Bushcraft films

[HillBill]

@HillBill

Running with your analogy and thoughts - whom are this unit ? and do they use aprons and axes when in the field?

Are the axes and aprons and super thick beards part of what they require to do their job on the current contemporary battle field?

Or is it something of a historic acknowledgment to their historical route and role?

< This is mostly a rhetorical question >


View attachment 99847

Pacing sticks for Tracking are different because they have no historic/military provenance as per Military parade ground pacing sticks. They are not the same.

As Falstaff said above, they are the Pioneers. That is their official Ceremonial uniform. The beard is also mandatory. They are the only unit in the Legion to be allowed a beard, it is part of the uniform.

 

[TeeDee]

As Falstaff said above, they are the Pioneers. That is their official Ceremonial uniform. The beard is also mandatory. They are the only unit in the Legion to be allowed a beard, it is part of the uniform.

Yes - sorry , I was / am aware of whom they are. I guess the point I was making wasn't as well presented as I could have done.

 

[HillBill]

Yes - sorry , I was / am aware of whom they are. I guess the point I was making wasn't as well presented as I could have done.

'note to self... must try harder when making a point'

But you'd be surprised. Tracking sticks, pacing sticks. They literally serve the same purpose. Stride length and steps per minute gives a certain distance over time. Us Brits (military wise) are trained to 120 steps per min. ( 4km per hour with a stride of 76cm Legion is 88 per min (also 76cm) (very hard to get your legs around after being trained at 120). Light troops (Light Infantry, Green jackets etc) are more in the 140 range, same stride length, but dont normally carry as much weight. This is more significant than you might think.

When a company is trained to walk a certain distance in a specific time... The planners can accurately gauge who will be where, and when. Hurry up and wait would be a fair way to describe Army, Legion 88 was always drill/ceremonial. We were doing 200 as standard if we were walking somewhere. March or Die... the Legions 2nd, unofficial motto. We were randomly up at 2 am running double marathons before we were allowed breakfast for gods sake. And none of us had had more than 2 hours kip. And it would be nearly midnight before we saw a mattress again (in barracks). They made a point of ensuring body fat was a luxury we would never see.

How far, how fast. The same purpose for both. (as well as hitting people round the back of the leg)

Prove me wrong....

 

[TeeDee]

'note to self... must try harder when making a point'

But you'd be surprised. Tracking sticks, pacing sticks. They literally serve the same purpose. Stride length and steps per minute gives a certain distance over time. Us Brits (military wise) are trained to 120 steps per min. ( 4km per hour with a stride of 76cm Legion is 88 per min (also 76cm) (very hard to get your legs around after being trained at 120). Light troops (Light Infantry, Green jackets etc) are more in the 140 range, same stride length, but dont normally carry as much weight. This is more significant than you might think.

When a company is trained to walk a certain distance in a specific time... The planners can accurately gauge who will be where, and when. Hurry up and wait would be a fair way to describe Army, Legion 88 was always drill/ceremonial. We were doing 200 as standard if we were walking somewhere. March or Die... the Legions 2nd, unofficial motto. We were randomly up at 2 am running double marathons before we were allowed breakfast for gods sake. And none of us had had more than 2 hours kip. And it would be nearly midnight before we saw a mattress again (in barracks). They made a point of ensuring body fat was a luxury we would never see.

How far, how fast. The same purpose for both. (as well as hitting people round the back of the leg)

Prove me wrong....

No - I don't need to do so.

I'm not getting drawn into this because you wish to do so.

The conversation started regarding Tracking sticks and you seem to wish to insert/conflate that with Pacing sticks and then tangent into anecdotal territory.


EDIT - As you've mentioned elsewhere people will argue about anything - which at times makes me think of the advice of Isambard Kingdom Brunel regarding Wrestling with Pigs.

 

[HillBill]

EDIT - As you've mentioned elsewhere people will argue about anything -

No we wont.