Prepping tips for the RIP road march(es)

Eight weeks of smoke, training & evaluation.
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Hoover
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Post by Hoover »

My RIP roadmarch (12 miler) started very early on a winter's morning at Ft. Lewis and it was real cold, hence I was wearing a sleeping shirt (i.e. snivel gear) under my Jungle top and I'll tell you that by the half way point of the march I was way over heated and suffering. At that point there was no way to take off the snivel gear as the pace was fast and the formation tight so I just sucked it up and drove on.
Given the chance to do it over again I would rather be very cold at the start (no additional hot gear) because by the end you will be sweated out regardless.
2/75 C Co. 81-84
Ranger Class 14-82
"Cry Havoc Let Slip The Dogs of War"
1st SPWAR Tng Bn (Abn) USAJFKSWCS 87'
RLTW !
Mentor to J.P. Deepwater
RIP Class 02-07
Ranger Class 09-07
ChuckNorris

Post by ChuckNorris »

The Ranger School packing list is so outdated. For all Batt Boys out there, leps is authorized and since for some classes its required at Pre-Ranger anyways, it may be a good idea to bring, since the shit they give you sucks ass. Underarmor is allowed, and that being said useless to a point. When was the last time you wanted to take the time to change out of a pair of skin tight underwear at 2:30 in the morning after four days... just to wake up an hour later.... (if that :twisted: ) so do yourself a favour and think realistically.

Meh, in the end its all on you...
Ranger175csar
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Post by Ranger175csar »

I'm pretty sure my Rip 12 miler was 60#'s. Either way two days later we had out 8 miler. (that sucked cuz it was after the 12)

Either way... Free ball it, powder the fuck out of you sack, ass, inner thighs, taint you name it.
Tight boots and socks.

Blisters are a part of the fucking deal, your going to get them, AND you’re going to survive them. Just push forward. I pictured a sweet pair of tits in front of me... Fucking best tits i ever saw, and.. well it kept me goin.

I never knew about the string deal but I used to take the smallest fucken "stick" about 18 gauge or smaller (meaning higher in #) and pierce my foot, slide the cath in and let my feet drain over night onto a towel... worked for me, no infection and I kept my skin.

The other are dead on as far as hydration goes.... drink water the day before so much that your pissing your brains out and then keep drinkin. Your body will use it...and quick.....Oh and dont be the rear road guard... I was, and ended up running the whole fuckin thing cuz of the “slinky effectâ€
Collins

1/75 HHC 94-96 S-4
RIP CLASS 7-94

Fuck em if they cant take a joke.....
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beckj
Embryo
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Thanks

Post by beckj »

Thank you to all the Rangers and Veterns for all the advice I picked up some great new tip and will give them a try.
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Sleepy Doc
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Post by Sleepy Doc »

I know this is an old thread, but I just gotta give my .02 worth after seeing 4 years worth of all kinda nasty-fucked up feet. I got blisters with almost every roadmarch at first and had to learn the hard way. I also tried everything on myself first to make sure it worked before I would try on a fellow Ranger, so all of this is firsthand knowledge.
Learn how to take care of your feet here and fucking now. If your feet are G2G, you can suck up whatever else is wrong and drive on. That being said..

Whichever Ranger said that boots are the key was absolutely right. If you don't have a comfortable, well broken in pair by the time you get to Airborne, you will be sucking ass-crack with a busted straw in RIP. If your issue boots don't fit properly (which happens more than most realize..) on your first weekend before Airborne take the time to go to clothing sales and get a pair that fit properly. You can easily break in a pair of boots in 3 weeks.

Keep your feet clean and your toenails trimmed. If not you will lose a toenail and it ain't pretty. (think torture methods..)
On the roadmarch, one pair of socks-not too thick-should suffice. Lace your boots snug, but not tight. Your feet will have swollen a bit n the first couple of miles and you want to give them room. At the first break (if you get one :wink: ) then snug your boots down. This will keep the feet from moving excessively in the boot.

If you sweat a lot like me powder up before you step off, or try this trick; every morning and night for at least 3 weeks before the roadmarch spray your feet with an aerosol right-guard, or some shit like that. It will keep your feet from sweating excessively, and therefore moving too much in the boot.

If you know you are going to get blisters and want to use moleskin, like Ranger Silverback said you must use tincture of benzoin before. It can be found at any drugstore & comes in a spray or liquid. It is just a glue, but without it the molskin willcome off and make things worse. Just apply it, let it dry first and then put on moleskin, making sure all the corners are rounded with scissors. You will probabally have to do this the night before so you are ready at step-off.

