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Originally Posted By Miles_Urbanus:
Blister care. Never pop a blister. You want to use a sterile needle from a corpsman or if you can't get one heat a sewing needle from your dewing kit red hot with a cigarette lighter and douse with alcohol pads or freshly boiled water Gently lance the blister at the base. The needle should run parallel with the surface of the skin till it pierces in blister. Remove the needle and allow the blister to weep. Using a sterile gauze pad gently push the built up fluid out of the blister. Leaving the loose skin intact over the blister. Dress the wound with a petroleum based anti-bacterial ointment like neosporin and bandage with sterile gauze. Now you will use moleskin to build padding around the blister. Cut a circle the size of the blister out of a sheet of moleskin and apply the moleskin so that the blister is in the center of the moleskin. Build but 2 to 4 layers and re-tape. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Miles_Urbanus:
Blister care. Never pop a blister. You want to use a sterile needle from a corpsman or if you can't get one heat a sewing needle from your dewing kit red hot with a cigarette lighter and douse with alcohol pads or freshly boiled water Gently lance the blister at the base. The needle should run parallel with the surface of the skin till it pierces in blister. Remove the needle and allow the blister to weep. Using a sterile gauze pad gently push the built up fluid out of the blister. Leaving the loose skin intact over the blister. Dress the wound with a petroleum based anti-bacterial ointment like neosporin and bandage with sterile gauze. Now you will use moleskin to build padding around the blister. Cut a circle the size of the blister out of a sheet of moleskin and apply the moleskin so that the blister is in the center of the moleskin. Build but 2 to 4 layers and re-tape. Then wait for blister to re-fill with fluid as you ruck off into the hinterland! At least that's what I've seen every time it was done. Of you could use tincture of benzoin. Here's a tip from a professional runner: Treating Blisters After They Develop: Clean the area with alcohol. Drain blister by cutting a hole in it, (a small hole not a pin prick.) This prevents the blister from refilling. Place Second Skin over the blister. Try to leave skin intact over the blister. Treat the area with Tincture of Benzoin, once again, so that the tape will stick. Tape over Second Skin. Once the skin is moist from sweat, it’s harder to get the tape to stick. I use foot powder (Zsasorb) to dry the feet after the benzoin and before the taping. Blister Care I don't think I have ever once seen a moleskin job work well in the long run, unless the soldier was able to be taken off normal duty (foot patrolling, marching, etc.) and was allowed to prop his feet up without any foot gear on them at all. This helps prevent fluids from re-filling into the blister, which is usually a separation of the epidermis from the stratum corneum and stratum lucidum. Really bad blisters will actually separate the epidermis from the dermis, and expose lipid, muscle, and bone tissue. I saw a candidate at Camp MacKall whose entire heel came off, and was left in the hut floor with a puddle of pus in it. He drove on and got selected without uttering a peep. Went to 7th Group. He was a Cav Scout before going 18 series. Also very good points on the toenail trimming. I too have road marched off at least one toenail on this very 18 mile ruck march: |
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Originally Posted By swede1986: This, and when clipping toe nails it's imperative that one doesn't cut to close to the toe. Keep the nails trimmed, but leave 1-2mm. If one clips too close it can cause ingrown toe nails, and in some cases this can cause infections. I had a colleague who suffered from an ingrown toe nail, and he had to undergo surgery to fix it. It's not a problem that you need in the field. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By swede1986: Originally Posted By Infantry26: I justed wanted to add that you need to clip your nasty ass toe nails. I let my small toe nail grow too long, when we rucked a decent distance it ripped the whole thing off . It grew back This, and when clipping toe nails it's imperative that one doesn't cut to close to the toe. Keep the nails trimmed, but leave 1-2mm. If one clips too close it can cause ingrown toe nails, and in some cases this can cause infections. I had a colleague who suffered from an ingrown toe nail, and he had to undergo surgery to fix it. It's not a problem that you need in the field. Cut straight across the nail: Since I started using a small straight blade pair of Fiskar's 4" detail scissors (Item: 95077097J I haven't had any more problems. |
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“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
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Great thread
11 year infantryman tag |
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Originally Posted By DOW:
I used to look at Staff NCOs and Officers with their high speed raingear and Danner boots and say to myself "Next paycheck I'm gona buy a pair of Danners..." Then I would spend my whole check on titties and beer. Rinse. Repeat. The life of a Lance Coolie 03. View Quote Young grunts listen to this man!!! Titties and beer is awesome until your feet are killing you on a force march. Use some of that cash burning a hole in your pocket to buy some high quality boots and socks (do some research first!!!) while you're living in the barracks with no bills to pay. |
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Team Ranstad
Sure would be nice to be a wanna be again instead of a used to be. |
I dont know much about much, but i do know healing during training is near impossible. You must get out infront of foot care.
