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Other/Mixed Rucking with plates vs. kettlebell in backpack

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
TedM said:
Out of curiousity: I hear this, but the GoRuck bags do not have hip belts, and if i recall correctly, Al Ciampa's articles didn't advocate them - or sternum straps, for that matter.
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If you plan on carrying heavy (relative) loads then you will be glad you have a pack with a proper suspension system that includes a hip belt. If you also plan on negotiating somewhat technical terrain you will likewise value a sternum strap.
Caveat: I am talking about well designed and built packs, not ones that have these features as afterthoughts or for more or less cosmetic purposes.
 
TedM said:
Out of curiousity: I hear this, but the GoRuck bags do not have hip belts, and if i recall correctly, Al Ciampa's articles didn't advocate them - or sternum straps, for that matter.
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I suppose some of it is preference. I’m not sure why one would be against a hip bet. I can only speak from experience as an avid backpacker with some fairly serious mileage trips. If I remember my backpacking history correctly, the earliest packs did not have hip belts. There’s a reason why it is now a universal feature among all backpacking gear. Hip belts vastly increase comfort over long hikes and your waist/hip area is much more efficient at old bearing than your shoulders are. Also it seems to allow for faster movement as the bay is held more snuggly and does not bounce up and down. The only time I’m wary of a hip belt is during significant river crossings in which the possibility of losing your footing and getting swept downstream is very real. In which case you want to be able to get out of your pack quickly.

On a 35 day trip with very high mileage and through fairly rough conditions (the most intense days were multiple 16-20 miles a day in alpine or mountainous terrain with 60 pounds of gear), I actually lost so much weight that my hip belt was too loose, even tightened all the way. This resulted in my shoulders carrying the majority of the weight for at least a week. By the end, my shoulders, neck, and upper back were a mess and I wished that had a tighter belt.
 
Georgiaoutdoors said:
On a 35 day trip with very high mileage and through fairly rough conditions (the most intense days were multiple 16-20 miles a day in alpine or mountainous terrain with 60 pounds of gear),
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wow, did you have to do this, or did you want to?
What did you do for food/water?

I need to clarify: we are talking about apples and watermelons here. My rucking reference is up to 10 kilo up to 2 hours or so - just as an excercise adjunct when walking in the trails near home.

Obviously, your experience here is in a different category, and so my comments on hip belt, etc. are not relevant.
 
I also agree with @Georgiaoutdoors about river crossings in that I will undo both hip and sternum straps. Thankfully these are usually few and far between. And… one should never cross a suspect avalanche slope but if you ever need to also undo the straps and belt …
 
TedM said:
wow, did you have to do this, or did you want to?
What did you do for food/water?
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I wanted to. 35 days of backpacking in New Zealand. Fortunately we didn’t have to carry all our food. We were able to make it into a town occasionally to resupply. The longest though was 10-12 days between civilization. I think I carried 14 days of food, which adds up in weight quickly. Water was solved by a portable filter and finding rivers, streams, lakes and ponds.
 
On a related note, I have also enjoyed experimenting with combining rucking with Nordic walking. From my understanding Nordic walking will burn more calories and get higher heart rate for the same pace because it’s using more muscles including more use of core.
 
Georgiaoutdoors said:
I wanted to. 35 days of backpacking in New Zealand. Fortunately we didn’t have to carry all our food. We were able to make it into a town occasionally to resupply. The longest though was 10-12 days between civilization. I think I carried 14 days of food, which adds up in weight quickly. Water was solved by a portable filter and finding rivers, streams, lakes and ponds.
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Sounds amazing. My knowledge of New Zealand topography comes entirely from The Lord of the Rings
 
Oh man, just getting curious about rucking with a kettlebell. Dammit, should have kept the Styropor paddings when buying new Kettlebells. That would have done the job with weight distribution...
So I have to buy another one, lol
 
Chano77 said:
Oh man, just getting curious about rucking with a kettlebell. Dammit, should have kept the Styropor paddings when buying new Kettlebells. That would have done the job with weight distribution...
So I have to buy another one, lol
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Google

kettlebell backpack

and you'll find multiple offerings.

-S-
 
Hello,

Pillows or towel can be wrapped around bells or plates. I used this up to 50kg and there was no discomfort due to the "shape" of the weights I was carrying. However, the hip belt plays a very important when you start to ruck heavy or long (or both).

Plus, proper placement of the load is paramount as well... To low or two high will impair the gait pattern and also balance, especially on rough terrain.

For instance, if you start to ruck with a 24kg or more, during more than 1h, you'll be - IMHO - glad to have a suspension over the hips. Chest suspension may also be useful to release some tension as well.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
This one looks good, but I haven't tried it.

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As a guy trying to turn a side hobby into a small business, it's always encouraging to see new niche products being made and marketed.
 
sigmafloyd said:
Hi everyone. I spent most of last summer rucking with just my 35lb kettlebell in an old backpack. Worked great, felt great.

At the end of the summer I upgraded to a goruck setup with weight plates. I actually don't love the backpack and just prefer the KB approach.

Before just going all in on KB approach, I'm wondering if there are any downsides in terms of muscles used, weight distribution, etc, where carrying plate would produce better results than carrying the KB

thanks
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I have done this in the past with a 5.11 bag, Tactical Barbell had a conditioning workout known as Cannonball Run where you would ruck the KB and stop at time intervals to do different exercises. I wrapped a pillow around it which helped. Fun with the 16kg, but less fun once I bumped up to the 24kg due to the difficulty in keeping it high in the ruck.

GORUCK bags are great for rucking workouts and day trips with weight. Obviously for multi day trips you want something different because that’s not what they are designed for. I usually try to ruck as often as possible without the hip or sternum straps - on long ones or if I’m doing a shuffle, I’ll put them on. Also great to have both straps if you plan on doing PT with the ruck on - whack your head once doing ruck burpees, you will wish you had one.

I have rucked sand, bricks, and ruck plates for fitness. For me plates take up the least room and can be used as a workout tool itself so I prefer plates nowadays.
 
Thanks for the Tipps. Well, I am not able to spend that much money on a ruck,so I have to find a working workaround maybe with a used army backpack.
I have another question. Till now I was just walking with my 20k vest.
Are there advantages to have all the weight behind the axis vs balanced weight distribution front /back?
Thanks in advance
 
ALICE packs are often cheap online and do the job well, just make sure you get one with a frame and straps included. A ruck is different from a weighted vest but unless you’re training for a specific event involving a weighted backpack a weight vest works.
 
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