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It's insane how many things carry over from long distance running to rucking. I'm 15 and want to get a marathon done by my birthday but after I do that I'm going to start rucking as a part of my training so thanks for all these tips.
@@jacobcoryell8258 life lesson... don't listen to anyone with "gamer" in their name when it comes to how hard to push the workouts. You're 15y and training for a marathon, push as hard as you want, just don't be stupid like try to run a marathon with no water or some crap. Good luck bro
You know, I'm not really into the military stuff but this is just a lot of good tips and info for someone who just wants to hike comfortably and have it end in tired leg muscles not agonizing foot pain.
Feet wise I used to put (pls don’t laugh now) a part of calf high women’s stockings right on my skin, then over it our regular issued socks. Helped me a lot. The sock then rubs only on the stockings, not on the skin. My friends laughed, but after a loooong 35 KM march, I was fine :)
Liner socks are great for preventing blisters. When I was in I used the stockings and also the lightweight men's dress socks and they worked ok. Later I got into backpacking and started using the actual high speed liner socks meant for wicking sweat away while hiking and they are even better. More expensive, but last longer.
When I did my 2 day beret march in -4 degree weather, I had the surprise of my lifetime. I didn't get any blisters. But apparently marching in cold and not keeping your ankles warm enough can cause achilles tendon injuries. They were almost back to normal after 18 months and a few heparin shots.
Spent seven years in the US Army Infantry, 11C. Never was in SF. My suggestion is to get a few pairs of Doctor Scholl's inserts. Change to new ones every 3 to 4 months. Don't use hard arch supports. Those get painful. Get calluses on the soles of your feet. Locations of calluses will vary on different people. I concur with the suggestion to get good socks. I always used the GI issue wool socks. Never heard of using gasoline to get calluses. I always heard to let those blisters change into callouses. Just keep on walking. As painful it will be keep on your feet. It's been 40 odd years and my last callous is finally erroding off. Yes it stings as it heals over.
@@Danny-hj2qg No. Born with flat feet though. Some people say you cannot be in the Infantry with flat feet. I did that Infantry job for seven years. So much for that flat feet thing.
This is what I was told by my drill back when I went through benning, just use the regular socks until your feet get hardened up. That’s the old school way to do it.
As a 11B with a gunshot to my ankle. Rucking has always been my downfall. So I have to prepare like none other for it. But this video really helped, I noticed a lot less blistering and movement in my boots. I rock the Salomen Guardian V2's and they are light but they have that really tough ankle support which ironically enough I have to rely on. Thank you
One of my best friends is a 7th Group Veteran from the days of Just Cause. Some of the stories he tells me are so hilarious. I appreciate you SF guys. 💪
Former marine, hiked the continental divide a few years ago and leuko tape is absolutely a game changer. Merino wool socks and dial in footwear. All feet are unique
Never ignore your feet! Bad shoes, or neglect can seriously mess them up! The worst that happened to me was a blister that opened up and the sap drenched the socks and hardened, effectively glowing my socks to my feet. Pulling them off, was like skinning myself... The second worst thing that happened to me in this context was a broken nail that got entangled with the socks.
Definitely helped when I went to selection, but I didn’t get to use the full kit because they didn’t authorize Scissors, and bandaids. But the moleskin pads, and powder are absolutely crucial
Having blisters during basic was hell. Being conscripted, I didn't really check or research any of this, and suffered a couple months from blisters on my heels. Eventually, the skin hardened and now, 11 years later it's still hard. I wasn't some fighter, mind you but lowest bidder produced boots suck no matter what you do.
best thing ever for feet is a brillo pad. the good ones not the cheapies. scrub away dry completely and moisturize. toss when done. feels so good! it saved my combat boot feet.
Rucksack with a waist strap is great to take the load off the shoulders and helps upper body circulation. You can tighten the waist and totally release the shoulders. Load weight low. Lower center of gravity higher stability.
Great video! So many useful tips. I am old enough to come from the pantyhose under the issue socks and Gold Bonds era. We would do 10K timed ruck runs in the old all leather leg boots. Lacing is a huge thing. Don't be afraid to break the standard X pattern. There is skip lacing and skip-X and several others. Experiment because each foot and set of boots is different.
@@FNGACADEMY For myself, I have weak ankles that roll outward and am almost flat footed. My ankles swell a lot. A mentor showed me skipping the spot at my ankle joint and then going back to X lacing. Skip X is what I do on running shoes. I forget what other people call it. It's where you skip a hole then X back through the skip lines. Then go back to X. I do that depending on the footgear. Chuckle. And then there is over vs under lacing. Which I tell people: There are regulations. And what works for you. Easiest is get the inspection boots and then the set for how you actually like them. Gawd, then there is crap like Airborne and Air Assault school. Where one had to follow school guidelines. I am not sure what current standards are. I went through schools in the 90s.
