

A few days before, just ahead of where that photo was taken, a massive rockfall killed/seriously injured members of another party we had been leapfrogging with. Of course we knew about this heading into it, but that was basically the only way out of there.

That morning, we laid down the law for the clients: "You guys know what happened to our friends a few days ago. That rockfall is still active. So here is the deal - we do not stop, for any reason, in that rockfall zone. If your sled flips, drag it. If you're hot or cold, deal with it. If you're hungry or thirsty, deal with it. We can't overstate the importance of moving through that zone quickly. No stopping for any reason."  They all nodded in acknowledgement.

But guess what they tried to do a few hours later...  

my many times at camp rudder opfor detail I always admired the cadre's walking sticks. or ranger staff is the correct nomenclature?  

Is that Helinox a chair or cot?

It's hard to overstate the danger but people sometimes don't get it until they see it in person. I'm kinda guilty of this, I think.

Gallon jugs of water are great for training. 8lbs each and worst case scenario you can just dump the out and carry back the almost weightless empty.
Anyway, internal frame pack have been the hotness for years now. You can go retro with an external frame but unless you know what you are doing already probably not the right choice. Frameless is pretty much a no go.

I only started rucking a few years ago; probably didn't have to get all GoRuck stuff but I figured if I spend the money it might motivate me to actually use it. I even picked up some sandbags though haven't actually used them yet...

According to RunKeeper app, last year I did 500 miles at an average pace of 16:12/mile, though I've found my pace is longer in the winter (don't want to slip and fall), AND I also wear the pack while pushing a lawnmower. That royally screwed up my avg page as my yard is small. In the summer my pace is closer to 15:00 even - I could probably push it a little faster but taking it slow and steady to prevent injuries.

The vast majority of my rucks are with 30 lbs and only 4-5 miles, but occasionally I'll do a 6-8 miler (like tomorrow). One time last year I was feeling good and was going for a 12-miler when my music stopped - it was so cold and windy it had drained my phone's battery in an outer pocket. (older phone, probably didn't help)

Once or twice a month I'll up it to 40 lbs but after an hour or so my shoulders start to ache; I'll admit I'm not in the best shape and do basically no other workouts (besides stretching, pushups and situps). If I had started this 10 years ago I'd be better acclimated...

Push ups are one of the best all body workouts you can do. Add in over head press to work the shoulders and squats and you’ll see major improvements in your ability to carry the weight.

Don't ruck...not now at least.


Kelly 4k falcon with top lid removed
Cabot sons merino wool socks or smart wool joggers
Black diamond trekking poles
Keen targhee 2s ( replacement this year i think)or Chacos with vibram soles.
That's my base..before other gear.


Biggest thing.
Get fitted and sized correctly pack and it'll cut some pain for you.Start slow and low and work up.

I watched that one last night.

Nick Bare from Bare fitness along with Nick K ( the Marsoc guy ) did a vid on boot's and socks.

Bare has done a lot of rucking so some good info there

I clicked the goruck someone posted.
First thing I noticed was the lack of a waist belt.

I believe you'd be right in that they would be great in the event's they run but not for general rucking.

Never even held one so just my thought's .

My thoughts were similar when I saw Goruck's product line. People seem to love them for whatever reason, but I'll keep my framed pack with its nice, padded hip belt.

Yep, I dont get the hype. Id never put 30+ lbs on my shoulders if I didnt have to, Id want that on my hips with a padded hip belt.

I use Kelty's stuff. Their design is well laid out and comfortable, without being overly expensive.

Kelty Falcon with pouches added to make it more ALICE like

Still working on the layout of them.

Attached File

Thought the exact same thing…only my daughter turned 25 on 1/9.   My son was not having it for long so he missed out.  What’s best is when my daughter would fall asleep with her head resting on a towel I would put there and her arms clutching my shoulders.

Lol, I hate it when she naps in the pack. It ruins her nap later.
Attached File

7 miles today, 47lb ruck

Attached File

I miss those days.

I’m expecting to be worthless tomorrow. This was my first big ruck in way too long

It’s saying over 20,000 today, but that also includes 3 miles walking the dogs plus all the other stuff.

Need to get my running app working again. It wouldn’t let me open it this morning to track the ruck separately

Thanks!

I’m thinking of getting 2 SAW pouches to go up top on the sides. I tried using the sustainment pouches there, but they are the wrong size with the spacing in the MOLLE

Very nice!



RunKeeper doesn't have a 'Rucking' category, I record it under hiking. According to this rucking calorie calculator I burned 1488 calories.

My face was getting cold at the end, originally I was going to go the full 2 hours - left my tactical balaclava home, I should keep an extra one in the rucksack*. The sun was out when I started but didn't stay long - roughly 28 degrees and slight wind. Clear trails though.

* - in my pack (besides the ruck plates) I keep an extra pair of gloves, first aid kit including TQ, some snacks, a knife, some nylon rope (not sure why). I also ruck in the city - if I was going out somewhere more remote I'd bring more.

