Loaded march

A loaded march is a relatively fast march over distance while carrying a load; it is a common military exercise.

A loaded march is known as a forced foot march in the US Army. Less formally, it is called a ruck march or rucking in the Canadian Armed Forces and the US Army (in reference to carrying a rucksack), a tab in British Army slang, a yomp in Royal Marines slang, stomping in Australian Army slang, and a hump in the slang of the United States Marine Corps.

As a civilian exercise, loaded marching comes under the category of hiking, although this includes activities not vigorous enough to be compared to loaded marching. Civilian activities analogous to loaded marches are popular in New Zealand, where they are organised by "tramping clubs".

In many countries, the ability to complete loaded marches is a core military skill, especially for infantry and special forces. Loaded marching is particularly important in Britain, where all soldiers must complete annual loaded march tests.

In certain climates, the use of loaded marches is limited, since they would result in high casualty rates through heat exhaustion.