Besides pantyhose we used class A socks under the issued wool socks. The idea was any slip would be between the items but not between your skin and the dress sock. This kept blisters away. Test walk in your boots to keep an eye on hot spots. This would be an area that was pressured more than areas around it. The more uniform the feel the better. Also half way through a 30 mile forced March change out the socks for dry ones. And powder to remove foot moisture.
I did 440 miles on the Florida Trail. Swamps,Trail, roads(hard and soft). My feet were hamburger meat at times. I used leukotape instead of mole skin. Placed on wax paper and precut.
LOL, I was a jogging addict between 2005 and 2016, and by the time I ran my final half marathon, my shoe ritual was averaging 6 minutes per foot. Got to make sure your sock seams aren't going to chafe the top of the toes, gotta stick cardboard scraps over the tongue to distribute the lace pressure evenly, oh noes, I forgot the petroleum jelly between my big and long toe, got to start over.
Back in the 80's we were not allowed to use "aftermarket" socks.... We could only use "issued" socks and gear.... It was important to turn the socks inside-out, this way it kept the long stitch away from the skin under the toe nails..that was a major issue.... For body anti-chafing we used Vaseline... To get my feet toughened up, I learned this from Greek SF officer, I would run every morning BARE FOOT on the street and sidewalk, after a month had some solid feet calluses and at that point boots felt like a pillow soft... Some guys would use two separate pairs of shoe laces per boot, one lace would only come up half way, the next lace started in the middle and ran up to the top of the boot..This way you can control the tightness independently for top and bottom...
Im not military but what I found is that the thicker fox river break down fairly easily compared to a good skiisock thin smartwools with spandex etc.. tend to hold up well compared to newer wool style socks that are plush. The plush socks are super comfortable the first few times wearing them but they start to break down and go holey much sooner. A sock with some synthetic in it tends to hold up.. also I found that these socks will get holes in the toes rather than the heels like the thicker plusher socks. Old style wool army socks tend to hold up fairly well compared to newer socks. Cotton socks in general suck for survivability, even if they are snazy antibacterial socks, they tend to taco out and get holes much faster. Socks have different use lifespans, and a good quality ski or running sock with a little spandex smartwool and maybe some other stuff tend to hold up well. You can layer multiple thinner socks. Thin socks tend to be tighter though and a boot can feel empty if you dont have a liner or insole to replace the sock thickness.
Great advice. I recently had an RN tell me to use moisturize my feet more. Growing up in a humid southern state, I was bare foot a lot as a kid. Now in a different location, I need to do what the RN said. It helps immensely, even in an office environment before putting socks on. When you get older, diabetes or prediabetes, it's essential that you do this, plus watch your carbs.
I wish they had stuff like this back in the 90's. I wasn't SF I was just a regular grunt with the 25th ID when they were light infantry so no vehicles we rucked everywhere. I used to get so raw in between my legs, I tried those compression shorts made out of that under armor stuff, it helped a lot but never totally eliminated the problem. I rucked in regular jungle boots, my feet just built up a tolerance. Back then the only real choice you had were HiTec boots but they were not durable enough for me to spend $150 bucks or more back in the early 90's.
I’m a captain for a wildland fire crew. Guys always get blisters. The way we were taught with mole skin is cutting a circle like you did then cut the middle out where the blister is like a doughnut. So your building up around the blister so nothing rubs on the blister if that makes sense. If you don’t do that your just building up the area and adding pressure. Then put a piece of duct tape over the area so it’s slick. Hope that made sense. Your way works too but if you already have a blister you should cut out the mole skin around the blister. Good info in this video blisters suck.
This video would've been gold 20 years ago for me. Anything over 20 miles and my feet used to look like the thumbnail. I found that, the more sweaty your feet, the bigger problem you have with friction. Try antiperspirant in lieu of powders and let me know if that works for ya. Semper Fi
I’m 18 now about to enlist and I just recently did a Norwegian foot march event (it was an ROTC event that my JROTC instructors got an email about) me and my buddy both completed 18.6 miles in under 4.5 hours. These tips definitely could have saved my feet. Me and my buddy both went with what you called “the old mentality” of just throwing boots and a pack on and going, one of my instructors told me to soak my feet and boots in order to toughen them up, which worked but after watching this I’m gonna invest in some better boots (we got issued these older OCP green boots for raiders, which suck) and a few packs of moleskin. Never tried to use anything like this before with the whole prep kit and all.
