How To Avoid Getting Injured At Basic Training!
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
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I tried on 8 different pairs of boots before I was satisfied at CIIP. I’m sure the people behind me were pissed, but I didn’t get a single blister.
hahaha I'm sure but hey man you gotta do it!
No shit...Well than, I'm going do the same.
Andrew White Lol me.
Smart. I wish I did that :(
Andrew White better safe than sorry and suffering lol.
A month in I pulled a groin muscle, just when that got better I got a stress fracture in my foot, and to top it all off I got covered in the worst poison ivy rash you have ever seen. Sucked, but I pushed through to graduate on time without being recycled. Take care of yourself while your there. Nothing worse than training with an injury.
How did u take care of the stress fracture
Dnario stress fractures you just deal with lmao
Recycled?
@@watenallace663 sent back to the beginning
There was a really fit Soldier when I was a DS who would run steps with her vest and plates every night. She fractured her hip. Don't be a hero, there is no prize for finishing first in basic.
B Miles that is a problem with her being a female
@@Eggsr2bcrushed no... it's a problem with her trying way too hard and injuring herself
Iron Soldier is the prize for finishing first in basic if I'm not mistaken.
@@freddytoscano6308 You pretty much just completely destroyed this guys argument and won at life.
No such thing as trying way to hard at basic.
Good advice. My advice for people heading to basic training in any of the military services is to find out ahead of time what their physical requirements are at basic training and work for months at doubling it. For example, if you are required to run 1.5 miles work on running 3 miles because they will often make you keep running after you get to 1.5 miles and you will be used to running a lot farther. You'll be glad you did it when the drill sergeant or company commander is screaming in somebody else's face instead of yours.
I'd say that you should train for both. Endurance is more important than speed at BT, but being slower at shorter distances isn't really good
For lots of blisters in fitted boots, wear your dress socks/pantyhose under your thicker socks. You want to keep the moisture away from your foot, water adds friction. I did this for the GAFPB in 3" water and mud and only had minor blisters. Second, pack your ruck right. Nuff said. Third, break your boots in. If you can, (not sure if you would be allowed to in basic, this is for your military career in general so remember this stuff) I recommend tying those boots on really tight and taking a warm shower with your brand new boots. It softens the suede and sole and will form to your foot. Fourth, drink water. Fifth, don't pop that blister. A blister is there to lessen the damage done on your weak points. It absorbs impact and friction better than normal skin. Plus, if you pop it it could fill back up and get infected. Use moleskin to create a small padding around the sides of the blister, spread out the pressure and friction. If it does pop, leave it alone. Don't rip the skin off until 50% of the skin covering the raw skin is already gone. No moleskin? Cut a hole the size of the blister in duct tape and use that instead. Apply directly to your foot. DO NOT PUT ADHESIVES DIRECTLY ON *ANY* PART OF A BLISTER. Put them around it. Baby powder works for dry conditions in short durations. If you know for at least a 80% certainty that your feet will be wet, put a dress sock/pantyhose on first, followed by your usual sock, followed by a tied off (as to make your foot water resistant) walmart or similar plastic bag. Keep the bag in your boot, you'll look weird and out of regs with plastic bags hanging out of your boot. The name of the game is keeping your feet dry and clean. These tips may sound like a weird and weak way out, but if you want healthy, long lasting feet, follow these instructions.
Feel free to add more below, hooah!
Isn't it basic knowledge to carry dry socks with you and change every break if let's say one period is 50 minutes marching?
What does everyone mean by dress socks? Like regular crew socks? or actual dress socks, like what you'd wear in dress shoes?
@@harambe8372 Yes but you don't always have the opportunity to change socks in the field whenever you want. If you're in the field for days at a time you can go through 3 sets pretty quick
At my basic training I did a 12 mile ruck march, cleaned up, got four hours of sleep then a pt test with my feet bleeding badly. I turned the boot over and the blood poured out.
Jordan Simpson do you usually run?
that sir, sounds fucking horrible lol
Hell nah
let me guess, infantry... right? same with me
Oh my gawddd
I think a how to pack your ruck video is a good idea. Also I think you should do a video on how to make sure your boots fit well and maybe your favorite and least favorite boots you’ve had.
Rachael Estrada your drill will tell you how they want you to pack it
Light on the bottom and heavy on top
thumbnail gave me chills
Seraph Starman what happened to that guy?
