I don't generally recommend a specific shoe when asked.   I send them to a quality shoe store that can fit them appropriately (we only have Diabetic shoes that we deal with).   My general advice is "Go to a shoe store like XXX where the salesmen look like they run a marathon on the weekends.   They'll know the shoes they carry and how to fit you appropriately.     If you walk into a place and it looks like all the 'salesmen' are there just to earn money to buy their next iphone upgrade, go somewhere else".

Another bump for a great thread

Treat all of your uniform tops and pants with this and thank me later.

don't the new ones come pre-treated?

I don't know. I just had a couple new ones sewn up and they feel like I'm wearing fucking trash bags. They don't breath for shit. Even if they do come pretreated, it wears off after a while. I'll take the chemical side effects over ticks and chiggers any day. Permethrin, coupled with a light splash of 99% deet for exposed skin, has gotten me this far. No need to mess with a winning formula.

Just found this thread the other day. Awesome information! Thanks to all who contributed to it.

I just checked the inside label on my brand new ACUs. It doesn't say anything about permethrin. That doesn't necessarily mean they aren't treated, though. The USMC labeled the uniforms when they started issuing treated ones.

Always, always, fucking always take a thin polypro top, beanie, and woobie with you everywhere you go. You can get all 3 into a gallon ziplock bag and they don't weigh anything.

Continue to eat on long movements. a 40 mile road march can take anywhere from 10 to 20 hours. Your body is pretty much depleted of incoming calories after the first two hours. Set the timer on your watch and put some food in you periodically. I alternate between power gels and snickers bars every half hour. That comes to 300 calories an hour. I also like some electrolyte powder every few hours. The camelback elixir works fine and it's easy to pop a tab into a canteen. I can keep going like that for a loooong way.

That shit is go fuel.

OK, I was a 13A from 1978-84. Spent most of my time as a Fist Chief.

But just WTF is a 'woobie'?

affectionate name for a poncho liner

I remember running in the sand with jungle boots, fuck if you could go anywhere in those things, it was like running on a treadmill.

ETA: Jump boots were the worst on any surface, I remember landing on wet grass and rotating around like a zero turn mower.

 

There's a flip side to all of this that many will never know. The cost. Ours is a hard life that takes a toll on your body. Some posters in this thread were in the military before I was born, but I'm already showing the signs of a infantry life. I'm an inch shorter than I was before I enlisted due to the weight of a ruck on my spine, I have a tendon in my ankle that is torn in half and will never heal, my knees and ankles grind from overuse, loss of range of motion in nearly all my joints, broken wrist last year that I never got looked at so I could keep doing my job, tinnitus because wearing earplugs affects my ability to control my squad, headaches from burn pits...

It's a long list and I'm sure many guys here are feeling the same, if not worse, symptoms. You do these things knowing how bad it is for you, but you don't care. You drive on through the pain because that's what we do.

Amen Wag Bag.

This is the most I've ever learned in GD.

Behold a miracle!

http://www.ezeefitsports.com/booties.htm

For a second, I thought these might be for achilles tendinosis.

 

Save yourself some money and buy concentrated permethrin from your local tractor supply in the horse section.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/gordonsreg%3B-permethrin-10-livestock--premise-spray-8-fl-oz

Yep.. I bought boots the same size as my street shoes- not allowing room for my feet to swell during hikes. Ive had toenails come off several times.after 10 miles or so on rough terrain. Still nursing a severely bruised big toenail as we speak...
Keep your nails trimmed, use good socks and get boots that fit well.
Excellent thread OP!!

My right knee swells up if I spend a lot of time on my feet.  The surgery hurt me more than the bullet did, since they scoped it after they debrided it.  My left leg seems to be fine.

My ankles pop when I move them through flexion and extension.  My neck pops repeatedly just sitting in front of the computer.

My elbows have excruciating pain in them from years of spending time in the prone position, with recoil jolting through them on gravel covered ranges.

