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goodtimes
06-17-09, 12:03 AM
I looked around the interweb and found out that the recruits carry 45 lbs on their back (with rifle and 782 gear). Soooo... in preparation for the long marches, I am carrying 65+ lbs of pure heavy on my back. I am hurting to say the least and am going to take it down a notch so as to not die. What are you poolies putting on your back, how far, and what pains are you getting? Ohhh... and if there are any Marines out there with sage advice then I am EARS!


(Ice bath while writing this.)

MarinesFTW
06-17-09, 12:19 AM
Dont hurt yourself. Im not practicing humps that sounds dumb to me, there are so many other things you could be more worried about.

Capital M
06-17-09, 12:26 AM
Get a weight vest. throw 25 pounds into it. go for run/walk fast hike. Like MarinesFTW said, you don't want to risk hurting your back. Throwing 65 pounds into a pack and hiking it is only going to damage to your back and knees.

You don't just sit down at the bench one day after not pressing for a while, throw 225 on and go at it? no, that's stupid, like everything else physical you do in life, and at boot camp, you have to work up to it.

I admire the moto though

goodtimes
06-17-09, 12:32 AM
Yeah... good advice; actually wish i had learned the easy way first by asking on the forum before I went outside. Icy/hot and rest now. I will work up to some weight. 25 lbs sounds nice.

Quinbo
06-17-09, 12:34 AM
General school of thought amongst the grunts is that the weight should be up around your shoulders. If you are carrying in such a fashion that it is closer to your waist it will kick your butt much faster. If it is clumbsy floppy sloppy you'll have problems before a mile is covered. Don't go out there and try to hump a gunny sack full of bricks. If you have a carefully and correctly packed pack 65 lbs is a light load.

If you are practicing ruck marches then here is the plan... Your feet come first so take care of them and don't set out in a pair of hightop basketball shoes. Set a pace of about 3 miles an hour. Wear a watch and every 50 minutes take a 10 minute break. Carry lots of water. Maintain that pace and you can cover about 25 miles in 8 hours (by the way that is what an infantry battalion has to do as part of the MCCRES).

Don't injure yourself and have a back up plan. Training humps the Marines have a safety vehicle.

goodtimes
06-17-09, 12:57 AM
Bulkyker, that is GREAT advice! I see that there is a little more technique than just throwing sand from the beach into a ruck sack and then tromping around. I think that my biggest problem was the weight distribution. Hmmm... when I heal up, I will start light (25 lbs.) and load the bottom of the bag with clothes so as to put all of the weight topside. I will maintain the 3 mph pace but only go 2 miles. Then I will go 4 miles, 6 miles, and so on and so forth.

Thank you.

Fubar5812
06-17-09, 01:10 AM
I wouldn't be worrying about this stuff as a poolie.worry about general orders,IST..stuff like that.they will build you up as far as the packs,and beyond the conditioning hikes and the Crucible you will not be humping that rifle and pack all that far.

Quinbo
06-17-09, 01:23 AM
Now you got it all. Infantrymans advice and MP's advice. Gonna have to flip a coin on which one to go with.

GravityRain
06-17-09, 06:49 AM
I suggest a couple of 20 mile humps with stiff combat boots. Turn your feet to hamburger, let them heal, then do it again. Tough skin and callouses will make all the difference in boot on your feet. You are not going to notice the back pain with the drill instructors in your face . You will feel every step with blistered feet however. You will do a 20 mile hump before you graduate in full combat gear. Vasoline coat your feet then put your socks on will diminish some friction.

GravityRain
06-17-09, 06:50 AM
he is best who is trained in the severest school

KawiGunny
06-17-09, 07:18 AM
General school of thought amongst the grunts is that the weight should be up around your shoulders. If you are carrying in such a fashion that it is closer to your waist it will kick your butt much faster. If it is clumbsy floppy sloppy you'll have problems before a mile is covered. Don't go out there and try to hump a gunny sack full of bricks. If you have a carefully and correctly packed pack 65 lbs is a light load.

If you are practicing ruck marches then here is the plan... Your feet come first so take care of them and don't set out in a pair of hightop basketball shoes. Set a pace of about 3 miles an hour. Wear a watch and every 50 minutes take a 10 minute break. Carry lots of water. Maintain that pace and you can cover about 25 miles in 8 hours (by the way that is what an infantry battalion has to do as part of the MCCRES).

Don't injure yourself and have a back up plan. Training humps the Marines have a safety vehicle.

Don't forget plenty of socks. At every break, check your feet and change your socks if they are wet. Keep your feet dry and use foot powder as needed to help keep them dry and healthy.

goodtimes
06-17-09, 09:42 AM
Hmmm... Hamburger feet. I have a lot of advice here. I heard about the dry socks and foot powder treatment; but hamburger feet? It sounds like some sort of shaolin conditioning. I shall give it a try (in moderation of course). Also, I shall worry more on my USMC knowledge, PFT, and not so much on marching.

JoshuaP
06-17-09, 11:14 AM
I do a lot of hill sprints and sprint repeats with a 20lb vest on, just to get used to moving with extra, fairly-unstable weight on me.
I plan on buying a pair of boots and take a long walk a couple times, just so I dont destroy my feet at RT.

Weeman4307
06-17-09, 12:21 PM
The only time I carry weight is at my recruiting stations weekly PT, they have a 60lb concrete bag wrapped in duck tape. They put it in a ruck sack and we take it along on our little hike. Other than that I'm just doing regular runs and sprints.

Lisa 23
06-17-09, 03:27 PM
Also, I shall worry more on my USMC knowledge, PFT, and not so much on marching.
That would be a very wise thing to do!

SlingerDun
06-17-09, 03:30 PM
....

Pete0331
06-17-09, 03:34 PM
I looked around the interweb and found out that the recruits carry 45 lbs on their back (with rifle and 782 gear). Soooo... in preparation for the long marches, I am carrying 65+ lbs of pure heavy on my back. I am hurting to say the least and am going to take it down a notch so as to not die. What are you poolies putting on your back, how far, and what pains are you getting? Ohhh... and if there are any Marines out there with sage advice then I am EARS!


(Ice bath while writing this.)

You are carrying to much weight to start out with.
Start with 25-35 lbs.
Work your way up from there.
If you don't you will just hurt yourself.

Supersquishy
06-17-09, 03:37 PM
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:OGKoe34QfLWTvM:http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/files/images/080509_chubby_monkey_80980967.jpg

Better than having this on your back.