ETA: I have a lot of GoRuck boots - I first bought the Gen1 MACV years ago but they weren't that good on wet pavement, and they squeak a lot. Still comfortable, and I think they were $79 for clearance. I picked up some 'Gen 2' in leather but didn't find them as comfortable, maybe the leather is too stiff and with use would become more supple.

Back in November I picked up a pair of their new Jedburgh Rucking boots and I REALLY like them - at the current sale price of $99 they are fantastic. I'll be getting a backup pair eventually. If it is really snowy and icy out I'm not sure how much I'd trust them (according to this review they handle it fine), I have some Columbia insulated winter boots that work well but aren't nearly as comfortable.

They aren't insulated (or waterproof), but if you're moving my feet are fine with a single pair of Darn Tough socks. If you were stationary I'd probably double up on socks or get a different brand, but YMMV.

I have some 'Ballistic Trainers' as well - these are more focused on gym or Crossfit-style exercises, but also work well in my rucking. I also tried the I/O Cross Trainers, wasn't a fan, very stiff (looks like they aren't even made anymore).

The rucking running joke in our house is that I have more shoes/boots than the wife... I've tried to drag her along but I have very large strides and she found it tough to keep up.

When the wife and I hike, I keep up a steady march, with longer strides than my wife. She has to walk much faster and keeps asking why I'm in a hurry. I'm not, it's my normal pace!

Goruck sells the hip belt.  Mine has one. I have the Rucker 4.0.

I let myself get out of shape.  


My best suggestion is to get a small day pack with a drinking system.   Pack a lunch and a few things and do a bunch of short day hikes first.  The typical 2-5 mile walks on marked trails to some pond.   Get a handful of them in to get your feet in shape.

The Alice pack is ok to me (with a waist belt) as long as I am not wearing an pistol belt and y/H harness.  I hated them together.  Damn Y harness hooks digging in unless you were also wearing the flak jacket.   It was a cobbed system.

You had to watch the weight distribution and prevent the weight from sagging to the rear.

Over 50 here.   10 miles isn’t bad on a good trail, paved or dirt road.  Overland my knees cannot take the twisting and swell up.  Same problem when the snow is over a foot deep.  I get about half an hour before the knees swell.

I am a fat 50 year old and I can outwalk some 20 year olds.  It’s between the ears as many of you in the service know.  If the weather is moderate and you stick to roads then if you can do 15 miles then 20 or 25 is doable.   As long as your boots fit and are broken in, you have water and food and can refill water.   It’s just a mental slog after 15.   Get your pack toward 100 pounds and I will not say that.

If you can do 15 miles with 20-25% of your body weight, you're already in rare company regardless of age. I'm not saying elite or anything and there's plenty of fit guys out there that can do it. I'll take a wild ass guess and say it's <10% of guys walking around out there there are going to be able to pull that off if there's any kind of pace requirement.

Give them all day to do it? I dunno, maybe?

That’s why I bought my own set of LBE so I could cut the hooks off and replace with 550 cord. It also allowed me to run it like an M in the back to distribute the weight better

I bought one of these last year (much, much cheaper on sale* at $160) and have a similar older LBT bag. I used to walk to the grocery store with my older bag and 'ruck' back.
Does this look like a decent bag for this usage? Realistically, between my bad shoulders, back, knees and feet it's not going to be a ruck, more of a hiking/backpacking thing. I've started hiking with a hiking stick (straightest broom handle from Menards, sanded and linseed oil rubbed in) and it's a huge change. I need a taller one though.

https://lbtinc.com/collections/packs/products/8010a

*I also bought the 14L bag, don't do that. It's basically kid sized.

Depends on how much you're going to load it up.

I'd want a frame for anything over 25-30lbs, maybe less if you're covering a lot of miles.

In my 20s and 30’s once I got through the shin splints phase I was ok.  I am a short bastard so if the pace was slower I was great as long as you wanted to go.   I think I only did 26 miles once.  That required a Lt. making a wrong turn because he couldn’t read a map and added 6 miles to our SOI company ruck march. .  I have to admit my feet were F’d up and blistered.  I had callouses but they blistered underneath and peeled off my calluse on my right heel.   I had three miles like that that I likened to having a wood rasp in my boot.

I admit I was mostly screwed on the fast ruck marches.  With short legs I’d have to fartlek jog.   Way more tiring than an even pace.   Now a pocket full of nut penuche (a brown sugar fudge) and I could keep up with the tall bastard radio man we had.

Being in the reserve component we did 8-10 marches a year iirc.  December we had inspections, SRB reviews, and Christmas meal, then we were in the field for the rest of the year’s drills which always had tactical or administrative movements.   Range quals we may or may not incorporate a foot movement.

10-15 miles a day was normal unless we did a lot of ambush reaction drills.


Today?   I am a cupcake eating couch potato except during hunting season.  My summer routine isn’t cardio but cutting brush and firewood letting my land and home ownership take my time up.

It would take me two months to toughen my feet back up.  


I admit I am a has been.  Hardly elite and not near as rugged as I was 20 years ago.  I was infantry, did boy scouts, hiking merit badge, high school hiking club, college hiking club then the Marines realigned my hiking desires. .  I chuckled at the NG OCS tactical pace.  Tantamount to sleep walking and I was a slowpoke.