I can't walk without my orthotic inserts.

I mainly hear loud ringing in both my ears.

I'm blessed.  I know many others who lost their lives, their limbs, their hearing.  At least I can still walk, play guitar, and run and play with my kids, or go camping with my Boy Scout Troop and still trail behind them up the mountains.

I only drink water, and try to eat healthy.  I've never been a drinker or smoker, so that helps a lot.

OCP in-theater stuff does, don't know if OCONUS uniform are.

Any advice for long rucks? Like 40km a day for four days?

Sure, but it depends on the conditions of your event. Like can you bring your own food? Extra molle pouches?

I can have my own food, but the event is in the Netherlands so I'd probably procure on site. I don't know if I'm going with MOLLE or ALICE, I've been alternating between the two. The weight requirements are pretty easy at 22 pounds.

40k can be pretty easy, or down right bad. It just depends on the route. Either way, have a plan to keep your caloric intake at around 300 calories an hr. I like powerbar brand gel packs and snickers bars. Gerber babyfood pouches aren't bad, either, but their calorie to weight ratio is a bit lower. I don't know your feet, but having a second pair of boots and a few pairs of socks as part of that minimum weight would be smart. Put petroleum jelly on any and all friction points. Do it from the start. When you start doing long rucks every day, it's all about prevention. If an issue comes up, you're too late. Protein load after the daily ruck, and carb load before. Other than that, it's only four days. You'll be fine.

eta: having a watch with a repeating timer on it is nice so you can set it to beep every 30 or 45 minutes to remind you to eat.

Way ahead of you. I've done the distance, just not for four consecutive days.

Will do, thank you

And stretch. Yoga is good. Foam roller or a roller stick is awesome for recovery. Use a racquetball to roll out the soles of your feet. Protein powder for an extra dose right after the event. Cliff bar shot blocks are also awesome. So is camelback elixir tablets. I can go on and on and on.

Nijmegen is pretty easy. I haven't done it, but many of my friends have.

I think there are more of you out there that can provide some valuable insight.

I thought you guys were going to Norway for the ruck thing?

Cool!

Silkies, have we talked about how awesome silkies are yet?  Im a firm believer in freeballing, but Silkies with cammies in the field or on humps are a fucking God send.  No chaffing and you can wash the fukers out with a bottle of watter.

Sorry I'm late here, quote from pg 1, but it hasn't been answered yet.  There are a few reenactors on here, but I'm one of the vocal ones so I'll answer with my experience.  M1858 pattern Brogans suck.  No other way to put it.  Mine are Federal pattern rough side out leather with wood pegged soles and iron heel plates(like reverse horse shoes on the heels) made by Blockade Runner just like the originals.  The soles don't flex much even when broken in properly.  Some guys cheat with insoles but I don't for originality (I want to know what my ancestors went through).  I wear heavyweight wool knit mid calf socks of the period.  They itch like crazy when the sweating starts.

For those who don't know, there are several different types of reenactors ranging from farbs to hardcore campaigners.  The farbs wear modern footwear, eat McDonald's and have cheap ass sutler clothing that is not period correct to the point that the spectators can tell it's bad.  I'm one of the hardcore guys, if they didn't have it I don't have it and all my gear is either original or period and material/construction correct(museum quality is the term we use).  Depending on what unit/army we are portraying, the gear lead out changes, but the standard load I'll describe here is Western Federal Infantry Mid '63 under General Grant.

Clothing:
Coat and pants are 20oz Wool, the coat dyed Indigo (very dark blue) with a muslin cotton liner similar in weight and texture to canvas.  It has 4 Waterbury brass buttons with a falling collar and fits like a bdu blouse.  It's referred to as a Sack Coat.
The pants are also 20oz Wool dyed sky blue and are unlined and unhemmed.  We roll them up to fit rather than hem.  They are held up by canvas suspenders with brass buckles.
The shirt is a placket style made of homespun natural cotton with tin or bone buttons in long sleeve.  Collars are standing.