I've seen guys wear thin, slick dress socks under whatever sock they would ordinarily wear while rucking. I've heard guys recommend silk socks or something like that. The slick material will help with friction. I've never used it, but I probably will at some point.
I know it's probably really obvious when I say it this way but it's amazing to me how similar my method/setup is to this even though I'm not in the military and most of my methods just came my experience from walking a lot (Though some of my method is a bit old school because my old man's a tough bastard from surviving the Vietnam war so his "fuck it, just go" attitude started to rub off on me) At this point in my life, I can easily ruck/walk 10 miles+ without getting tired but it's really helpful to know what else I can do to improve
When ever I go on backpacking trips into the mountains with 50 pound plus pack. Two pair of socks is what I use, a thin liner and a medium cushion over that. The expensive ones too, it's worth it.
This is great! Can you also do a guide for hikes with lots of vertical ascents and descents? Recently did a doozy like that. I couldn't figure out in the beginning why somebody in my group brought a pill case full of salt. When the cramps started, that pill case full of salt saved me from some cramp pains!
I’m walking the west highland way ( a long hike in Scotland) and this is the best advice I have heard about taking care of your feet when walking distances. I get the hot spots in the exact same places as you. Thanks for the tips
Good point…back in the day we painted our feet with Benzoin Tincture…layered with a pair of dress socks then the wool socks…blisters were injected with rubbing alcohol too…fun times had by all…
Ok…. I haven’t gotten past the moleskin part yet but I already live this guy. Clip your toenails and pre patch your feet. The number of guys, me included, that learned this the hard way is large enough to be expressed in scientific notation
Man, having those in the first place is not wise. Feet are the most important. Last time I had those was I the 26km obstacle course with too thin socks and tight boots. Now I usually have two thin pair of sock or one heavy duty ones like Darn Toughts and no skin peeling of after +40km on a one go. Plus zinc creme eventually if I know those will be wet. It sick recovering from heel injuries like that.
Terrific tips, I learned quite a few things. I was a competitive tennis player growing up - the heat, combined with changing direction hundreds of times on hard pavement, is a recipe for blisters. We actually used a lot of these same tips. One additional tip I swear by is spraying antiperspirant on your feet to keep them dry. It’s the final step I take before putting on my socks (after the moleskin, athletic tape to secure the moleskin, body glide, etc.).
Snowboarding socks have strategically placed pads of thicker material, for this very purpose. It’s like having those blister pads built in. So using this logic, buy thick smartwool socks & have shoes with the little extra room for them. Half size bigger. But moleskin is still smart backup.👍🏼 Wool socks breath, and stay warm when wet and keep skin dry. So a smartwool is just smart. Darn Tough has a line of thicker socks even with military colors, that work really well. Hard spots in shoes, lead to abrasion. Flexible parts don’t. So I look for running shoe style builds. I’d rather have a shoe with a soft heal no support/protection, than to have blisters🤷🏼♂️ ..soft toes too, you can always spray on some truck bed liner for scuff spot protection if you need. But I know PCT’rs who only wear soft frame walking shoes for 6 month 2600 mile hikes through the Sierra Nevadas. I’d call their wisdom pretty sound. I’m just an amateur desert hiker, nothing special. But I also do a LOT of barefoot walking now & use Vibram 5 fingers for running & everyday wear and now I have little to no foot problems at all. Smart about the chaffing though👍🏼. I also use really fine dirt for it though. An ‘on trail’ supply. Just use a rock to sandpaper some hard dirt into fine silt (rubbing it into a pile), like a mortar & pestle. Works just as good. I also use this self made silt as deodorant. Although the cooler soil (from under a bush) soaks up stink better than dry soil. I also always use this after bowel movements. Using the dirt from the hole I dug, as a wipe material (after the initial wipe with a rock or stick). Dirt cleans well & use the finer dirt at the end. Don’t use foliage to wipe, some has moisture that is sticky, others half a slight film that can make you itch as you start walking & others are poison plants of course. Just use dirt. Take off your shoes and rub your feet in dry dirt building up a LIGHT coat of dust on them then put socks on. It’s therapeutic too.
Great video. I really appreciate the small things like foot care. Especially when im not in the army anymore but I walk and run all day at work anywhere from 8-12 miles a day im getting back to walking and rucking after work to help get back in shape
Great points all around. Taking of yourself and gear so you focus at the task at hand is so important. The last thing you want is having your own gear distracting and working against you.
