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Kettlebell Rucking

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Searching around when I first thought of it also saw some pretty cool looking handmade in Peru stuff but me, I'd go w/ the Patagonia if I was going to buy one
 
@North Coast Miller

Here are my thoughts/opinion on your predicament.

Mil Spec packs (I have used them all since the Alice Pack) are worse than what is commercially available, so do not go that route.

Apart from toughening up and embracing the suck, I believe there is a solution. I have had the same problem you are experiencing, I used to have bruising for days on long treks. This is how I solved it, and it works even when I carry loads in excess of 250lbs, except at that point my glutes feel like they are going to rip in half after about a mile. Anyway, I digress.
I am pretty certain that the load is not being properly distributed to your hips. Please refer to the awesome graphics I whipped up in about 10 seconds. Forgive the rudeness of the diagram. Most commercially available and mil spec packs, do not have IMO, proper load lifters. Look at the first bubble I drew, most load lifters do not actually lift the load sufficiently from the shoulder, thereby allowing the pelvic region to be the center of load bearing and power it was meant to be. Now the vector is not exact, as I stated, this was done in 10 sec, but that is generally the force vector that is being applied when the load lifters are too low. In layman's terms, it puts a lot of load on the shoulders, which hurts, sometimes a lot; and no matter how much I cinch my hip belt that vector is not changing. Then look at bubble two, if the lifter is elevated on the pack frame a couple inches the force vector changes (very roughly) to what is shown. This takes the pressure off the shoulders and puts it on the hips where it should be, and your shoulders will never be happier. When I made this change, it revolutionized my happiness when rucking. Just my two cents, hope it helps.
 

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Alaska80 said:
I am pretty certain that the load is not being properly distributed to your hips.
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100% agree. I've worn cheesy daypacks w/ funky worthless hip strap that made my entire torso hurt after about 10 minutes carrying a quart of water and some fruit! I also have a pretty good backpack I took my life in when moved to South America for 18 months. I had about 3/4 bodyweight in there (books, pullupbar, all kinds of crap) and walked a mile or more at a time up and down pretty steep hills on cobblestones, not being conditioned to rucking at all. The only issue was leg strength!
 
North Coast Miller said:
My straps dig in even with the hip properly supporting a great deal of the load and even with ongoing tweaks to the cross strap and overall length. Surface blood blisters and bruising are not uncommon as my loads reach excess of 70-80 lbs.
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I would agree with @Alaska80. In my limited experience (I've used three different packs at this point), a good hip belt is more important for shoulder health than good shoulder straps. My normal weight for anything under an hour duration is 65 pounds at a BW of 155. While I haven't had too many issues with tissue damage, a good hip belt is the difference between getting rucksack palsy or not for me. After the second time I had to deal with the tingling in my hands, I finally ponied up the money for decent external frame setup with a good hip belt (which actually cost less than $100). Essentially, I want my hips to keep the weight up, while my shoulders keep the weight from falling backwards.
 
To add just a bit more info. You need to make sure that the pack is appropriately sized to your frame (torso length). Quality modern packs come in multiple sizes with a given range of adjustment on the pack itself. No matter how much you adjust the various straps, if the pack is too small or too large for you, the comfort of an appropriately sized pack will never happen.
 
+1 for the hip straps and +1 for the load lifters. I got a good pack from REI last year and trained with up to 40 lbs in it. Tried 60 lbs a couple of times but that was too much for any mileage. Even with just 40 lbs, the load lifters made a huge difference in how the weight was distributed on the shoulders, back, and hips.
 
Rucking is fantastic. Your body is made for walking and adding weight just makes it a better exercise. Fantastic!
 
for basic rucking around for fitness, I don't use a hip belt. I first learned how to carry a pack as a kid using old USMC 782 gear, way before hip straps. I've credited that for being able to carry about anything anywhere pretty much my whole life. Simple and makes you work! With gradual loading and easy increases, your shoulders will adapt and your balance will get better and better.

When I trek or go backpacking, though, since late 80s, I'm all in for modern internal suspension packs- however, seeing the posts above reminded me how complex they are. If anyone's thinking about getting a nicer pack with shoulder lifts, etc., take some time to go to a great outdoors shop or find a friend who really knows how to fit and "drive" these packs. For example, I pretty much unconsciously adjust the shoulder lifts all the time, with even a small change in elevation or terrain. As @offwidth said above, loading them is also an art. Get a good backpacking or, better, mountaineering book, at least to start. Then, there's no substitute for wilderness!!
 
I'm not up on anything recent. Classics were The Complete Walker (III?), by Colin Fletcher, and Mountaineering, the Freedom of the Hills, by some Pacific NW coop, iirc. However, I've seen more recent editions of these books and didn't find them as readable or helpful. I haven't kept up with any books, etc. for a long time- so maybe others would know what's the current picks of the crop are. There's also probably a lot online, but like anything, you'd have to sift through it carefully. Good local store that has a loyal following of walkers, trekkers, climbers is probably the best source, outside of shooting the bull with people at high altitudes...
 
Hi, it’s my first post ever on any forum. Been following many of the conversations and this is one that raises some questions for me. There are some serious weights being carried here and I was just wondering about the adaptation effect you get - aerobic vs muscular endurance? Pace vs weight vs distance. Backpack wise - Montane or Mountain Equipment are fav brands.
 
offwidth said:
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With regard to loading a weighted vest - mine has 3 horizontal rows of 5 pouches front and back, each holding 1kg.

I’m typically only carrying 4-10kgs and usually load the top row first, equally front and back. This works well for doing calisthenics, but I’m wondering if there’s a better distribution for rucking.
 
fractal said:
With regard to loading a weighted vest - mine has 3 horizontal rows of 5 pouches front and back, each holding 1kg.

I’m typically only carrying 4-10kgs and usually load the top row first, equally front and back. This works well for doing calisthenics, but I’m wondering if there’s a better distribution for rucking.
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Acquire a pack. It’s a better tool for that job.
 
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