Marcus K B L I S T E R S
Sand hill Happened to that guy...
Thumbnail gave me flashbacks to those times when I would find blood on my socks as soon as I took my shoes off after school.
It isn't that bad once you get used to it(or so I'd like to believe), the only problem is that your socks are gonna be a bloody mess and the back of your feet is gonna look terrifying.
Vine Whip subbed
Listening to you talk about people not working out before basic training has made me so incredibly happy for being a Poolee in the Marines Delayed Entry Program
I can say shin splints while running is the worse pain in my life.
If you have them bad... It's really bad...
Shootemup89 holy boys I have shin splints rn... It hurts to stand lmao
Shin splints can be awful but whats helps me is going through the hole alphabet twice with your toes, so just spell out each letter with your toes, then run your hand down the shin rolling out the the muscle, and then if you can, ice em or take a cold shower and repeat.
i had them my first year that i ran track. very painful.
I got bad shin splints in football season which lead to a stress fracture, and I was playing on it which lead to my bone snapping in my shin so don't take it lightly
I fell in to a 6 foot dried up river bed during night navy in Benning
Lol I’ve fallen 6ft into mug during a night land nav course with no light and no moon 😄 it was terrible
Great vid - great advice. To add; some people aren't good runners, or aren't physically built to be good runners. Bad running/marching form (ie: heel-strike, toe runner, "glider", roll outward on the foot,etc.), bad body posture, & the like can be why they're getting hurt, too. Good to not only do some of that before it gets insane at basic; but also good advice to jump on a stationary bike as much as you can. This is what a lot of orthopedic docs use to rehab people that need to restrengthen knees, ankles, & hips after injuries/surgery. It not only "wakes up" the big muscles, but more importantly strengthens all the little muscles & gets the tendons & other soft-tissue stuff loosened up & use to doing some work - WITHOUT all the harsh punishing jarring that running puts on the joints.
Usually someone out of shape & with weaker muscles will modify their body/foot position or the action itself to try to make it "hurt less". This simply leads to more chance of injury. Get on a bike, use the toe straps (for a full circular motion of exercise for your legs {less chance of shin splints}), and simply spin - you don't need much resistance, what's more important is time on the bike. The longer you ride (like 45 min to an hour) at a medium to light pressure, is better than 15-20 minutes at high pressure - for developing & building all the little support muscles around the knee & ankle...with out the impact of running on them.
nonetheless - great vid, Matt - get prepared before you go is the key message here
My feet are like double layered cow leather. I run over 60 miles each week and do a lot of hiking in boots.
Zach Meyer teach me your ways sempai
Lol. Mate you are going to have some hardcore knee issues
@@Wangan300 If hes not resting enough, without a doubt, 60 miles a week? That's ridiculous.
My mom always said put some ice on it....
Me: Here we go again 😑😂
You can't always avoid getting injured in the military. My feet and hands were well conditioned before I went to basic. One time they woke us up in the middle night, yelling to get outside immediately. We were only in our underwear and socks, and they had us run down to the end of the road, and we stood on gravel for an extended period getting yelled at. After a while I looked down and realized I cut my foot bad, either on my bunk jumping down so fast, or when running, my sock was full of blood. Another guy was at the firing range, and the brass from the M-16 got stuck in his helmet strap, it left a permanent burn mark in his cheek.
Then there were the fist fights. One idiot messed with the wrong guy when he was sleeping. Turns out the guy who was sleeping... was a nationally ranked heavy weight wrestler, he slammed his head into the metal bed frame...repeatedly, leaving huge welts on his head. Good times.
Stephen Miller start working on what you say. Derogatory remarks are not acceptable. The military expects better and so should you.
@@Shaad93 stfu
For overall muscle strength, i think running or jogging could help you out. Just like the old times, you can run everywhere, don't care what other people see it, but i think running from one place to another can help you out for basic training.
Good socks help especially for ruck marches (Fox River Socks).
Radio thanks for the tip, not many youtubers talk about socks
I leave to Ft. Jackson in 27 days now. Going back through your videos give me some relief man. Thanks for the great, informational content!
Literally stumbled upon this page looking for information since I ship out in about 2 months. Great stuff brother appreciate it !
