# Any female Straight Dopers strong enough to pick up & carry a 200 lb man 50 meters? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 6, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350 "2016-04-06T16:06:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/21 "2016-04-07T03:02:08Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > You do realize that most first aid courses strongly suggest not moving injured, unconscious people? In a burning building? ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/22 "2016-04-07T03:06:48Z")
> [@](#): > > In a burning building? I don’t go into burning buildings. I call the fire squad who have special clothing and training. We have a “society” for a reason. You do this, I do that. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/23 "2016-04-07T03:09:40Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > I’m not sure. I routinely carry 50 pound bags of livestock feed up a very steep hill, approximately 1/2 mile. Since I also own a) a tractor, b) a dog that can pull a car out of a ditch, and c) a cell phone, I can’t see any reason why I would even try to manually move a 200 pound man. You do realize that most first aid courses strongly suggest not moving injured, unconscious people? Way to fight the hypothetical. Btw, what kind of dog can pull a car out of a ditch?:eek: ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/24 "2016-04-07T03:22:39Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > I don’t go into burning buildings. I call the fire squad who have special clothing and training. We have a “society” for a reason. You do this, I do that. Conveniently the appearance of your username in the quote relieves me of any need to respond. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/25 "2016-04-07T03:24:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Btw, what kind of dog can pull a car out of a ditch? 100 pound bloodhound. She’s very versatile; in between using her amazing nose she does other stuff. A well-trained 40 pound pitbull could pull a car out of a ditch. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/26 "2016-04-07T03:29:47Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > I think I probably could. I’m pretty small, but I’m strong. Just a note: I think I could do this if I had a conscious, cooperative person to carry. Or someone to lift 200lbs of dead weight onto my shoulders. I doubt I could get an unconscious 200lb guy off the ground. Like **spamforbrains** , I carry 50lb feed sacks around routinely without struggle. I could definitely carry a 100lb sack on each shoulder for some moderate distance, but picking up a limp 200 pound body isn’t as easy as slinging a sack of grain over your shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/27 "2016-04-07T03:40:58Z")
Yeah, I was thinking about it some more and the weight isn’t the problem. It’s the lack of leverage. Have you ever tried to move a mattress? Weighs nothing, but it’s an impossible task. There is nothing to hold onto and it is large, wiggles and flops around, and does not cooperate. I’ve wrestled with 2000 pound animals and moving a mattress is far more difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/28 "2016-04-07T03:57:45Z")
I guess I could make him hold 9 bags of flour for a true test, but I tried this with my son. If he’s standing to start, I can easily put him on my shoulders and carry him across the living room in a fireman’s carry. If he is prone on the sofa, the carry isn’t bad, but I have a rough time standing up from that level. If he’s on the floor? I can’t lift to a standing position. 47, female, 5’7", ~ 145 pounds. In a high-adrenaline situation, there’s a good chance that I could lift and carry. But it’s the lift bit that’s harder these days. And I doubt that I could change planes with someone bigger than me - uphill or down - without a huge shot of adrenaline. I probably could have when younger. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/29 "2016-04-07T04:35:12Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > 100 pound bloodhound. She’s very versatile; in between using her amazing nose she does other stuff. A well-trained 40 pound pitbull could pull a car out of a ditch. I would not believe this unless I saw it with my own eyes. Do you have video of such a feat? ETA: googling turned up nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/30 "2016-04-07T06:52:50Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Yes, I can still do that. HAD done that in my 20’s to win a bet, now I’m a bit older. I’d risk getting hurt doing it because my joints aren’t what they used to be, but I still have the muscle for it, particularly in something like a fireman carry. > > In other words, I’d do it to save a life, but I’d no longer do it on a bet. A big ditto, here. I can pick up my husband and carry him a ways, on a lark (he’s 6’ and about 230 lbs) but I wouldn’t want to scoop him bonelessly off the ground without assistance. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/31 "2016-04-07T12:59:04Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I would not believe this unless I saw it with my own eyes. Do you have video of such a feat? > > ETA: googling turned up nothing. A cursory Google search of “dog pulls car” turns up multiple pages of results, including one marked “dog pulls car out of snowy ditch.” I didn’t view that one because my phone wouldn’t open it for some reason, but this one looks fairly legit: [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nPpR7DdxdK8](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nPpR7DdxdK8) ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/32 "2016-04-07T14:16:41Z")
Hmmm. I can deadlift and squat that much, but men are slipperier and lumpier than barbells. I’m not sure how that would change the equation. 😉 Once I got him on my shoulder, sure, no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/33 "2016-04-07T14:19:20Z")
> [@bobkitty](#): > > A cursory Google search of “dog pulls car” turns up multiple pages of results, including one marked “dog pulls car out of snowy ditch.” I didn’t view that one because my phone wouldn’t open it for some reason, but this one looks fairly legit: [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nPpR7DdxdK8](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nPpR7DdxdK8) Um, that wasn’t a video of a dog pulling a car out of a ditch. That was a video of a dog pulling a car on a smooth, flat, paved surface which is in no way similar to pulling a car out of an actual ditch. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/34 "2016-04-07T14:24:18Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > I don’t go into burning buildings. I call the fire squad who have special clothing and training. We have a “society” for a reason. You do this, I do that. Exactly. The OP is apparently seeking out female firemen (firewomen? firepeople?) while your specialty is apparently breeding dogs with super-strength. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/35 "2016-04-07T16:03:54Z")
Here’s some cooperative fireman’s carry examples. Female Soldiers [http://www.allenbwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/women-carry-600x400.jpg](http://www.allenbwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/women-carry-600x400.jpg) You’d better be friends for this one [![](https://www.colinmcnulty.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/crossfit-games-libby-200x300.jpg) ](https://www.colinmcnulty.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/crossfit-games-libby-200x300.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/36 "2016-04-07T16:07:23Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Exactly. The OP is apparently seeking out female firemen (firewomen? firepeople?) while your specialty is apparently breeding dogs with super-strength. [Here’s a dog pulling a huge load he’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuzxYxZyxFs)a lot bigger than 40 lbs though. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/37 "2016-04-07T19:22:20Z")
My 8lb cat can pull a car out of the ditch. It’s not that hard guys. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/38 "2016-04-07T20:37:50Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [Here’s a dog pulling a huge load he’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuzxYxZyxFs)a lot bigger than 40 lbs though. [This dog is about 40 lbs.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ0_3IZ0jk4&nohtml5=False) ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/39 "2016-04-08T02:41:30Z")
not my dogs, but this is typical for weight-pulling dogs: 40 lb. pitbulls can pull 5000+ pounds. Most cars weigh around 4000 pounds. I believe (not sure) the record-holder was an 80 pound dog that pulled 13,000 pounds. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JJ0_3IZ0jk4/maxresdefault.jpg "POUND FOR POUND WORLD'S STRONGEST DOG!!!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ0_3IZ0jk4) ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350/40 "2016-04-08T02:44:30Z")
back to the topic: I am quite sure I could drag an unconscious 200 pound man 50 meters at a pretty good clip. Sucks for him though if we have to go down some stairs. I’m still not going into a burning building. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-female-straight-dopers-strong-enough-to-pick-up-carry-a-200-lb-man-50-meters/751350.md?page=3)