When asked what ruck marches are like,
And I'm talking about those legendary light infantry ruck marches,
This is how I explain it:
Take your bedroom,
And try to shove it all into a military issue ruck sack,
Feeling impossible yet?
If so, you are on the right track.
If not, keep adding things to said rucksack until it does feel impossible.
You take a certain kind of baby powder and apply it to your neck, feet, groin, basically anywhere that's going to chafe (i.e. your entire body by the end)
Wrap your heels up, but not too much, because it's going to have to come off anyway,
after your heels start to bleed.
Put on your 2nd best pair of socks on,
Your best pair is for when you need a morale boost.
Put on your body armor,
But for the love of God don't use your inner elastic stap,
You won't be able to breath.
MAKE SURE YOU HYDRATE!!!
nuff said
Ensure you have all your kit and put it on the scale
...
98 pounds.
So add in body armor and your weapon, as well as ammunition and a carton of smokes,
You're looking at a cool 130 lbs (59 Kg),
More so if your a machine gunner, ammo bearer, or anti-armor specialists,
Which I usually was,
So I'd say add an extra 20 pounds (9 Kg) to be safe.
Now you're all strapped up,
Your kit isn't slipping,
And nothing is pinching,
Take that unwieldy, difficult to disengage from silhouette,
And go on a 20 mile foot movement,
With expectation that you are going to get ambushed.
That's what a ruck is like.