Dress socks (or thin, nylon type) under quality wool socks are a must if you are prone to blisters. Get insoles. And get insoles with a cushion layer. If your toes chafe, wrap each toe with a few layers of medical cloth & tape it on. Concerning ruck marches: proper breathing is critical. Get with someone who knows how to pack their ILBE well and do as he does. And of course, mindset is everything. |
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Originally Posted By Lomshek: Young grunts listen to this man!!! Titties and beer is awesome until your feet are killing you on a force march. Use some of that cash burning a hole in your pocket to buy some high quality boots and socks (do some research first!!!) while you're living in the barracks with no bills to pay. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Lomshek: Originally Posted By DOW: I used to look at Staff NCOs and Officers with their high speed raingear and Danner boots and say to myself "Next paycheck I'm gona buy a pair of Danners..." Then I would spend my whole check on titties and beer. Rinse. Repeat. The life of a Lance Coolie 03. Young grunts listen to this man!!! Titties and beer is awesome until your feet are killing you on a force march. Use some of that cash burning a hole in your pocket to buy some high quality boots and socks (do some research first!!!) while you're living in the barracks with no bills to pay. After seeing me wearing them for years, my LCpl ( and son) went out and bought Danners after giving the POS issue boots are good try
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“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
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Good Stuff, and a tag.
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Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready. -Theodore Roosevelt
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Originally Posted By SMWeinbrenner:
My only thing to add is that look at athletes who where "5 finger toe" shoes (me included). The idea that minimalist is an advantage when it means you strengthen your ankles and feet, while performing as optimal as a full shoe or boot. In combat however there is a need for more ruggedness. Is there a blending of the 5 finger philosophy with the modern Combat boot somehow to exact both benefits? View Quote Belleville minimils. http://www.bellevilleboot.com/video-mini-mil.html |
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Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.
John Adams, Defense of the Constitutions, 1787 |
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Order some golf shoes... otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive
.308- because people have a strange tendency to get behind things when you start shooting at them. |
Learning is occurring.
If someone has nearly perpetual ingrown toe nails, with proper trimming, is surgery the best option? |
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Learn To Swim
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Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.
John Adams, Defense of the Constitutions, 1787 |
Tag to read tomorrow and see what I can/should add.
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Woobies are better than pussy. I just went 80 days using mine without a wash and it didnt smell too bad. Try that with a vagina.
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Former 03 here. The pictures of the blistered feet on page 2 are exactly what my feet would look like after hikes. Every damn time! My problem was that my boots were too big. Not length wise but the width. Went to a 9.5 regular and most of my problems stopped. I never had much luck with using moleskin on hot spots because it always seemed to thick. Duck tape works for me.
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This is not a gun for hanging over the fireplace or sticking in the umbrella stand, it is a gun for going out and making people miserable with.' - Douglas Adams
Better Dead Than Red. |
Originally Posted By fervid_dryfire:
As one of those very people- YES. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By fervid_dryfire:
Originally Posted By iwouldntknow:
Learning is occurring. If someone has nearly perpetual ingrown toe nails, with proper trimming, is surgery the best option? As one of those very people- YES. Proper fitted footwear prevents the majority of foot problems, especially during childhood. I try to stick with boots with a wide toe box, such as corcorans. Tight fitting footwear will overtime alter your feet, changing the direction and angle that your toes grow and causing problems for the rest of your life. |
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Awesome thread. The mods need to find a place to tac this...
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FBHO.