My hat is similar to a cowboy hat in construction but is shaped differently.  It's called a Slouch Hat and is made of sturdy black felt.  No bends, the brim and top are flat.( like the one Kurt Russell wore in Tombstone)

None of that shit breathes and you become completely saturated in the sun above 70° in less than 5 minutes.  Above 90° is brutal in the humidity of the deep south.

The accouterments:
My waist belt is heavy leather.  It along with the pants are worn at the true waist, even with the navel.  The belt has my '58 pattern cap pouch and three rivet English style leather bayonet scabbard with a brass tip.  My belt buckle is the familiar US stamped brass with a lead filled back.

My cartridge box and sling are made from the same heavy leather.  The box has two tins inside that hold 30 rounds each along with my musket tool and nipple pick.  It is worn under the belt to keep it squarely on my hip and not flop around on marches with the sling over my head and resting on my opposite shoulder..

Next is my haversack.  It contains my mess gear and rations.  It is worn like the cartridge box but on the opposite side.  It is made of painted or tarred canvas in an early attempt at waterproofing.

Over my haversack on the same side is my canteen.  Made of tin and covered with jean wool.  It has a Fed issue leather strap.

Last is my "rucksack".  I have two I can use depending on the battle we are at.  First is the M1861 double pouch knapsack.  It's about the size of a modern civvi backpack and is made of the same material as my haversack,  tarred canvas. The other is the one I use most is called a hobo roll.  It contains my shelter half (no infantryman carried a full tent alone, 3 men to a tent each carrying just a half), heavyweight wool blanket, tent stakes, housewife (sewing kit), hatchet, extra shirt and drawers, tooth powder and soap, and my fake paychecks and some tobacco.  All this is rolled up into a 18" roll then secured with small leather straps and a canvas sling that goes over my shoulder and rests on my lower back.  Draped over the roll is my gum blanket made of tarred canvas.

My 1853 Enfield is a 3 bander and weighs about 12 lbs.


I said all that to say this:  my total load is right at 70lbs.  It doesn't seem heavy to some but you have to understand that the Brogans suck.  The hardcore guys march in anywhere from 2 to 10 miles rather than drive right up to the field.  By the time I get to the camp spot I'm ready to strip my gear off and sit down.  We usually drill and run through a safety inspection for 2 hours before the battle starts.  The battle lasts around 2 hours but can go longer if there is more room for us to maneuver.  My feet hurt for two days after I get home Sunday nights.  I have  whole new respect for the men of that time because it sucked balls from what little time I've been doing it.  They did it 24/7 for almost 5 years.  

As stated all through this thread, it is important to keep an extra pair of socks and get off your feet whenever possible (which is why you see us laying in the shade).  Socks get changed every day and dried near the fire at night.  Brogans too if they are wet from a creek crossing.  I'm in my gear from Friday afternoon until I get home Sunday night.  We take field baths twice daily, and still get eat up with ticks, chiggers, and mosquitos..  Civil war soldier life sucked and they were some of the toughest men ever to walk this planet.

Often times the Corn-feds went barefoot.  The events leading up to Gettysburg had Ewell's brigade at Cashtown to capture a store of Federal Brogans for the division.  The AoT went barefoot during the Nashville campaign in the very cold winter of '64.

That's what was originally (incorrectly) put out.

I've been up in the Uintah Mountains for the past 4 weeks.  I tried some different experiments with socks, leaning heavily on my normal foot powder regimen, then comparing it with petroleum jelly, and then Darn Tough socks with nothing else.

The Darn Tough socks seem to do better than foot powder and jelly, and I even wore them for 2 days straight. Keep in mind that I am working from 0645 to 2330 and sometimes 0030 every day.

I've been using my mosquito jacket that I bought in Finland for Lapland, which makes me hotter, but keeps the mosquitos off well.

