The new rucksack is working well. Much more comfortable than the GoRuck. That chest strap makes all the difference.
Getting Older, Getting In Shape, and Rucking.
- Thread starter Sam Gamgee
- Start date
This rucking business is definately catching my attention. I don't have alot of time to take walks, but on weekends when I'm out with the family, throwing one of those on my back will add some excersise to the fun.
I’m keeping 40 lbs in mine and it seems like a good place to be for me. I don’t feel it in my shoulders or back but I do in my shins a bit. Seems odd but that’s where it strains me a little. But when I’m done with my walk/ruck it really does feel like I did something and took things to another level. I love it. Not going back to regular walks.
Just checking back in, sorry I missed the page earlier.
@AJL67 - Yes, these are most definitely head and shoulders above what the military issues, unless you were in an SF type group. The military purchases from the lowest bidder that can hit the timeline while maintaining Berry compliance. These rucks @Sam Gamgee is referencing are built with the end user in mind, comfort and durability typically being paramount.
Tons of money goes into R&D and the end result demonstrates that. While it’s never fun or comfortable to carry heavy and odd loads, it’s night and day with a serious company’s product vs. a run of the mill product. Think weight distribution across the bag and effective and efficient transfer from the pack to the human torso, pressure points, the effect of motion on the entire system, etc.
I can tell you, definitively, that the products are worth the cost and that the experience is far improved (read: less shitty) with a built-for-purpose ruck vs. a cheaper option.
@AJL67 - Yes, these are most definitely head and shoulders above what the military issues, unless you were in an SF type group. The military purchases from the lowest bidder that can hit the timeline while maintaining Berry compliance. These rucks @Sam Gamgee is referencing are built with the end user in mind, comfort and durability typically being paramount.
Tons of money goes into R&D and the end result demonstrates that. While it’s never fun or comfortable to carry heavy and odd loads, it’s night and day with a serious company’s product vs. a run of the mill product. Think weight distribution across the bag and effective and efficient transfer from the pack to the human torso, pressure points, the effect of motion on the entire system, etc.
I can tell you, definitively, that the products are worth the cost and that the experience is far improved (read: less shitty) with a built-for-purpose ruck vs. a cheaper option.
Well and they also aren’t actual ruck sacks with support frames and LBE gear, they are backpacks made to hold heavy weight is a specific spot for distribution.
The Agilite really clings to my back, and once it’s cinched up tight and the chest strap is in place, it’s super comfortable. The GoRuck sort of flopped around and sans chest strap never clung to me. I have no doubt some of GoRuck’s higher-end packs with the chest strap would though. I was getting some sternum/chest pain with the GoRuck since it constantly pulled my shoulders back: that’s totally gone with the Agilite.
I bought the Agilite mainly out of curiosity since it seems like a road-less-taken product. But I think I’ll keep it. It’s smaller and compact. Works really well.
Rucks are backpacks made to hold heavy weight in a specific spot for distribution.
I think you probably would have had similar shoulder/chest pain irrespective of the brand you’d chosen. I feel like that’s probably more related to the lack of chest strap and hip belt and I also think you were going to find a lot more comfort in a pack with a chest strap/hip belt, also irrespective of brand.
Once you get to a certain weight threshold, those two really help out. Even without the hip belt, just having a chest strap is a game changer, but keep an eye on your lower back, now, if you don’t have a waist belt.
I’d prefer to take brand-specific questions to PM’s.
But, before I can really say too much, you’d have to tell me what your intended use is. If you’re just wanting to carry a few items from the car to the office every day, a plastic grocery bag will work. If you need to routinely carry 100+ pounds and it’s an awkward load, you’ve narrowed it down to a handful of products across all brands.
Just for throwing weight in for strength training purposes, like Gamgee is doing.
FYI: I looked at the 5.11 pack and read some reviews on it. It looks like a nice piece of gear, but I personally try not to buy things (new things anyway) that are made in China. YMMV. From what I can tell, the 5.11 pack used to be made in Vietnam (like the less expensive GoRucks and Mystery Ranch bags). The Agilite is made in Israel. The higher-end GoRuck and MR stuff is USA-made.
I have a 5.11 Rush 12 pack that seems pretty rugged and durable. I'll have to see if its a Chinese or Vietnamese make. I might try throwing some plates in it to see if its comfortable with alot of weight.
I agree. China makes good stuff but I just don’t want any of it. That’s my personal preference. Listing the reasons why would get political so I will avoid.
And I more than likely agree with all of them. But, in case there are prospective buyers who don’t have any reservations about purchasing from Asia, I just wanted to point out that, at least with backpacks, there isn’t necessarily correlation between low quality and country of manufacture.
It should work for lugging around some weight on your back. Using whatever you already have (i.e. - FREE) is always better than anything else.
I got a tip from @BarrelProof that really helped me: stuff some old shirts in the bottom of the pack to get the weight up higher. I wouldn’t have known to do this but it was incredibly helpful and beneficial to get the pack loaded correctly on my back.
If rucking is to carry weight, then I think I'd look to a weighted vest rather than a backpack. Better center of gravity and less stress on your back. If I was backpacking, that wouldn't work. I don't know anything about rucking (had to look it up), but I love me some backpacking. In another life, I lived on a trail.