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You won't need water on a 1.5 mile run. Most people will cope fine with 45 mins running without water, lots will last longer, I don't consider carrying water for less than an hour. Its far more important to keep hydrated the rest of the day and rehydrate after your run, drink half litre just before you head out if you can.

Obviously if you do have it on the run then you may want to take it training to get used to the weight. I don't know if they do make you carry water or not.

Tom, i'm aiming to join asap would be nice to be in sept/oct time but don't know how quickly all the application business takes. Going to careers office wednesday hopefully will speed stuff up

It's good to see a thread for once with people "supporting" each other and not killing each other over the web.
Where you off on holiday Tom? I'm going to the Dominican Republic on Wednesday for two weeks then when I get back I'm starting to train, hope to start the application process off around October/November time, after my 18th.

sterion66 wrote:Tom, i'm aiming to join asap would be nice to be in sept/oct time but don't know how quickly all the application business takes. Going to careers office wednesday hopefully will speed stuff up

Thats great, Im going to try and get in a sooner one. I will have a travel up to my ACIO this week and let him no to get the application started around Nov/Dec time, I think it can take up to 6 months to get everything like the medical and the interviews sorted if it is slow but I heard on one occasion it only took 1 month from going to ACIO the first time and getting to ITC for training.

jabcrosshook wrote:It's good to see a thread for once with people "supporting" each other and not killing each other over the web.
Where you off on holiday Tom? I'm going to the Dominican Republic on Wednesday for two weeks then when I get back I'm starting to train, hope to start the application process off around October/November time, after my 18th.

That sounds nice mate, Im off to Gran Canaria (Puerto Rico) in 1 week, Staying for 2 weeks in a hotel. Its only a small island but its got a great nite life and is nice and relaxing during the day.

Thats great, Im going to try and get in a sooner one. I will have a travel up to my ACIO this week and let him no to get the application started around Nov/Dec time, I think it can take up to 6 months to get everything like the medical and the interviews sorted if it is slow but I heard on one occasion it only took 1 month from going to ACIO the first time and getting to ITC for training.

Im not sure about infantry but the application can take a long time. I started my Army application in May and im off to my RSC tomorrow. The part that took the longest for me was getting my medical form sorted out. This was a problem friends of mine have had as well. Make sure you get it right the first time!

Thanks for the advice

I would also like to point out the para training programme suggested in the book they send you is different to the one online. So have a look and see which one suits you best.

Mike

Do you have a link mate? I cant find the one online.

http://www.army.mod.uk/para/soldier_rec ... gramme.htm

Thats the online one, seems a bit tougher than the one in the book. Maybe that is just my point of view though could be wrong. 3 mile run completed today didnt time it just wanted to do it ready for the insight course.

Thanks mate It maybe the updated one, the one I got in the books was the 2005/06 one and on the website it is probabily the 07 update. When is your insight course date?

31st aug - 02 sep it should be but i haven't heard anything back yet

Yeah they will prob conact you neerer the date or something.

Maybe so, went down to AFCO today. The guy there was very helpful indeed. Unlike previous reports of people trying to push certain regiments this guy was pointing out the different things you could do. After he asked what i wanted to do he was also very helpful in supplying the information needed.

Mike

Thats good to know that you have a ACIO on your side for once, myne is a little dodgy they dont seem bothered in helping you much . My officer said come back when im up to fitness and he will start my application so its not all bad

You get water stops on the 10 & 20 milers, you carry water in webbing/bergan on the log, 2 miler & stretcher but don't get to drink it during the events (actually I don't know that for sure on stretcher since I wasn't there, but I imagine not). Steeplechase...well, you'll absorb plenty of water one way or another!

Though _chris is right about no water on a 1.5 miler BFT, the 45 minute thing depends very much on the heat. I'm running, tabbing & hiking around hills in Italy where it's 30'C in the shade atm, and the amount of water I need to go through is ridiculous - even on a short run or 5 mile tab (ie 55 min tab) I'll go through 3/4 of a litre, and another 3/4 immediately I get back to the house. Also, to give you an idea of the heat, that water bottle, even in the front pouch of my bergan, will heat up from ice cold to body temperature or above in under an hour. Acclimatising a little better now so need less, but no idea how lads out in Afghan carry enough water on patrols to get them through in 40-50'C heat.

Sarastro wrote:... the 45 minute thing depends very much on the heat. I'm running, tabbing & hiking around hills in Italy where it's 30'C in the shade atm, and the amount of water I need to go through is ridiculous...

Yeah thats fair enough, I was just giving a rough guide on average British temperatures, obviously on hot days or in hotter climates its a different thing, wasn't meant to be a set in stone guide. Walking round the South West Coast path last year during the heat wave was going through 8/9 litres in a days walk for the first few days, piss take carrying it all; so I know what you must be going through with it all. Fully agree though the lads in Afghan/Iraq must have it tough carrying all the water they'ld need in those temperatures.