For meals on a ruck march, I can't recommend PROBAR enough. They blow away every other meal replacement or energy bar I have tried, especially Power Bars and Cliff Bars, although I would take Cliff over Power any day.  The PROBARs are in a world of their own, with all organic ingredients, actually chewable, and they taste great as well. More importantly, they actually fill you up nicely, and have a wide range of nutrients in them.



PROBAR

Another thing I have been trying is essential oils in my Camelbak, canteens, and Nalgen bottle.  I've been using pure Lime and Lemon oils in them to combat bacteria growth, especially in NBC nozzle equipped canteens and the Camelbak hose.  So far, so good, and it tastes really good as well.  I've been around some really sick people with insane coughs, so I use certain essential oil capsules to help with immune response.  I have remained healthy for 4 weeks in their midst, drinking from Army water buffaloes, lake water with chlorine, lack of running water, no plumbing, etc.

How long do they store?

 

Not sure how long PROBARs last in storage, as everything is natural in them, versus preservative-based food-looking units.

Just spent another 6 days up in the Uintah's away from civilization. I've trained hundreds of rifle shooters over the past 5 weeks.  Burned through 20,000 rounds so far.

Got my Darn Tough socks in today, so the Smart Wool socks will get washed and put into storage. I think they could work pretty well when it gets colder again. Now I need to figure out a good boot for me and get inserts, so maybe I won't be a 30 year old cripple.

I thought I was the only one.
I always have liked walking places, since I was a kid. Adding a pack sucked, but it's still just walking, and I enjoy looking at the trees and shit.
The mental music for motivation is another great method for maintaining motivation.

ETA, fascinating thread. I only ever wore issued socks and boots, with inserts from a podiatrist, due to an ankle injury I had when I was younger. I never really had an issues with my feet, because I was used to walking miles barefoot, growing up in NC, so my feet are like leather, so it's interesting to see what some of you guys have gone through.

mindset needs to include a medical side.  it really takes a squad looking out for each other to keep everyone's feet healthy.
in late march 03 I was part of the occupation/invasion force in Karbala Iraq with the 82nd ABN.

when we got in 300 of us had not had a shower in a month my platoon's a bags were lost we had 2 uniforms 3 pairs of socks and 1 pair of boots for 3 months!



   once the FOB was set up we began patrols first patrol I hot wired a fire truck and hosed off 300 smelly grunts.

over the next 4 weeks we began doing presence patrols.(same time same route every time) it's scary as hell because you know they know your coming.  

the patrol was about 3 miles we did it 3 times a day sometimes 4 thats 9-12 miles walking a day in 40ish pounds of gear on concrete streets for 4 weeks. our only break were long movements around 4-5 miles to remove UXO or clear a ba'ath party building.

by the end of week 2 almost all of us had no skin on the bottom of our feet

forcing lower enlisted to wash their socks and feet  between patrols became our primary concern. water was scarce but we still stole it from anywhere we could. near week 3 we gota well spigot working at the FOB  

lessons

1. wash socks daily
2. inspect your men's feet daily make feet maintenace part of the routine right after weapons & before food,
3. keep flies away - they will lay eggs in open blisters

4. switch out crew serve weapons don't make some poor bastard carry the 240B every patrol- duh right but you'd be surprised.

5.hygiene can be more important than security on occasion

OP IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IM ME i'LL DELETE IT.

ANOTHER THING i HAVE NOT SEEN DISCUSSED YET EVEN LIGHT INFANTRY GETS MOVED BY TRUCK

WHEN IT IS COLD SITTING ON A BENCH,RUCK, BOX , ECT WITH YOU FEET ON THE METAL BED THE METAL TRUCK BODY WILL SUCK HEAT RIGHT THROUGH YOUR BOOTS BE AWARE GET YOUR FEET UP OFF THE METAL DECK.

You mean like this....


Winter in Korea, 1-506th Infantry Scout Sniper Platoon, 1996