Packing a Ruck

[PMedMoe]

a 13km ruck march in under 2.5 hours with just under 40 pounds in your ruck, followed by a 100m fireman carry and a shell scrape for a trench.

To be (more) exact, it's 2 hours, 26 minutes and with 24.5 kg total weight (which includes all clothing/equipment).  Also, not all areas have the trench dig as part of the test as they do not have the equipment (boxes of gravel).

BFT Training & Testing

 

[ARMY_101]

I found the extra four minutes to be enough to state just under 2.5 hours, and with 24.5kg in total there would be about 30-40 pounds in your ruck.  ("All equipment" includes helmet, rifle, boots, and clothing, correct?)

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Want an advantage for basic?  Here's a little secret that nobody knows.  Run, lots.  Also do pushups, situps, and chinups, lots.  Lift heavy things.  Then do it all again, and again.  There, one magical secret revealed.

Yea, well now you've gone and done it.......

 

[PMedMoe]

I found the extra four minutes to be enough to state just under 2.5 hours, and with 24.5kg in total there would be about 30-40 pounds in your ruck.  ("All equipment" includes helmet, rifle, boots, and clothing, correct?)

Yes, it does.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

me and a friend did 20k in 3 and a 1/2 hours with a 30 pound pack of sand
is this good enough for light infantry?
should i focus on improving this or other things?
thanks in advance

Go here: http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?action=gallery&g2_itemId=39865 and dowload the Army Fitness Manual. It has everything you require to get ready including workups and schedules. It has the requirements for the BFT and all the other 'stuff'. One stop shopping.

However, before you read that and go galavanting through the hills like Heidi, take time to read the Site Guidelines (which you agreed to do, but obviously didn't, when you joined).

Lots of neat stuff there too. Like how we expect you to use capitalization and punctuation, amongst other things, and includes the Warning System for failure to follow said guidelines, if you get the drift

Welcome to Army.ca.

Milnet.ca Staff

 

[xxmixkexx]

thanks a lot for all the help

 

[jacksparrow]

I'm so glad you said that. You don't know how many people have advised me to put some weight in a backpack and do practice marches before BMOQ. (None of these advisors are soldiers, it should be pointed out.) My feeling is that I don't want to do *anything* that will cause any strain or injury to my body prior to going to St. Jean. No thanks! My backpack is NOT a rucksack! I'll continue to work out in other ways and let the staff at CFLRS build me up, as you say, to the 13k BFT...with the proper equipment.

The ruck march is easy, just use longer strides and try not to run to catch up if you find yourself in that situation where you are falling back. Actually before you go on the 13k march, there is a 3k and 6k one that we did, the 6k one involved the fireman carry before we started the march and we did the same thing after the 13k march in farnham.

Oh there is also a trench dig that you have to do. My platoon finished the 13k ruck march in 2hrs. We are all the weaker people in front and the rest of us at the back. Our staff were entertaining all the way, and we didn't feel a thing.

 

[Redeye]

The trick lies in learning how to lengthen the stride - but it comes with time.  Realistically, the BFT is not hard, unless the terrain really sucks.  At the Infantry School this summer rumour has it they had a competition to find the worst route possible in terms of massive hills, and it seems they succeeded.

As long as you're well hydrated, you ruck's packed well, and you know how to take care of your feet it's really just a good paced walk.  If you have someone to talk to while you do it or something that gets your mind off the task at hand it's nothing to sweat.  You'll get worked up to it the first time and then wonder why you were so worried.

The ruck march is easy, just use longer strides and try not to run to catch up if you find yourself in that situation where you are falling back. Actually before you go on the 13k march, there is a 3k and 6k one that we did, the 6k one involved the fireman carry before we started the march and we did the same thing after the 13k march in farnham.

Oh there is also a trench dig that you have to do. My platoon finished the 13k ruck march in 2hrs. We are all the weaker people in front and the rest of us at the back. Our staff were entertaining all the way, and we didn't feel a thing.

 

[Pea]

I always complete the ruck marches we do as a group, but I find I still have a hard time keeping the pace. At basically 5 foot 0 I stretch my stride as much as I can (without doing the splits) and I just barely keep the pace of my staff. (I'm always at the front since I'm the small one) In time do you think this will get better, or is it a height thing and I'll just have to suffer through it and shuffle when needed?

 

[missmague]

Hey MediPea - I am 5'4" and I used to date a guy who was 6'2" -  he used to tell me to slow down ALL the time because my stride was much longer than his - so I don't think it is automatically a height challenged thing. I know that is not much help, but there is obviously a way. It might just been that I do everything fast (my mother says I was born impatient cause labour was so quick lol) - but if I can do it I am sure you can get there too  ;D

 

[Pea]

There's a difference between stretching your stride and moving fast though. I can keep up no problem when I shuffle or walk ridiculosuly fast, however when doing that you tire yourself out pretty quickly on a ruckmarch. Stretching your stride is so you can still walk at that slower pace and not tire yourself out as quickly. (or else you might as well run the whole thing)

I'm a fast walker in general as well and often get told to slow down by friends. However, it really hasn't helped in the ruck marching department.

 

[SoldierInTheMaking]

So do they start off right at the 13k ruck march or do they start off smaller and work you up to that during basic?

 

[aesop081]

So do they start off right at the 13k ruck march or do they start off smaller and work you up to that during basic?

They start with 32Km.....if you can do that, then 13Km wont be a problem. Thats the philosophy.

 

[SoldierInTheMaking]

32km??? you mean 3.2km?

 

[HItorMiss]

No he said what he meant 32KM

 

[aesop081]

32km??? you mean 3.2km?

32....thirty-two

 

[SoldierInTheMaking]

That's a pretty long ruck march and I'm sure if you can do 32km, 13 would not be a problem

 

[SoldierInTheMaking]

The ruck march is easy, just use longer strides and try not to run to catch up if you find yourself in that situation where you are falling back. Actually before you go on the 13k march, there is a 3k and 6k one that we did, the 6k one involved the fireman carry before we started the march and we did the same thing after the 13k march in farnham.

Maybe I should start reading before I post lol 32km my ***

 

[PMedMoe]

Maybe I should start reading before I post lol 32km my ***

Maybe you should.

 

[dangerboy]

32 km marches were all the rage in the early 90's. There is a famous story of a BN stationed out of Work Point Barracks that did one through a park after an exercise.  The troops not being stupid decided to lose some weight out off there rucksacks, stuff like belts of blank 7.62 ammo and other heavy stuff. It hit the papers and some people did not seem to think it was to funny.