What do you eat/drink during a 12 mile ruck or more?

2018-07-16T12:07:26-04:00

I was talking to this guy from regiment and he told me that when he does a 12 mile ruck, he usually brings baby food with him to help boost his glucose level, so I wanted to know what other tips are out there.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2018 12:11 PM

2018-07-16T12:11:38-04:00

A Red bull 30 minutes prior and snickers marathon every 4 miles or so.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2018 12:13 PM

2018-07-16T12:13:05-04:00

Water. I never ate on a 25 mile march. Why would I want to carry baby food!?

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jul 16 at 2018 12:30 PM

2018-07-16T12:30:39-04:00

Water and Lifesavers.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2018 12:33 PM

2018-07-16T12:33:14-04:00

Gummy bears!!

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Jul 16 at 2018 12:50 PM

2018-07-16T12:50:07-04:00

Protein bars, and water.

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made Jul 16 at 2018 12:53 PM

2018-07-16T12:53:27-04:00

Water... That's it...

Response by CSM Eric Biggs made Jul 16 at 2018 3:24 PM

2018-07-16T15:24:26-04:00

Water, Copenhagen and your favorite hard candy.

Response by SGT Christopher Hayden made Jul 16 at 2018 6:33 PM

2018-07-16T18:33:32-04:00

Its more about what you eat and drink before, that effects you far more.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2018 6:57 PM

2018-07-16T18:57:50-04:00

I keep trail mix with chocolate, sometimes jerky.
If it's hot I'll bring ORS or else Gatorade.
12 miles isn't really far enough to warrant much more than some snacks.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2018 7:56 PM

2018-07-16T19:56:25-04:00

Squeezable apple sauce.

Response by SPC Gary Welch made Jul 17 at 2018 12:33 AM

2018-07-17T00:33:37-04:00

Eat a lot of carbs the night before

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2018 3:51 AM

2018-07-17T03:51:06-04:00

drip drop/water and gummy bears

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2018 9:44 AM

2018-07-17T09:44:55-04:00

pasta or other complex carbs the night before, augment electrolytes, hydrate

edit: lightly salted sunflower seeds for the calcium, but also something to snack on - maybe better for longer march, not too much salt though

Response by SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM made Jul 17 at 2018 11:03 AM

2018-07-17T11:03:43-04:00

water and JOLLY RANCHERS

Response by SGT Tony Clifford made Jul 17 at 2018 11:08 AM

2018-07-17T11:08:35-04:00

Water. 12 miles won't take you too long to finish. You can eat afterwards.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2018 11:41 AM

2018-07-17T11:41:14-04:00

I think you got your answer already, but I'll insert my opinion.

I never brought anything but water and gum on a ruck.

I mean, if it's an all day affair, and you're rucking out to do STX lanes of some sort, then you're going to need to bring something (or they'll probably provide it).

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Jul 17 at 2018 11:49 AM

2018-07-17T11:49:00-04:00

Have Dominoes deliver at the 5 or 6 mile mark and you're good to go.

Seriously though, load up on carbs (pasta perhaps?) the night before as others have written. Prior to the ruck, a protein bar, and on the ruck, I generally drank about 70% water and the rest Powerade so electrolytes weren't depleted by the end of it. Hydration is your friend.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Jul 17 at 2018 12:37 PM

2018-07-17T12:37:16-04:00

12 Mile, ok a short one- occasionally trail mix, most of the time tho, just water.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2018 1:28 PM

2018-07-17T13:28:40-04:00

Trail mix and jerkey. For the Bataan Death March which is 26.2 miles they give out fruit every two miles which is very helpful and also pickle juice is good.

Response by SPC Todd Rhoades made Sep 27 at 2018 3:06 AM

2018-09-27T03:06:56-04:00

Shouldn’t need anything but your canteens full of water, it only takes about 2:45 to cover 12.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2019 8:28 PM

2019-06-04T20:28:09-04:00

Water, Copenhagen and gummy bears

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Sep 25 at 2020 4:23 PM

2020-09-25T16:23:03-04:00

I would not eat anything that was not readily available in combat, I believe that is the primary reason for ticking 12 miles. In any case, water, light snacks out of an MRE is what I used to do, and limited my Soldiers to. A twelve mile ruck should be able to be completed well within 4 hours, so a whole lot of food/snack should not be necessary. What do you eat on a ten/twelve mile jog?

Response by SSG Robert Perrotto made Sep 25 at 2020 5:45 PM

2020-09-25T17:45:20-04:00

whenever I went on ruck marches, I took some nuts and squeezable apple sauce, along with plenty of water.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 25 at 2020 5:49 PM

2020-09-25T17:49:05-04:00

I used to carry Jolly Ranchers and put gatorade powder in my canteens (about 1/3 of what the directions say. Just enough to make water buffalo water palatable and a low dose of electrolytes. 12 miles isn't long enough I'd carry any food items.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 1 at 2021 5:32 AM

2021-03-01T05:32:21-05:00

In all my years in the Army, I never saw anyone bring more than water on 12 mile forced road march or EIB march. I don't even think it was allowed. If it weren't issued, you didn't take it.

Response by Maj John Bell made Mar 1 at 2021 7:19 AM

2021-03-01T07:19:45-05:00

For a 12 miler I just drink the water in my canteen. I might bring a pack of freeze dried apples but I probably wouldn't break it out for a 12 mile hump unless it there was a lot of cross compartment (hilly terrain) movement.

You should never put anything other than water in your canteen. Any sugary drinks in there and you'll eventually get a serious case of mold/fungus/muck that will ruin your entire day.

Response by SFC Jonathan Adams made Apr 29 at 2021 10:12 PM

2021-04-29T22:12:16-04:00

Copenhagen and all your canteens full