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Originally Posted By nf9648: Proper fitted footwear prevents the majority of foot problems, especially during childhood. I try to stick with boots with a wide toe box, such as corcorans. Tight fitting footwear will overtime alter your feet, changing the direction and angle that your toes grow and causing problems for the rest of your life. View Quote That is as simple as being able to splay out your toes, while wearing the socks you typically would. If it is too tight, your toes will be hitting the end of the toe cup, and you will be cramping up your feet, especially in the downhill. Done properly, the pressure of going down hill will be spread over the arch and midfoot area, when you are properly laced up, and the heel stays in place even when going up hill Remember OP's ancient "LPC's" from page 1? The principle is the same. |
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“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
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The Romans wore socks with their caligae. By the way, the construction of those pictured is modern and you need to make sure that the soles are not too wide lest your feet will slide and blisters will result. The straps should wrap around your feet.
Here is a new pair on my workbench: and how to make your own: How to make roman caligae |
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I've seen some pics of caligae with what appeared to be sheep wool insoles. Do you know of any historical or archeological support for this?
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Originally Posted By GunnyG:
That is as simple as being able to splay out your toes, while wearing the socks you typically would. If it is too tight, your toes will be hitting the end of the toe cup, and you will be cramping up your feet, especially in the downhill. Done properly, the pressure of going down hill will be spread over the arch and midfoot area, when you are properly laced up, and the heel stays in place even when going up hill Remember OP's ancient "LPC's" from page 1? The principle is the same. http://luntfort.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/picture2.jpg View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By GunnyG:
Originally Posted By nf9648:
Proper fitted footwear prevents the majority of foot problems, especially during childhood. I try to stick with boots with a wide toe box, such as corcorans. Tight fitting footwear will overtime alter your feet, changing the direction and angle that your toes grow and causing problems for the rest of your life. That is as simple as being able to splay out your toes, while wearing the socks you typically would. If it is too tight, your toes will be hitting the end of the toe cup, and you will be cramping up your feet, especially in the downhill. Done properly, the pressure of going down hill will be spread over the arch and midfoot area, when you are properly laced up, and the heel stays in place even when going up hill Remember OP's ancient "LPC's" from page 1? The principle is the same. http://luntfort.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/picture2.jpg It's something that I didn't realize happened until after leaving active duty. My basic leathers and jungle boots fit great until I got out and moved on to hiking shoes and barefoot running. Now I can't wear those old boots for more than 4 miles under load without hot spots between toes and my big toes going numb on the outside edges by the toenail. My toenails grow at an upward angle now and eat socks like crazy, and big toes are prone to ingrowns; bellevilles 390s are the only issue boots I have left that I can wear comfortably. |
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Originally Posted By Neuraleanus: The Romans wore socks with their caligae. By the way, the construction of those pictured is modern and you need to make sure that the soles are not too wide lest your feet will slide and blisters will result. The straps should wrap around your feet. Here is a new pair on my workbench: http://www.legiotricesima.org/images/newcaligae.jpg and how to make your own: How to make roman caligae View Quote Nice, but the wife won't let me go out dressed like that: |
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“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
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Originally Posted By LRRPF52:
I've seen some pics of caligae with what appeared to be sheep wool insoles. Do you know of any historical or archeological support for this? View Quote We have documentary and pictorial evidence for socks, but I wouldn't put it pass some desperate legionary to employ whatever worked. |
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LPC...Cool
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Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul; the other for your freedom. George Patton |
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
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Originally Posted By LRRPF52:
I'm interested to hear about boots in Northern Europe from Coalition Partners, Eastern Europeans, and the like. In my experiences there, a totally different boot seems more appropriate for most of the year. You can get away with lightweight summer boots in the short summer season, but for winter, you really need another boot with good insulation, especially if you're static. The Finns use all leather boots, as well as large rubber boots with thick wool liner inserts for extreme cold. Both boots have grooves for the Finnish Army skis: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pLrMANTxn30/T5hiR2ITZjI/AAAAAAAAIp4/EhvPRKdDMyE/s1600/Finnish+Army+Ski+Boot+%289%29.JPG http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/13/8c/e5/138ce500a59b935010a7acb09a69e974.jpg I've had good success with commercial hunting boots, combined with my insoles and good socks, but we were staying very active. This uniform is a recently made Russian Spetsnaz copy of the new Finnish M05 winter digital pattern seen above. The Russians specialize in false flag operations so they can justify invading once "enemy" nations have massacred a village or two, or launched an assault on Russian interests on her border like they did in Georgia in 2008 so they could send in "peace keepers". http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j422/LRRPF52/bd542f92-f9c7-4254-912a-3f5744539ce6_zpsc2bc7caf.jpg These boots actually worked out really well for me. I tested and proved the lightweight boot/winter sock concept for myself when I was in Korea. The idea is that a boot that is more malleable will be able to have the electrons more freely moving, as opposed to rigid winter boots that shed heat and are hard to get moving again. With the right layers of warm socks, a lightweight boot is quite viable in extreme cold, but you do have to have a way to stay warm once you go static. View Quote I wore the Norwegian boots on an exchange. All leather, no insulation. We wore a thin wool sock, a thick wool sock, and then a fitted rubber soled canvas over boot that went up to the knee. There was also a furry cardboard insole that went in the boot furry side down. They had the grooves for ski bindings and the whole ensemble was WAY better than my Matterhorns. Temps were around -5 Fahrenheit the whole time. |
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"My uncle has a country place that no one knows about. He says it used to be a farm before the motor law."