Retired 91W here. For any of you who have had issues with Moleskin in the past, I HIGHLY suggest Leuko tape. I've kept guys moving for over a decade using this wonder tape. Prep your heels BEFORE leaving, and don't be afraid to protect the outside of your pinky toe before you set off. Nothing worse than the feeling of a wasp stinging you with every step. An ounce of prevention is the difference between a successful completion or dropping out 1/2 way. I cannot help but also recommend the ol' 'butt lube' stick. Nothing worse than finishing your ruck with a chapped, bleeding-ass crack. FNG good sh!t bro.
Generally good advice. Would like to see your advice for rucking when you are in terrain that is going to give you wet feet. Streams and marshes are always deeper than the top of your boots and you can never carry enough dry socks.
I get pedicures regularly and when I was in i put Vaseline with coconut oil on my feet before I put my socks on. Fox River is the brand I use also. My favorite boots are Danner. And definitely plus one Vaseline from buttcrack to bellybutton around your waist over your shoulders etc.
I use a small strip of bicycle inner tune in my heel cup to reduce the up/down motion. It stops blisters better than the heel pads that are sold in stores.
Not in the military, but did a lot of hiking in Rocky Mountains a long time ago and was told to get sock linkers. Seemed stupid but prevented all blisters. Only got blisters when I was not wearing them. We had old school leather hiking boots, we did trails then off trail hikes to camp sites. No one seems to use sock liners anymore. I watched some thru hikers finally try sock liners and were true believe-ers. Not sure if military allows sock liners. Also that glide stuff works wonders.
I think it's great you cover this in this amount of detail. Only 1 minute in and I never would've considered clipping toenails as a key step. Yes, it seems obvious not to have overly long toenails, but having fresh clipped ones can probably make a difference as well.
I was an Army Infantryman for 12 years and only once during my time, PCT at Bad Tolz, Germany with 5th SFG, did anyone ever mention anything about foot care and proper foot ware. You would think this would be paramount for any ground pounder.
That Glide stick is amazing. Not knocking Moleskin per se, but Leukotape is another great option. Still stays in place when wet, etc. it’s almost like a soft duct tape
Man, there are soooo many upgrades available today over just 30 yrs ago. We had two choice of boots, jungle or speedlace. No glide and the only allowed socks were OD wool. I think it's great the support is there to take care of your body's needs. It wasn't so much we thought making our feet tough was the right answer, it was the only other option we had. Even moleskin was kinda frowned upon and it wasn't as advanced as it is now. You'd put on a bandaid, moleskin, and cover with a bigger bandaid, because it would come off no matter how hard you tried not to have it come off.
Old man Abrams Tanker here, says 'rucking is sucking'! Put that ruck in the bustle rack, hit the gas and make tracks! Just kidding, we all know tankers are just infantry guys with a ride... Till it breaks down. Then its 19K to 11B. They made it real clear to us back in the day in AIT that you were infantry first, tanker second.
I run/backpack with Zero drop boots or barefoot boots. It takes a month or so to create calluses but you can run for long, build foot and ankle stability, and don't have to rely on inserts and other crap. Great way to cure flat feet, swamp foot and boot pain. RUN BARE FOOT
Just duct tape your heels. It works as well and much cheaper. Use a thin moisture wicking sock between your wool socks. Don't ever use cotton for anything when sweat/moisture is involved. And always, go commando. -over half a million trees planted
That heel cup movement causes those blisters on the back of the heels and on the bottom of the heels. If you got an old pair of boots, take the insole out and look at it. If there is a hole being worn right under your heel, then those are no bueno for you. Also, check out that heel cup inside, look for wear and tear. I have this problem with almost all boots because I have duck feet. Meaning they are wide toes, long foot, skinny heel and ankle. Belleville makes some good boots, and they work for me (the ones that are pretty expensive, bur they are made in USA so its worth it). Check'em out if you are duck footed🦆🦆👣👣
I use two pairs of socks. The key pair is a thin, tight fitting _Merino_ wool inner sock and some medium weight hiking socks over those. Merino wool isn't your typical "itchy" wool either, it's super soft and comfortable. Wool not only breathes better than synthetics (so your feet don't sweat as bad) but wool is also antibacterial from the natural Lanolin oil on it, so your feet don't _REEK_ after wearing them for days! Also all it takes to wash wool socks is some plain old water!
Lots of very capable and good guys were lost due to poor fitting boots and footwear. Esp those old mandatory black leather GI boots. Bringing already broken boots is strongly advisable. Something that worked when I had blisters was using the needle n thread threw the blister to help the fluid drain threw the thread fibers. Eventually the areas get accustomed to the boots
This might be a side effect for being a weirdo, but i’ve been wearing military boots with thic long socks since i was like 10yo, no matter if its summer, winter, tropics or taiga, and i think my feet got so used to it for over 10 years that i have none of this problems… i can walk for 72 hours without taking my boots off, then i take off my nasty solidified socks, put on a fresh pair and i can keep rolling, no wounds, no pain, no fungus… nothing.