Try and keep the weight as close to the standard as possible, no more than 5 LBS over, without water. If you use too much, thinking you are a hard-ass, you will more than likely fall out as a heat casualty, and in the end look like a dumb ass for not paying attention to deatail. You wanna roll the dice? Be my guest, but remember this is possibly the easiest road march you will do while in the Regiment. If you are a Medic, FTO, Mortars, or 240 crew, that is definitely the case. Your rucks will never be this light again. Enjoy it. You just have to finish, you can heal later.

Stay hydrated! Stay hydrated! Stay hydrated! Stay hydrated! Stay hydrated!.... Everyone has different fluid tolerances, but if are pissing clear you are well hydrated. During regular activity in the Georgia heat everyone is dehydrated to some degree. I don't know if they are issuing camelbaks now during OSUT/Airborne/RIP, but we didn't get em until we reached Batt. Either way you want to drink before you get thirsty, if possible. Whatever you do don't chug, sip all the time. I use to tell the Hooahs , if you aren't talking you shoud be sipping water. The body can only absorb about 1/4 to 1/2 cup every 15 minutes. Any more is too much and you will piss or sweat away your electrolytes. If this happens, you will die! No bullshit, they killed a kid in OSUT at Benning in '98 or '99 by forcing him to chug water. Don't believe me? Google the word "Hyponatremia" and see what you find. Plain water, about 1qt. an hour and you'll be ok. No sports drinks. (If I'm not mistaken, if you get caught with the stuff it's an automatic drop/integrity violation? Either way, you don't need it yet..)

Which brings up the next point; Just eat a well balanced diet before. Eat lots of fresh fruits/vegetables, moderate starches, easy on the proteins. You don't need to add salt to your diet because you will have plenty. Absolutely no suppliments. Many have stimulants and they will make you a heat casualy, and ultimately a dumbass. Eat whatever they offer you & lots of it. There will be times later when you would sell your virgin sister for a PB&J sandwich or a piece of fruit.

Lastly, everyone said that it is mostly mental is right. Rucking is nothing more than a nasty gut check, and if you are not prepared it will put the religeon in you. Myself, I tried not to ever fall out as a matter of pride. Medics already have a reputation as whining bitches and the atrition rate in RIP is like 97%. I psyched myself out knowing that I was carrying more weight than most of the grunts. If they started sniveling I'd ask them if they wanted to switch rucks. Knowing mine was usually 30 lbs. more shut 'em right up. I would also think of the survivors of the Bataan Death March, Merril's Marauders, 3rd Batt. Cisterna survivors, etc. I figured if my nary-ass couldn't do 12 around Ft. Benning under ideal conditions, then I didn't deserve to wear the same uniform as them (figuratively speaking, of course..)

I think it was said already, but the bottom line is this; suck it up, dig in and just fucking do it.
B Co 3/75 '95-'99
4th RTB '00-'01

"ahh, Daniel-san.. When balance good, Karate good...everything good!.." K. Miyagi
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cams
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Post by cams »

The type of socks you wear are very important. DO NOT WEAR COTTON SOCKS. They hold in all the moisture and will shred your feet.

Someone said the issue wool socks turned inside out, this is how I wore them too, not as itchy, and wicked moisture away from the foot.

I used to say this little prayer sometimes when I was feeling like the walking dead.

"Lord if you will help me pick up my foot one more time, I promise to put it
back down again."
2/75 HHC C/E 89-92
Rio Hato/AO Diaz CCT/Commo

"It is a heavy thing, to see a Father so strong in life, unable to rise."

"A great civilization is not conquered from without
until it has destroyed itself from within." -W. Durant
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Goog
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Post by Goog »

No socks at all and vaseline your feet. Laugh but the shit works. Some 1st batt fag did it in Pre-RGR. I just went no socks all the time and of Course "drank Milk". It makes the body good you know.
90-94 A co 3/75 RGR Regt (2plt/HQ/Wpns)
94-97 75th RGR Regt (Pre-RGR)
Graduated Ranger Class 2-92 "Merrills Marauder"
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boliverallmon
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Post by boliverallmon »

Thank you Rangers for all the information.

Boliver
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Roach66
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x2 on...