Back when I was young, liberals were fighting "The Man". Now they are the Man......... |
Been doing it all wrong.
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Regarding the use of PJ (Vaseline) it also works magic on the inner thighs and buttcrack for long hard marches. Powder will do for some, but the most rigorous require a generous slathering of PJ to prevent chafing. Once your thighs and crack get chafed, there is nothing that will save you from the suffering to come.
We used PJ for the Nijmegen marches every year when I was in Berlin. We fast marched (extremely fast) the route every day just so we could say the Berlin team came in first place. Even though there are no offical "places". PJ was a gift from heaven. http://www.4daagse.nl/en/ |
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http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1601943_.html
"We choose to go to the can. We choose to go to the can in this week and not do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard" |
Originally Posted By d5griffin:
I dont know much about much, but i do know healing during training is near impossible. You must get out infront of foot care. Dress socks (or thin, nylon type) under quality wool socks are a must if you are prone to blisters. Get insoles. And get insoles with a cushion layer. If your toes chafe, wrap each toe with a few layers of medical cloth & tape it on. Concerning ruck marches: proper breathing is critical. Get with someone who knows how to pack their ILBE well and do as he does. And of course, mindset is everything. View Quote +1. This. I had a pair of Vietnam era Jungle Boots when I was in. Probably the best boots ever designed. In the winter I wore Mucks. Once again I felt they were the best I ever had. |
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Excellent thread
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Originally Posted By Mister_H:
Tell them about the sole stitching. It's a requirement on a boot for me now. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Mister_H:
Originally Posted By wag_bag:
Tag to read tomorrow and see what I can/should add. Tell them about the sole stitching. It's a requirement on a boot for me now. I'll bring it up. I'm reading the thread, now. It's a lot of info and I'm writing my post as I read it, in hopes that it will be somewhat logical and not seem like the drunken ramblings of a pissed off grunt. OP took some time to put this together. We should bring him in. |
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Woobies are better than pussy. I just went 80 days using mine without a wash and it didnt smell too bad. Try that with a vagina.
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Any of you guys deal with haglunds?
What did you do to make it? Great thread. |
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The Federalists roll in their graves while the Anti-Federalists don't know if they should laugh or cry.
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Boots should have a sturdy sewn on sole with a decent compound and tread pattern. I use Rocky S2V's. I've seen glued on soles come off during extremely long movements. Those guys were not happy. Some of us wear boots like Nikes or other sneaker or minimalist style boots, but under a heavy load, your feet will pay the price for the lack of support. Compound and tread pattern is a little more personal, but certain rubbers are better than others on frozen terrain or rocks.
