The following thread is dealing with the Bates 8 Tactical Sport Boots.

Hi guys.

Since I'm joining the armed forces in about half a year, I'm thinking about starting to train for longer walks. I've bought a rucksack and sewn some sandbags for weight.

My question is:
Would you recommend these boots for 50 km. (31 miles) walks with about a 40 kilo (88 pounds) backpack?

- and if so, would you recommend the full leather version or the leather/nylon version?
I like these because they're affordable, and people seem to like them, but I don't know if they will do the job for my requierments.

Thanks in advance.

Overkill mate. If you can walk/jog 10km in under two hrs with a 20kg pack and you will be right up to requirements going into basic training. I would be very careful about overdoing it with the weight and hurting yourself- build up to it slowly and try to minimise jerking around.
So long as the boots give good support youll be right, nylon might breathe a bit better comfort wise for you.

Guess I'll have to explain a little bit more
I see your point, but I actually have a dream about joining the special forces (called Jægerkorpset in my country), like a lot of boys my age - I'm 20.
I would, of course, start out slowly. Therefore I've made 5x10 kilo (22 pounds) sandbags, so that I can adjust both kilos and kilometers gradually. I'm in a pretty good shape, since I've always dreamed of a military career, but Jægerkorpset (the special forces) recommend that you start march training with backpack early. I'm thinking about applying for admission in like 2 years.
So you see, I'm not really concerned about the basic training, but the training for Jægerkorpset.
- I was just too lazy to give the full explanation the first time. Also, it was a bit more cryptic to write in english, since it's not my native tounge.

Hope you understood this though.
Thanks for the fast answear and sorry for the misleading first post.

Good on you, everyone needs a dream. Many people here are far more experienced then I am with regard to the special forces so I will stop giving advice and wish you the best of luck =).

Originally Posted by PwNex

The following thread is dealing with the Bates 8 Tactical Sport Boots.

Hi guys.

Since I'm joining the armed forces in about half a year, I'm thinking about starting to train for longer walks. I've bought a rucksack and sewn some sandbags for weight.

My question is:
Would you recommend these boots for 50 km. (31 miles) walks with about a 40 kilo (88 pounds) backpack?

- and if so, would you recommend the full leather version or the leather/nylon version?
I like these because they're affordable, and people seem to like them, but I don't know if they will do the job for my requierments.

Thanks in advance.

Why the Bates? They are with certainty good boots. If you are able to test other brands; do that! I have always liked the German boots (Lowa, Meindl, HanWag) They are good and provide with good stability if you are in rough terrain. I do not know much about the Special Forces, but I have been into hiking for a long time and I use military boots and good boots are worth the money you are spending on them

Because they're cheap.
Since I'm still in high school I'm kind of on a low budget, so if these can do the job, I'll prefer not to buy something more expensive.
Besides, people seem to like the Bates 8 Tac Sport, but in their reviews on YouTube ect., they never tell what they like them for. For instance a security guard might not walk as long as a marching soldier, but stands up a lot and therefore require a different type of boots.

Originally Posted by PwNex

Because they're cheap.
Since I'm still in high school I'm kind of on a low budget, so if these can do the job, I'll prefer not to buy something more expensive.
Besides, people seem to like the Bates 8 Tac Sport, but in their reviews on YouTube ect., they never tell what they like them for. For instance a security guard might not walk as long as a marching soldier, but stands up a lot and therefore require a different type of boots.

I see, I have been there too. What does the Danish army use? They may be even cheaper than the Bates, another thing you can do, but that comes with a risk. Test different boots and see if you can buy them online, which will save you some money. You are carrying a lot of load, when you do and you have less quality boots; you can step through them and after 30km that can be painful, further, good boots will be better for your ankles and knees.

No matter what boots you get, make sure you break them in before you go on any march with weight on your back. A method I use every time I get a new pair of boots is I get them completely soaked in the hottest water I can stand, then I wear them around for about 4-6 hours. This allows the leather to expand and then mold to the contours specific to your feet. After this, let them dry and do it again if needed. Make sure to have any specific insoles that you want already in the boot when doing this otherwise it will be ineffective.

Also, when you start to get into your higher mileage of rucking, foot care is essential. If I am marching for 10 or more miles (16 or more km) then I will apply vaseline to my feet and wear pantyhose over them. then, I will wear a black dress sock over the pantyhose. This greatly reduces friction which is your worst enemy when rucking. If that's not your style, then just make sure you change your socks every 4 hours or so they stay dry. It will also give you an oppurtunity to check your feet and identify any blisters or trouble spots.