I want to thank you so much. Before your videos I was compiling notes from sources(semi-sketchy ones) I found around the internet. Now I can actually watch what I'm trying to learn and just study the videos. I'm not enlisting any time soon, due to the fact that I'm probably going to have surgery soon. Nothing serious, literally just surgery for my Ballsack(pesky varicocele). I was hoping to finish my preparations by Nov. but I guess my Health needs to come first as I really don't want a Medical Waiver, or the chance that it will worsen during BCT and ruin my chances at passing. So until my Recovery is over, or I get the green light, I shall binge watch your Channel and study for that damn ASVAB.
Best of luck, man. Thanks again.
All I gotta say is, your videos are extremely helpful and very enlightening. I am studying for my ASVAB right now and my wish or goal is for my MOS to be 11B/11X!
Before I go to basic I am gonna go and buy the exact type of boots issued and then I am gonna run and hike in them a lot to get used to it
Thanks for the tip. I leave for Army boot camp in May. The last thing I want is to get hurt in basic and then get medically disqualified. Good thing I exercise a lot.
I ship out to Ft Sill tomorrow. Matt, you are the most helpful resource in helping me prepare for BCT and AIT. Thanks man!
Son ships to Jackson in Tminus 43hrs after MEPS tomorrow-been devouring these vids like crazy over the last month or so-Thanks Matt Ward for making them-they've been LIFESAVERS!!!
Good job on the boot issue, I never had a problem with boots. We had two pair and they were alternated. They were black leather and they had to be superbly polished every day. Keep your boots tightly laced at all times that will help hold down ankle injuries as well.
Navy?
Thanks for this, I’m going to try to remember this
Tiffany Peterson Army
yep, blisters were my number enemy too. Didn't know about the nylon sock inside the wool. That really helps. I remember limping around like crazy. those boots sucked. I still made it though.
Your videos are great, man. Looking forward to enlisting!
I passed the ASVAB and I'm going to enlist on Friday. I'm glad I found this before I ship to basics☺
Thank you for all the advice that you are giving to everyone. It really helps when you are going through each step before enlisting, during the enlistment process, and even after. We all appreciate it so much.
Thanks, I'm glad you get something out of them!
It's helping me a lot. I'm actually working on getting back into shape so my enlistment process is easier.
23 July Fort Leanord Wood To Basic Training
Luis Ponce good luck.
Good video...Glad you put this information up. I would tell people this. But you putting it in the video is great.
Words to live by.
You'll be on your feet a lot.
And cushioned socks are a life saver
Thanks this helped a lot keep the videos coming
Of course!
Thanks for your tips I'm trying to learn as much as I can
Take your time and make sure you get boots that fit properly, I learned this the hard way. My boots were about 2 sizes too small, by the third week I had lacerations on the back of my heels down to the bone. Also I lost both my big toenails later on in the cycle from the pressure on my toes. I never quit and never went to sick call though. It was miserable but there was no way I was about to get recycled lol
rileydawg2013 y o u l o s t y o u r f u c k i n g t o e n a i l s ?
rileydawg2013 i call bullshit
Dad was in the Marines, has a missing second toenail and a fucked up fourth.
@@oceanman2394
Excuse me while I barf all over my room.
MyNamesJeff2013 lol nice bullshit story. Its stories like this that give military guys a bad name.
Hi I just started watching your channel and you inspired me to want to be in the army. Thank you for all these videos.
No worries here I got feet... foots... feet like a caveman. Good video your helping prepare lots of future soldiers.
+josh b lol thanks!
I hear that I had to problems with my feet going through basic. I went in with pretty thick clauses already on my feet from a lot of walking around bare foot on concrete.
Thanks mate im going to subscribe to your channel as im training in the NZ Army and running 5kms in 24mins carrying 11kgs every third day. 40x4 press ups each day and 100 curl ups every second day.
thanks man. your videos are very helpful!
Thanks!
I work alot I already got my blisters from cheap ass steel for shoes lol
dspicerj same here. I’m a construction worker
Your videos are so helpful thanks!
Shipping tomorrow, thanks for all the advice from the videos. Really appreciate it
Sorry I missed this but good luck to you bro!
Did you pass?
Jaxon Wright How did it go?
Jaxon Wright I think he failed
@@angelmakima LMAOOO
Literally started working out to prepare for basic. Ran/walked around 8 miles in three days. Immediately suffered knee pains.