Socks. A good fitting sock is as important as the boots. I find the best is a medium weight wool sock. Some on the market are designed to be thicker on the bottom than the top. I like these. OP was absolutely right about the seams in socks. Anything with a thick seam will cause friction and friction is bad. Using a polypro or nylon liner sock can work for some people, but when I tried it, the liner ended up bunched up in the boot. No bueno. Foot powder can extend the life of your socks by a day or two. I can wear my socks for a day, take them off and powder the fuck out of them, and then put them on the opposite feet for another day. I don't like to start out a movement with powder on my feet, but it works for some. Get powder with menthol. Use it on your groin and it feels like ten thousand baby angels blowing on your balls. Movement technique. For walking, we teach guys to stretch their stride out as long as possible. Even little guys can walk at 4mph under a heavy load. With practice, this will be their resting pace for going uphill. With enough practice, you can maintain this pace cross country and up mountains, but it really, really sucks. For running down hills and flats, most guys find their shuffle pace. It ends up being a pace that matches their stride. The end result is one that keeps the ruck from bouncing too much. With the new rucks, it get's into a rhythm end with the enough endurance, you can run all day. Squea-ky, squea-ky, squea-ky, squea-ky, squea-ky..... Just saw the post about glued on soles being an upgrade. Go for it if you dare. Having the front half of your sole flopping around for 20 miles fucking sucks. And walking to toe heel on a grade with a lot of weight is a good way to tear your ATFL when you roll your ankle. Be extremely careful if you're going to try to tape your feet for a long ruck march. 20 miles will do a lot to your feet. I've seen the tape peel skin off with it. That guy went home. This goes for medical tape and duct tape. It can work for some, but hardening your feet ahead of time is the preferred method. I ignore the tried and true method of cutting toe nails straight across, but I'm a horrible example to follow, in this regard. Yes, for colder temps, you'll need a larger boot. A sneaker in rubber boots also works, , but that's a pretty specialized thing that'd I'd only do in a training environment. To clarify, you want the center of gravity as high as close to your back as possible. I wear my ruck high and try to put the radio (usually the heaviest thing I carry) right between my shoulder blades. Also, USE THE FUCKING WAIST BELT ON THE RUCK. If you don't (or can't, you GWOT Marines know what I'm talking about) your spine will feel the effects for the rest of your life. The boots that the batt boys use on missions are great for short durations. Humping around in the mountains or desert for months on end with no way to get new boots will destroy them, though. Blisters suck. It's best to avoid them at all cost by toughening up your feet and taking care of them on mission. Tincture of benzoin isn't something I see used these days. Basically, don't get blisters. If you do, the OP's techniques will work. Foot care. Don't be stupid. Get a pedegg. That cheese grater thing is like sex for your feet. It allows you to grind off thickening calluses to prevent them from splitting open. I don't put vasoline on my feet. Sounds like a good theory, but I just keep going and walk my boots dry. Having wet feet does suck, but even if you swim a river, you can walk them dry (or as dry as they were before you crossed) in a couple hours. I do put vasoline on damn near everything else, though. Spots wear the waist belt rubs you raw, between the thighs, butt cheeks, everything. Again, practicing rucking will toughen up the skin in these areas, but a long enough movement will build up salt in your clothes and you'll have a problem. Ok, so cutting and pasting to quote each post was going to be a huge pain in the dick, so I just responded as I read the thread. As always, ymmv. |
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Woobies are better than pussy. I just went 80 days using mine without a wash and it didnt smell too bad. Try that with a vagina.
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Så är med vår levnad fatt,
och så försvinna åren: bäst man andas gott och glatt, så lägges man på båren. |
Originally Posted By swede1986:
What is considered "heavy"? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By swede1986:
Originally Posted By wag_bag:
Even little guys can walk at 4mph under a heavy load. What is considered "heavy"? 80 pounds is getting there, for training. In country, 120-150. |
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Woobies are better than pussy. I just went 80 days using mine without a wash and it didnt smell too bad. Try that with a vagina.
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Originally Posted By wag_bag:
80 pounds is getting there, for training. In country, 120-150. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By wag_bag:
Originally Posted By swede1986:
Originally Posted By wag_bag:
Even little guys can walk at 4mph under a heavy load. What is considered "heavy"? 80 pounds is getting there, for training. In country, 120-150. Okay. Then I agree. |
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Så är med vår levnad fatt,
och så försvinna åren: bäst man andas gott och glatt, så lägges man på båren. |
The biggest part of all of this is the mentality. OP touched on it, but it can't be said enough. No matter the distance and weight, I will make it. That's easy to say, but reality is a cruel bitch. Broken, wounded, out of water or food, it doesn't matter. I. Will. Make. It. You can't stop me. Completely torn knee or ankle tendon at the start of a 400 mile course movement? Don't fucking care. Blisters so bad you can't sleep? Fuck it. Sole of your boot flapping in the breeze? Sucks to be that foot, but it keeps your mind off your sore ass back.