When wearing a pack, ensure that the weight is centered over your hips as you lean into the march. Basically, the higher you can get the ruck on your back, generally the better. It's all about comfort and pacing yourself. It may seem like you can march much further at the end of conditioning marches when you first start, but don't. Let your muscles and bones gets used to the extra weight and miles you will be marching. Many a soldier went too much, too fast, and ended up with stress fractures or worse because their bone density wasn't where it should have been when they did the extra work. Keep on a schedule and stick with it and you should be doing 20+ miles in no time.

Originally Posted by PwNex

Guess I'll have to explain a little bit more
I see your point, but I actually have a dream about joining the special forces (called Jægerkorpset in my country), like a lot of boys my age - I'm 20.
I would, of course, start out slowly. Therefore I've made 5x10 kilo (22 pounds) sandbags, so that I can adjust both kilos and kilometers gradually. I'm in a pretty good shape, since I've always dreamed of a military career, but Jægerkorpset (the special forces) recommend that you start march training with backpack early. I'm thinking about applying for admission in like 2 years.
So you see, I'm not really concerned about the basic training, but the training for Jægerkorpset.
- I was just too lazy to give the full explanation the first time. Also, it was a bit more cryptic to write in english, since it's not my native tounge.

Hope you understood this though.
Thanks for the fast answear and sorry for the misleading first post.

Hi mate
You make the mistake that all who dream of SF does. It's not just about strength, it´s more about your state of mind. If you want to be in SF then you have to achieve that state of mind.

So how do you achieve this mental focus? It's actually quite simple. You need to know what you want. It can be difficult to figure this out - but once you know what you want, the only thing left to do is focus yourself absolutely and completely to achieving it. Force out all the negative thoughts. The last thing you should be thinking is "I can't do this!". Of course you can. If you focused all of your mental efforts on how you're going to achieve your goals rather than worrying that you can't achieve them, you'll have a lot more success.

If you're still unsure of how to achieve the focused state of mind here is a list of tips to improve your clarity and give you the steely determination you need to succeed:

1. From the moment you wake up each day, focus on what you want to achieve and get motivated to succeed.

2. Cut out (or at least down on) bad habits such as smoking, drinking and eating bad foods. Nothing ruins clarity like impurities in your body.

3. Focus on your short term goals. Your long term goals will materialise as an effect of the short term goals.

4. Be as self sufficient and reliant as possible. There won't always be people around to push you so you'll need to learn to push yourself further.

5. Never be satisfied. Always strive to achieve more.

6. Don't focus on limitations. Focus instead on what you want to achieve and the steps you need to take to get there.

7. Believe in yourself. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.

8. If you struggle or falter, ask for help or advice.

The mental stamina coupled with a high level of physical fitness, is what separates you from the mere mortals. They are both core components to the puzzle. Without fitness, all the mental stamina in the world won't help if every muscle in your body is fully exhausted. Without mental stamina, all the fitness in the world won't be enough when everything in your being is telling you to stop.

If you can achieve this state of mind, then you’re halfway there.
Remember that it is not just a job - it's a lifestyle that will change your life radically. The Royal Marines have a saying that goes: If you want to wear the Green Beret, start with what’s under it. I'm sure that this also applies to the Danish Jaegerkorps.

Good luck and remember – it’s a state of mind!

Originally Posted by brinktk

No matter what boots you get, make sure you break them in before you go on any march with weight on your back. A method I use every time I get a new pair of boots is I get them completely soaked in the hottest water I can stand, then I wear them around for about 4-6 hours. This allows the leather to expand and then mold to the contours specific to your feet. After this, let them dry and do it again if needed. Make sure to have any specific insoles that you want already in the boot when doing this otherwise it will be ineffective.

Also, when you start to get into your higher mileage of rucking, foot care is essential. If I am marching for 10 or more miles (16 or more km) then I will apply vaseline to my feet and wear pantyhose over them. then, I will wear a black dress sock over the pantyhose. This greatly reduces friction which is your worst enemy when rucking. If that's not your style, then just make sure you change your socks every 4 hours or so they stay dry. It will also give you an oppurtunity to check your feet and identify any blisters or trouble spots.

When wearing a pack, ensure that the weight is centered over your hips as you lean into the march. Basically, the higher you can get the ruck on your back, generally the better. It's all about comfort and pacing yourself. It may seem like you can march much further at the end of conditioning marches when you first start, but don't. Let your muscles and bones gets used to the extra weight and miles you will be marching. Many a soldier went too much, too fast, and ended up with stress fractures or worse because their bone density wasn't where it should have been when they did the extra work. Keep on a schedule and stick with it and you should be doing 20+ miles in no time.

To use water is good method, but very impractical, I have not used it since the 1980s. In Sweden, with the climate (I do not want to ruin the floor either) I used the boots as winter shoes, it is slower, but it works quite well. Take it slow and let your body to get used with the backpack, which you need to be broken in too.