That's not something everyone can do, right?
That's not something everyone can do, right?
Flat ground or over hills?
Do they really require that? I don't think I could do that. How is the sack carried?
What is the sack made out of?
Hi Alan,
How's Yemen?
Thank you for you service.
That's a standard test given for all Wildland Firefighters who might ever actually be fighting fire, at least in the USA. They have to pass that every year in order to be "red carded", which is to say, allowed to go on wildland fire assignments. It's tough, but not overly burdensome. People who are significantly overweight or not very strong may have some trouble, but if you are reasonably fit it's not a big deal.
It makes sense for the Conservation Corps, too, since much of their work involves trail building and other outdoor projects that are similar to most of the work of wildland firefighting. The test is done on flat ground, often with special weight vests designed and purchased specifically for the purpose from any of a number of commercial vendors.
That's just like a quick hiking pace with a big trekking backpack, quite manageable.
Back in the day before motorized infantry, armies routinely marched, road conditions permitting, 4-5 miles an hour with full packs and weapons. Most armies covered between 20-30 miles in a days time.
It is unfortunate that in this days age someone is curious if 3 miles in 45 minutes, carrying a 45lb. pack is tough.
I'm curious if the OP could march 3 miles in 45 minutes unencumbered?
What say ye?
Back in the day wrote:
It is unfortunate that in this days age someone is curious if 3 miles in 45 minutes, carrying a 45lb. pack is tough.
It's unfortunate that in these days people think job requirements, that are necessary and have been done for years, are unreasonable.
Especially on a running forum, one would think there would be a willingness to see how fast one could cover 3 miles with a 45lb. backpack or whatever the pack is. If the 45 lbs was secure and tightly attached to the person, better yet.
At nearly 61, I think I could get this done in less than 45 minutes. Might have to run some if I fell behind with a walking pace. Total weight, body and pack, would be 195lbs. How many on this forum think they couldn't pull it off?
I did this test for a forrest firefighting job as well. We basically used 50 lb sandbags, with straps, that we wore like backpacks and did laps on a 200m indoor track. I'm pretty sure that I finished in around 34 or 35 minutes, basically doing a lousy impression of speed-walking. I would have run with the backpack, and aimed for sub-25, but they forced everybody to walk. I don't recall many participants failing that test, or the other two for that matter.
Last summer at age 50, after 15 months off due to ITBS, I took a bunch of boy scouts out backpacking at altitude that none of us was used to. None of our packs weighed less than 45 lbs. None of us, unencumbered, could run 3 miles in better than 24 minutes at that altitude, although I might have been close. Several times during our trip, on smoother but still up and down parts of the trail, we covered 3 miles in less than 45 minutes with our packs despite sleeping in tents, eating food cooked on the trail and not intentionally racing.
While Letsrun is known for it's inflated numbers of 14ish 5000m runners who make >$250k per year while working part time, I doubt there are many on here who couldn't pull this off.
Back in the day wrote:
Back in the day before motorized infantry, armies routinely marched, road conditions permitting, 4-5 miles an hour with full packs and weapons. Most armies covered between 20-30 miles in a days time.
It is unfortunate that in this days age someone is curious if 3 miles in 45 minutes, carrying a 45lb. pack is tough.
I'm curious if the OP could march 3 miles in 45 minutes unencumbered?
What say ye?
I'm certain I could do it.
ij wrote:
That's a standard test given for all Wildland Firefighters who might ever actually be fighting fire, at least in the USA. They have to pass that every year in order to be "red carded", which is to say, allowed to go on wildland fire assignments. It's tough, but not overly burdensome. People who are significantly overweight or not very strong may have some trouble, but if you are reasonably fit it's not a big deal.
It makes sense for the Conservation Corps, too, since much of their work involves trail building and other outdoor projects that are similar to most of the work of wildland firefighting. The test is done on flat ground, often with special weight vests designed and purchased specifically for the purpose from any of a number of commercial vendors.
Okay, then I think I could certainly do it if it is a weight vest or backpack sort of apparatus. If I literally had to carry a lumpy 45lb sack, I'm not as sure.
Watch, the Running Artist troll will chime in now about how he trained for his outfit :--}
That's like a third of my body weight. I'm not a friggin ant.