Pace count

[BEOWULF81]

I've searched and couldn't find the answer...

1.)When Rucking up a hill the advice has been to "zig-zag" in order to save energy, how does one maintain proper pace count while doing this.

Thanks for any info,
Beowulf

[longrange1947]

Practice and averaging. No pace count is exact. That is why you do a practice pace count over varied terrain and then divide your count by the total distance. As an example, in Panama we used a 400 meter pace count box that went over varied terrain. We would then count the distance and then divide by 4 to get the average 100 meter pace count.

OR you can beat one guy to death by walking him straight up and gettting his pace count and then changing over to a new guy as he rests and loafs in the middle someplace.

Just a thought.

[Lurch]

A pace count is mainly for flat terrain. If you have hills or mountains big enough to worry about you should be using terrain association and some pace counts

[longrange1947]

Agree with terrain association but pace count must be maintained. An area that is dense will have maps made by over head photography. Add a conture interval of 10 to20 meters and you will find ridges on the ground that is not on the map. Same with streams that are small enough that vegetation can grow over them. The stream is not on the map. This means that you must be able to associate terrain that is not on the map and not count that bit of information. A pace count helps keep the human mind from saying that you just MUST be there. Terrible thing that mind, it will talk you into the damdest things :D

Learn you pace over varied ground and combine it with terrain association and you will be fine. If you are in mountain then get an altermeter and contur the dam mountain :D

[cj]

Concur. Pace count, compass reading and terrain association are all used in tandem to verify location and to avoid that crazy mind thing. If utilized properly, this techique allows you to move from point a to point b with optimal confidence. However, if any aspect of the technique is minimized or not used, you will be lost since most maps are less than perfect and your tired mind will allow you to make serious miscalculations. The elements of navigating are exacltly like using the instructions in Yahoo Maps. Drive north x amount of miles and make a left at y street. If any of those elements are wrong or not utilized properly you will get lost.

Furthermore, depending on the size of the element in movement, all of the techniques will have at least two patrol members verifying: pace count, compass reading and checking off terrain features. Certainly if you are solo you have to perform all three techniques.

Finally, the most common problem confronted by a patrol is to move too fast and not to verify and reverify on a constant basis. It's not necessarily how fast you move its how smart you move. Many variables impact the movement: terrain, intel, distance, size of the element, night or day...etc. However, always keep in mind that the mission can only be succesfully completed if you get to your objective within the time frame alloted for the movement and in a condition to accomplish the mission.

[cj]

The Duke taught this lesson well in the movie, "The Searchers." My favorite movie!!!

Rember the scene where the Rangers are out searching for a war party and they find a slaughtered bull. The kid wants to immediately race back to the ranch to get to the family, in fact he does take off. However, the Duke, rests his horse and later passes the kid because the kid's horse was dead from exhaustion.

Thus the lesson from the Duke; its not how fast you move, its how smart you move.

[cj]

.

[Lurch]

Originally posted by longrange1947
If you are in mountain then get an altermeter and contur the dam mountain :D
I’ve never used an altimeter for land nav but I have buddies that really like them
And I guess I’ve been lucky I hardly ever use a pace count in the mountains and never got lost, but a stream did fuck me and my sniper buddy at Benning, it took us about an hour to recover.

[Bravo_One_Three]

Mountains + Pace Count + Map/Compass = Resection.

Fire off a resection if you can't afford to have your count off by too much. you can start counting again once you get to either the down slope or the base of the hill on the reverse slope. It will allow you to correct for any messed up counts you've had during your movement.

Please note that this does assume that you've got sufficient reference points to shoot a resection, and all the other conditions you need to do it are met (light, time, tactical considerations etc...)

Any of you guys ever send a new Pfc out to shoot a resection at night? You can almost see thier heads explode trying to figure it out :D

[Matchanu]

GPS man.:D

Hey, how do you do a pace count when you keep stumbling over your fat fucking feet, hahahaha.

Just kidding.

[Sneaky SF Dude]

Just move to contact and don't worry about where you are.

[Ranger275]

Originally posted by Sneaky SF Dude
Just move to contact and don't worry about where you are.

Blaahahahaaa! Are you sure you were never in a Ranger Bn?:D

[Sneaky SF Dude]

Originally posted by Ruffner275
Blaahahahaaa! Are you sure you were never in a Ranger Bn?:D

:D