Proper prep will help, but your mind is what will get you there. |
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Woobies are better than pussy. I just went 80 days using mine without a wash and it didnt smell too bad. Try that with a vagina.
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Originally Posted By wag_bag:
The biggest part of all of this is the mentality. OP touched on it, but it can't be said enough. No matter the distance and weight, I will make it. That's easy to say, but reality is a cruel bitch. Broken, wounded, out of water or food, it doesn't matter. I. Will. Make. It. You can't stop me. Completely torn knee or ankle tendon at the start of a 400 mile course movement? Don't fucking care. Blisters so bad you can't sleep? Fuck it. Sole of your boot flapping in the breeze? Sucks to be that foot, but it keeps your mind off your sore ass back. Proper prep will help, but your mind is what will get you there. View Quote Truth about the mental game. I suffered greatly on my first 2 to 3 marches my mentality wasn't right physically I was better than many others. Once my mind got right it got easier and after that it got to where I loved that shit. The rougher faster harder hotter colder wetter just plain suckier it was the more I looked forward to winning another battle of will with a shit eating grin on my face. |
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http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1601943_.html
"We choose to go to the can. We choose to go to the can in this week and not do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard" |
Originally Posted By Hugo_Stiglitz:
Truth about the mental game. I suffered greatly on my first 2 to 3 marches my mentality wasn't right physically I was better than many others. Once my mind got right it got easier and after that it got to where I loved that shit. The rougher faster harder hotter colder wetter just plain suckier it was the more I looked forward to winning another battle of will with a shit eating grin on my face. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Hugo_Stiglitz:
Originally Posted By wag_bag:
The biggest part of all of this is the mentality. OP touched on it, but it can't be said enough. No matter the distance and weight, I will make it. That's easy to say, but reality is a cruel bitch. Broken, wounded, out of water or food, it doesn't matter. I. Will. Make. It. You can't stop me. Completely torn knee or ankle tendon at the start of a 400 mile course movement? Don't fucking care. Blisters so bad you can't sleep? Fuck it. Sole of your boot flapping in the breeze? Sucks to be that foot, but it keeps your mind off your sore ass back. Proper prep will help, but your mind is what will get you there. Truth about the mental game. I suffered greatly on my first 2 to 3 marches my mentality wasn't right physically I was better than many others. Once my mind got right it got easier and after that it got to where I loved that shit. The rougher faster harder hotter colder wetter just plain suckier it was the more I looked forward to winning another battle of will with a shit eating grin on my face. Whoa, whoa, whoa...let's not get carried away, here. |
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Woobies are better than pussy. I just went 80 days using mine without a wash and it didnt smell too bad. Try that with a vagina.