I always got rid of original insoles and carry a spare. Moleskin is a must. I bought my boots a bit larger a bit longer to compensate for dress socks or something very thin with a good boot sock..not thick..and carry back up pair. You've got alot of great points
Also long toenails will cut socks and they will push against inside of shoe causing the nails to be pushed back into the toe abs that can cause some serious sore toes. Don't get nails too short though or you will get ingrown nails and thats bad too. I met a super cute little butch girl at work. She was naturally the strongest per pound with best cardio, like 9% body fat, and thighs bigger than her waist. If she was gonna walk/run much in shorts while hot she would put deodorant on her inner thighs so they would stay dry keeping the friction down so that's another idea.
Back in the day for rucks we used plain ol scotch tape on the hot spots and wore polypro under socks with the standard ol wool socks. When you couldnt get polypro as a last resort it was a run to the exchange and grabbed ankle high nylons. Both options helped wick the sweat away from your foot. Anytime there was time for a sock change tried to air out the feet best as possible and used foot powder or cornstarch.
Glad you're breaking barriers like using moisturizer on you feet as if it was a ladies only thing. Self-care should be for both male and female in all aspects. When a badass guy like you tells they do something that *might seem* feminine, guys will listen.
I disagree with some aspects of this........... Having backpacked for over 50 years. Back in the late '60's and early '70's I did multiple trips on the Skyline Trail ranging from 50 - 250 mile. Boot choice is #1 We always used the best heavy mountaineering boots with very stiff soles. Those boots are heavy, but they protect the bottoms of your feet which on the trails I often hike can become bruised and painful without that protection. The soles develop a rounded shape that make for very easy hiking, you simply roll effortlessly once you get the idea. In the old days I used Lowa Alpspits boots which are no longer made, as well as Richard Pontvert Galabrier boots from France. Both very heavy duty mountaineering boots, neither available today, but the Galibrier lasts a lifetime! Amazing boots! We DID toughen our feet using iced salt water prior to trips after awhile, and it DOES work. You want a tough surface, but supple beneath. It takes judgement........I have rarely ever had a blister, not in over 30 years. If you feel friction respond NOW, immediately, because as soon as you feel it is often too late. The solution is in how you tie your shoes usually, or in your socks. I tie my boots with the toes fairly loose followed by reversing the lacing through the first lug, and then drawing my foot down hard diagonally into the heel of the boot, then passing the lacing through the next lug in reverse also to lock the heel pull down without having the rest of the lacing tight. Stay tuned into your feet.......They are the most important part of your body on a trip of many days. In addition I learned that nylon stockings....... just above ankle high (girl stuff) make a priceless base layer, and will prevent blisters......... I can't even remember the last time I had a blister, as I learned early to pay attention...... when you notice it .... it's too late as a rule. You MUST be proactive. I NEVER carry moleskin, never need it... I'm not ultra tough, not at all........ I just pay attention, and am proactive. I'm not a young man anymore, but I can still carry a pack 20 miles in a day, and not suffer from doing it! Your feet and legs are your life when backpacking...........
Something the military could save so much money in medical expenses regarding feet. open toe box boots. That would allow your feet to work as they're made to.
Great vid as always. It's fun to see how other people do it and pick up some new tricks you didn't think of. As for my two cents. Any kind of jungle boot, personally I like the lowa jungles, as you WILL get your feet wet and these boots dry up quicker than other kinds vs goretex boots that just keep the water in. I sweat a lot even doing nothing so my feet are basically always damp. Merino wool socks help with the quick drying and are antibacterial/smell resistant and can be worn for many days in a row, my favorite brand is icebreaker. One last thing I like to do is tuck my skivvy shirt into my underwear ( icebreaker and saxx are pretty good) so it wont rise up over time and create hot spots from your ruck rubbing directly on your lower back or the waist band on your hips.
The biggest tip i can give that i dont think was mentioned in the video: Just.. Keep... Walking. Its gonna end soon. Its gonna be fine. Youre gonne be alright. Just keep walking. Make it to the goal, make it to the objective, i dont care. Just keep walking. Right foot left foot.
Man Buck, you are so right about keeping feet soft. You've not lived till you have those blisters that form under heavy calluses. Oh yeah, get some!🤪🤪🤔🤔✌✌