I'm really glad I'm getting this out of the way now!
Well I ship tomorrow, I appreciate all the knowledge you dropped on your channel Mr. Ward and helped the fellow Future soldiers of America 🇺🇸
Good luck to you bro! I'm glad you got something out of what I have said.
Basic sucks in the moment, but looking back on it I enjoyed it, did some of the coolest things I've ever done in my life while I was there.
I'm at 20 miles a week. with a 45 lbs back pack. I Ship February 12. 42A with rasp and airborne. your video's are awesome and informative. I have literally watched this whole playlist forthe past few weeks😂😂😂🙏🙏🙏
Thank you, now I'm sure, my son will be home in 3 weeks after start of basic training, blister(in the best case). But if he really graduates, I will be really, really glad and surprised.
The younger the better! I was 19/20 and had youth on my side when I went through Infantry Ait at Benning 2/58, 1990. We were speed lace boots which sucked!
I ran to the point that my toenails started falling off and I have a blister scar that callased over I keep getting myself ready for a hell that may or may not happen thanks for the vid
Your the most helpful youtuber out there
Thanks man, I really really appreciate that!
The GrimReaper *you’re
The GrimReaper You're and *Opinion
Damien Strong Please.People blogging about their boring,garbage life is more helpful
@@shamahvisuals loser
When I first started running cross country right off the bat I got shin splints and two giant blisters on the whole front of my second toes and we were doin 12+ miles a week for the JV, and upwards of thirty for the varsity with two runs a day, really hard work outs and a race almost every week.
I've heard that a reason people get blisters is also because their boots don't fit correctly. My dad (former drill) said that no matter how much they try to push me along, the ONE PLACE I need to stand my ground at, is when you get fitted for boots. Even if they're your shoe size, if they slide anywhere after you put your boot on, they're not right and need to be replaced with another boot.
I still remember my battle buddy was my fire watch and bunkmate. P2C Williams noticed I had issues with sit ups and motivated me to do better every night before shower and I was his motivation for our 12 mile ruck March and we worked on our final exams thru out BUT at fort Jackson in 2008 and he got to meet my grandfather who final got his silver star from naum
shipping out in 5 days!! your videos have helped me so much!
Good luck!!!
One extra idea you can also add a softest material on the heels area and stitch it inside💡
Thank you sooooooo much!
Heading to fort Jackson on August 20 thanks for all your videos..
Been pushing shopping carts for a crappy Walmart for a while. Should be good. Basically 20-30 miles a shift.
In sweden we're issued tape for the feet which takes most of the blisters and we change socks often to reduce it further. They're really heavy on maintaining your feet here, wether it's a fetish or not. Rarely get blisters from the boots these days without tape though it's interesting how you shock your feet and force them to condition. Keep the content comming.
They give us moleskin but only if it's bad. After basic though you can get as much as you want and wear it anytime you go on a ruck march
I also want to thank you for your service..
Been watching your vids to get a good idea of what I'm getting myself into. Thanks for everything homie. Shipping Oct 23rd. 25B!!
Thanks man and awesome 25B!!! Lets go! haha
10 miles a week? For my preperation, i run 6 miles every night on my treadmill
My favorite combat boots which are the comfortable ones which are the only ones I really tried are the Deltas
I was informed by some former SOF guys that you should be running and rucking at least a combined 12-15 miles a week before basic, and if you are trying to go to RASP or SFAS, you should work your way up to over 30 a week.
Shipping out Feb 5th, Ft Leonard Wood, Missouri 31B, wish me luck. Also, I have very resilient feet, they'll adapt well I hope.
zacharyporter96 how was it I leave next week for OSUT for 31B
i would add two things that i ran into as did many others in my class 1) Stretch Alot like every night and morning. 2) Stress fractures i got these really bad and had to lie about my pain levels to not get recycled but make sure you don't run heel to toe you need to practice striking with the balls of your feet
Allow me to point out that the purpose of carrying a backpack high is to get its weight over your hips. The higher the pack is, then only a slight forward lean puts its weight over your hips. A related aside is using a waist belt (when available on a pack) puts the load on your hips rather than your shoulders and this is preferred.