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Originally Posted By wag_bag:
Whoa, whoa, whoa...let's not get carried away, here. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By wag_bag:
Originally Posted By Hugo_Stiglitz:
Originally Posted By wag_bag:
The biggest part of all of this is the mentality. OP touched on it, but it can't be said enough. No matter the distance and weight, I will make it. That's easy to say, but reality is a cruel bitch. Broken, wounded, out of water or food, it doesn't matter. I. Will. Make. It. You can't stop me. Completely torn knee or ankle tendon at the start of a 400 mile course movement? Don't fucking care. Blisters so bad you can't sleep? Fuck it. Sole of your boot flapping in the breeze? Sucks to be that foot, but it keeps your mind off your sore ass back. Proper prep will help, but your mind is what will get you there. Truth about the mental game. I suffered greatly on my first 2 to 3 marches my mentality wasn't right physically I was better than many others. Once my mind got right it got easier and after that it got to where I loved that shit. The rougher faster harder hotter colder wetter just plain suckier it was the more I looked forward to winning another battle of will with a shit eating grin on my face. Whoa, whoa, whoa...let's not get carried away, here. I was in Berlin Brigade at the time, it was cold and wet 90 percent of the time. Freezing rain seemed to be God's preferred method of watering the earth there. |
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http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1601943_.html
"We choose to go to the can. We choose to go to the can in this week and not do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard" |
Originally Posted By wag_bag:
The biggest part of all of this is the mentality. OP touched on it, but it can't be said enough. No matter the distance and weight, I will make it. That's easy to say, but reality is a cruel bitch. Broken, wounded, out of water or food, it doesn't matter. I. Will. Make. It. You can't stop me. Completely torn knee or ankle tendon at the start of a 400 mile course movement? Don't fucking care. Blisters so bad you can't sleep? Fuck it. Sole of your boot flapping in the breeze? Sucks to be that foot, but it keeps your mind off your sore ass back. Proper prep will help, but your mind is what will get you there. View Quote My secret to embracing the suck is Slayer. When others are sucking so bad, you can see it in their faces, I have this playing in my head so loud, I can't hear the tinnitus anymore... This band plays it how I hear it, BTW. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-i6J03j6Bo&feature=kp I shared this mental technique with some Recon Marines at the Sniper Adventure Challenge in New Mexico last year. They won the sprint class portion of the competition, and told me, "Dude, that Slayer technique works!" When I was in the 82nd, there was a Private in our Platoon who was dragging ass on a movement to one of the ranges during a field problem. He was a chain smoker and had spent his adolescence in a paint shop, so not exactly a healthy lung function candidate. The Platoon Sergeant kept threatening him with some kind of dire consequence, so I finally saddled up next to him. I knew he was a big Ozzy fan... "Hey man. You know what I do to stay motivated on these things?" "Huff, huff, huff...what Sergeant? Huff huff" "I have tunes playing in my head...like I don't Know, for example." At that point, I busted into the intro of it, with my M4's rail panels as the fretboard, and started singing the first verses. He brightened up, and was at the front of the formation with his squad within a minute. Music is a powerful weapon for motivation. Anyone that has gone to the gym with their workout music can tell you how it makes a big difference in performance. Same principle applied to the Vikings rowing their ships from objective to objective. You think they weren't singing songs about plunging axes through the skulls of their victims? |
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Originally Posted By LRRPF52:
My secret to embracing the suck is Slayer. View Quote I discovered that during basic -- early on I use to occupy my time thinking about previous sexual exploits but that just left me frustrated. Then one day I was thinking about how I missed music and realized I pretty much had all my favorite Slayer songs memorized. But I'm younger than you, most of my internal playlist was Diabolus in Musica and God Hates Us All. Pretty much I just play Slayer albums in my head for any movement since then. |
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"Bro, you need to turn your ACOG off before the batteries die." - PMI Instructor: subject matter expert
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I always get heel blisters. I've got a narrow heel, and with anything that has a stiff sole I get enough movement to cause blisters. I've tried different boots, two pairs of socks, one pair of socks, wool socks, synthetic socks, etc. The only thing that's sort of worked is a flexible sole, but that's not very good for rough terrain.
Any advice? |
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Originally Posted By mcgredo: I always get heel blisters. I've got a narrow heel, and with anything that has a stiff sole I get enough movement to cause blisters. I've tried different boots, two pairs of socks, one pair of socks, wool socks, synthetic socks, etc. The only thing that's sort of worked is a flexible sole, but that's not very good for rough terrain. Any advice? View Quote Danner boots come with a separate heel cup: http://www.danner.com/airthotic-m.html and http://www.danner.com/accessories/footbeds/airthotic-l.html if there is going to be any movement, it'll be the cup sliding and not your heel. When the Corps approved the Danner boots in '04, mine came with the medium heel cups, and felt a bit too narrow. I swapped in the large heel cups from my civie Danners, and all was good with the world. |
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“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
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When I went to Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island in 1990, half my platoon (including me) were issued these really thick, white wool socks with lightweight blue poly pro socks to be worn underneath. The other half of the platoon was issued the standard green wool socks. I never, ever got a single blister wearing those socks, while most everyone wearing the green socks got blisters. I continued to wear them for years but never saw any other Marines wearing them after boot camp. That was a good sock system, but I don't know if it ever caught on. Anyone else get those?
Also, I always found the standard issue leather combat boots to be way more comfortable than jungles boots but most guys preferred the jungles. |
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