16 rucking tips from the Two Percent community
Advice that will help you walk with weight better.
Post summary
I recently sent out a poll about rucking—and ~1,000 of you responded.
We’re featuring 16 of your best tips on walking with weight.
They’ll help you walk with weight better so you can have more fun and get fitter and healthier.
Housekeeping
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The post
I recently sent out a survey about rucking to Two Percent readers.
For those who don’t know, rucking is a military term for a very basic act: Walking with weight in a backpack. It’s spiked in popularity since 2021.
The act is uniquely beneficial because it combines strength and cardio, burns relatively more calories per mile, strengthens bones, improves metabolic health, gets you outside, and more. I published a deep dive into the many benefits of walking with weight here if you want to learn more.
One question in the survey was:
What are some tips that have helped you ruck better?
List anything that comes to mind. Nothing is too minor. Think outside the box. I'd like to hear everything.
Nearly 1,000 of you responded—and your answers were enlightening.
The survey gave me a good sense of what advice works for most people and opened my eyes to some great new tips.
Thanks to those who submitted answers. For each tip, I’ve quoted a couple representative responses and added my own thoughts.
Let’s roll into all 16 …
Use a hip belt
You said:
I've rucked with and without a hip belt. The hip belt seems to help with overall weight placement and comfort.
Having a waist-belt is so important, especially as you increase weight. The ability to shift where the weight sits, especially over long periods of time, is helpful.
Michael’s take: Some thinkers in the rucking space don’t recommend hip belts.
Many of you chimed in on this topic. Interestingly, only one person said “Don’t use the hip belt.” Many, many more of you preferred having access to a hip belt.
I use the hip belt often. Here’s why:
Hip belts allow you to shift the weight back and forth from your shoulders to your waist. This reduces fatigue and allows you to go farther.
They’re particularly useful for heavier loads because you can move the load to your hips, which are stronger than your shoulders.
I lash my dogs’ leashes to the hip belt, which frees my hands and makes dog walking much more enjoyable.
Some of you even added small accessory pockets to the hip belt, where you’d keep a phone, keys, snacks, etc.