I leave to benn in 2 days. I was completely fine a week ago but as the date gets closer the more fucking nervous I get.
how'd it go
peter it was easy. People just hype it up. If I could do basic again with everything I know now I would.
@@Gmoney0436 thank you so much for actually responding lmao ppl who leave comments like this usually never come back. and yeah thats what i figure but im not trying to let my guard down in case im underestimating it
peter naw man trust me it’s easy. It might be easier now idk. Been in for about 2.5 years and a lot has changed. So many rules now. Hopefully you get DS that are straight up infantry and only care about making you stronger and breaking you down physically and mentally. I’m not saying it to give you bad luck or anything. I’m just saying it because the last soldier we got in our unit was a complete shitbag. He even RTT in a training event. Ended up getting chaptered out. Just don’t be a pussy man and you’ll be good. Don’t be a DS pet either. Nobody likes those.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
My Basic was years ago, the only hurt I remember was My whole body being in pain the first few days, kind of like when I was a Kid and started Football Practice! Soreness and more soreness. But I felt so much better at the end of the first week
When i was in basic i had collapseing arch in my foot. My drill told us during or ftx to change our socks each day also he gave us a hint. Wear ur dress socks under ur normal socks.
Darrell Mailes double sock trick worked for me! Definitely saved me from blisters!
When you get a chance to shop before basic training get insoles, dr sholes or some other type of gel comfort. Also the boots need time to fit your feet. Arch supports should be considered as well.
I just got out of benning last month. Go in the winter lol, that place is hot hot hot.
Luke Walter not even that bad I went through basic in June and July
I am one for style: I know it's less on the subject.. just working full time retail, I found my Carhartt boots are nice.. Cabela's are easy more supportive also.. skechers are nice, yet ruined my toes, red and blisters.. trying to wear boots more, 🤷♂️😃♥️
Hey! First off thank you for all of the help in your videos, as it stands right now I'll be shipping out next June, and something I would like to know is if there are any other workouts you recommend to get ready for Bootcamp. Besides the obvious, Sit ups, Push Ups, Running, Any other machine related workouts you suggest? Thank you again for all the help you give everyone with these videos.
Andrew pull-ups build up that strength. I know it's not the usmc but trust me it helps
In the future I will make more and more workout videos. I am currently starting with the basics but I will get more advanced as I go. So stay tuned
Just be prepared to suck everything will be built up as you go it’s gonna be hot
I used two socks on top of each other. Then the feet do not shear against the boot but the socks are shearing against each other. If possible, it is good to have a soft sock that penetrates water easily against your skin. So you can change the upper sock during breaks and keep your feet dry. This is especially important in cold climate.
Exactly. Wish I had this video 32 years ago. Make sure your boots fit and are broke in. Make sure they dont dig into the back of your ankle or foot. Wash and change into clean socks regularly. Pack extra clean socks when going on bivouac. Don't know if they still use those scratchy wool socks, but it seems some soft cotton socks would be better, even if they have to be worn under the standard issue socks. Had the most painful sores ever and could barely walk. Took weeks to heal.
Pro tip, walk barefoot on hot asphalt or rocks, get your feet calloused up.
at the tine i writw this comment im studying for my GED, hoping to take it within the next month or two. After that and i get it, im enlisting for Army National Guard.
My feet (especially my big toes) are heavily calloused. Only problem area i might have is my ankles, but im sure i can prepare to prevent ankle blisters.
The reason i say callous up your feet is to make them more durable. It may be annoying but it saves a lot of pain, and i know from experience. Havnt had a blister on my feet in years and i take regular walks either barefoot or in my socks.
Cool poster man! Love Modern Warfare!
That thumbnail though 😱
I was in Kenya for a while and when we hiked I would always fall, then pop right back up. Another girl fell once and twisted her ankle right away and always got blisters. The issue- she kept her boots loose, I tied mine up properly.
I twist my ankles seemingly constantly....
:/
Duglife Buy ankle supports.
Here I thought I was the only one! I wasn’t used to the lift on the boots. I remember twisting my ankles on rucksack marches and my battle buddy watching my ankles twist in and out behind me...
If you injure your ankle in basic training what happens next? Will you be kicked out
Gloria Benson It honestly depends... there have been people who were sent home for recovery then recycled into a new training battalion. Others continued training but on a profile.