Post by Roach66 »

X2 on:
1. Properly fitted boots
2. No cotton socks, get the new "moister whisking" ones, just pay up.
3. Pre mole skin your known "hot spots", ruck areas too.
4. Strait water in your canteens...Gatorade etc, is a "yak" waiting to happen. (unless you drink it ALL THE TIME under same duress).
5. Breathing, and pace...gum (IMHO) puts too much "sticky" saliva in your mouth. Just hydrate, and breath...evenly.
6. Have your "second wind" pace and breathing rhythm down...use it. The steady self cadence will carry you through.
7. Don't think in terms of "getting passed", work to "own" the road march. Breathing, stride, everything matters. Just like any other athlete, every little thing adds up for increased performance.

Eventually, you will bust out 20km RM with water to spare.
JUST KEEP THOSE DOGS HAPPY! Otherwise...welcome to Hell.

You are in world class ATHELETE realm now, start thinking on those terms.
RLTW
9-87, No Slack Sierra
meneroth
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Post by meneroth »

I'm going to ask a very ignorant question, what is this "pig" that you guys are referring to carrying? I feel like I should know what it is, but for some odd reason I have no idea.

sorry for my stupidity
I hate it when people jerk around with the system and get off. Im guilty, I should pay, no excuses
-Frank Castle
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malik289
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Post by malik289 »

jakeshoe wrote:WTF?!

No thank you's, fuck you's, or anything for all the goo dinfo the Rangers have posted?

Ungrateful POS fuqstick DEP'ers and wannabe's.

If you worthless civilian scum ever make it to RIP I hope H8train makes ya pay for your lack of gratitude.

If I was there even H8train would step back from the heat of the smoking...


Thamk you Ranger jakeshoe and all The Other Rangers giving us great advice on this forum for this useful information..I as well as some of the other DEP's and Embryo's realy appriciate it.

Knocking Out 25
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GoldCoast
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Post by GoldCoast »

cams wrote:The type of socks you wear are very important. DO NOT WEAR COTTON SOCKS. They hold in all the moisture and will shred your feet.

Someone said the issue wool socks turned inside out, this is how I wore them too, not as itchy, and wicked moisture away from the foot.

I used to say this little prayer sometimes when I was feeling like the walking dead.

"Lord if you will help me pick up my foot one more time, I promise to put it
back down again."
Yeah, I do something like that, too. When I'm about to do something that I know sucks (i.e. cross a NASTY draw with all my shit on, or go for a twenty miler) I just think 'FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW!!'

They're usually ready if I am. :)
HHC 2/75 (1998- 2000)

Duty a mountain; Death a feather.

One of these days I'll start off slow...
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RANGER513
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Post by RANGER513 »

meneroth: P.M. inbound.



The rest of you:

There is some OUTSTANDING advice in the thread. Make sure you ALL pay attention. Road marches can be killers. R.I.P. road marches claim numerous quiters every class since god was a Private First Class !

There are alot of physical steps to take to prepare yourself for a hard road march, but remember it all comes down to mental toughness. Your body will NOT quit unless your mind tells it to. And never, ever, ever, EVER quit !

Drink lots of water, NO hot gear, wear the right socks, and drive the fuck on the Ranger objective. HOOAH.


RLTW
C Co 2/75
1986 - 1992
RS Class 9-87

RLTW



" The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena............ "
RTO
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Re: Prepping tips for the RIP road march(es)

Post by RTO »

Antrim wrote:
Some of us went out the night before and ate at the pizza place on Benning. I'm not sure if it's still there or not. We ate a spaghetti meal, (but didn't overdo it) in order to get a lot of carbs and energy for the task at hand.
Concerning diet, this comes from the guy that has been Lance Armstrongs personal trainer for the last 15 years.

"How to Eat Like Lance Armstrong"

"As the Tour de France approaches," says Carmichael," Lance's nutrition program moves from about 65 percent carbohydrate to 70 percent carbohydrate, and he'll consume about 13-14 percent of his calories from protein, and 16-17 percent from fat. In terms of foods, he loves pasta and also seeks whole grains like brown rice and oats, multigrain breads, and lots of vegetables. Protein sources include primarily eggs, fish, poultry, and low-fat dairy products like yogurt. Fat plays important roles in endurance athletics and health, so we don't massively cut his fat intake. Rather, Lance tries to stick with unsaturated fats from olive and canola oils, seeds, nuts, and fish."
---------------------------------------------------------------------


WoW. :shock: :shock: :shock: 70% carbs in the month/months prior to arguably one of the most difficult sporting events on the planet. And remember, Lance was down to like 3% body fat when he was doing these Tour de Frances.
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