One of the best ways to avoid getting blisters is wearing 2 pairs of socks. With the first pair inside out. This helped me out a lot during basic training. But my feet still hurt for the fist week or two breaking in the boots.
For future reference... that’s a really REALLY bad idea
I'm preparing for basic training, when I run outside of track practice ( I joined mostly for training) I jog barefoot
Ship out January 2nd for military police , been nervous about basic and this video was very very helpful so thank you!!!
You're welcome!
Good luck too you sister✌️
Ha the mp osut Barack’s are near me have fun with that shit I’ll still be here when you graduate
I ship jan 2nd for ft leonardwood for mp also. see you there! shipping out from socal meps
Makayla Arce OPSEC guys, don't post your ship dates.
Shipping on October 30th to Fort Sill and you’ve been so helpful. Thank you for these videos !!
Me too
Go for it
I went to fort sill as well.
Bravo battery 1-40th
I think you'll have fun because you don't have to do some stuff so they have to make up for it with other things.
Lauran Leader I hope you’re home fam. Hooah
Tell us how it goes!
Lmaooo buy some army boots and run in them and be more prepared 😂😂😂😂😂
You're not actually allowed to bring your own boots to basic training you would have to throw them away
Gaming for You he's talking about getting the feel of the boot, not bringing your own
Gaming For You Games can really lower your IQ. XD
Lol I don't have money to blow
Where can one buy army boots?
Also a Great tip would be to only wash your socks with clear hot Water. No Cleaning Agent or softener or anything. The slightest resedue in the socks combined with the Sweat from your Foot and this Stuff Turns basicly into Acid. Greetings from Germany soldier a.d.
Can u make a video of how exactly get a proper fitted boot on? Because I dont want my feet injured.
Do they check watches?Trynna keep my Garmin for pacing
This really helped me I leave for basic this month ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Jada Coleman Good luck, Basic isn't all that bad, just listen to your Drill Sergeants and keep up with your PT and you'll do just fine
How'd you do finna leave in a few weeks lmk on IG @imtaae need advice more
hopefully ill be there next year
@@Whitbrow real smooth
@@Whitbrow Mission failed, we'll get em next time.
Another tip for ankle issues is to work on beefing up your ankles. Like do ankle stretching and flexibility training. The more stable the ankle is, the least likely you will have long lasting injury.
After our road march, one of my feet was a blister. Basically the entire sole. It's what happens walking 21 miles through water and crap under pressure cause the messhall would be closed for dinner... Was forced to go to sick call. That was an unpleasant experience! Banished to the tennis shoe profile... Ft Dix summer 1990
When we rucked (we weren't supposed to ) my battle buddy and I double socked and wore bandages on our feet.. never got blisters 👍
Shipping out in June 💪🏻
Preston Aubut same 19D
I wish this video was around before i went into basic training.
I wanna join in the next year and a half. I've been training for a few weeks by now. Running 2 miles every other day to work my way up to a better speed and longer distance. Doing body weight training which has been a bit difficult since I'm overweight and have weak joints so I'm trying to build muscle around my joints to keep them safe. I'm also finally starting to eat better. I used to hardly eat anything and when I did eat, it was mostly just carbs. And I'm trying to get to sleep at a better time. I've got a long way to go to be fit enough to join without injuring myself but I'm gonna keep pushing until I get there!!!
good thing i ran track and love hiking
I suggest that recruits should get used to long walks before going to basic. I went through Air Force basic training and by week 4 developed bursitis in both knees -- that's fluid accumulated in the knee joints, causing serious pain. Reported to sick call, where they injected cortisone under the kneecaps to reduce swelling. Got a 5-day duty excuse -- no running, no marching, no prolonged standing. Reported to CQ while my flight (platoon) went off to the obstacle course.
My training instructor talked with me privately. Said I was doing well up to that point. But the duty excuse is considered a direct order that must be followed. He said if I can catch up physically with the flight after five days, I should pass the PT program, especially running the mile & a half. And I did, with no setbacks.
Hey, you didn't mention taping your feet. I believe that's a common practice used to avoid blisters and wounds on your feet. About the rucksack, I've read many times that it's a good idea to practice walking with one before going to basic training; you simply take a backpack and put weights in it - start with a little and then increase the weight - and walk; that way your body will get used to it, and won't get overstrained when you're in basic training, hopefully.