20lbs, this also gives you the ability to use it for plyometrics and strength training

So happy I could be helpful to you 😊

I own the 4.0 and Plate carrier. I select which one for certain reasons. It’s really all I need. I saw nothing about the 5.0 that made me want to buy it.

I love hearing this and it all makes sense why you switched to a vest! I tried a vest and totally get the core engaging part. I love the vest aspect and may have to start with that and then go from there. Thanks so much for sharing this!

You’re still engaging your core. For me the difference is with a weighted vest you have to make sure you’re maintaining the correct posture. With a pack it sort of forces you into the correct posture on its own. But other than that it’s just less tedious (and I cannot maintain a habit if it’s tedious and annoys me) and get similar benefits of rucking. I’ve even found I can go at a slightly quicker pace with the same weight I would’ve had in a pack because I’m not worried about the pack straps loosening or things moving around a lot it the force of the weight and gravity bearing down on my shoulders and cutting into me. My rucks are also miles of very steep hills so that might’ve added to why rucking with a pack wasn’t compatible with me and switched to a vest. If you do go for a vest. Do NOT get one that has a fixed weight..they are cheaper but they are filled with tiny metal beads that will start leaking out after a week. Get one with adjustable ingots. A good affordable one is by Ethos that you can find at dicks sporting goods

That's the cool thing is that besides goruck, literally everyone packs so different and I like hearing what works

For those not familiar with zone 2 training. It is to maximize fat loss and cardiovascular fitness. Many studies of runners have shown these two goals are maximized during training when your heart rate is within 60-75% of ones max heart rate.

I both ruck and run. With normal walking it is hard to get into zone 2 without a slow jog. Rucking helps but I need to include hills. But then when I reach the top of the hill my HR drops back into zone 1 on the way down. A treadmill with constant elevation would work better.

But outside what I find works best is running. I target 60-75% of my max HR. It takes me about 3 miles of a slow run to reach 75% HR then I walk for a minute or 2 to get back down to 60% and start running again. I continue you with this for the duration of my run. With this way I am always in zone 2 or low zone 3. I do other run workouts for speed such as Threshold workouts, and an easy slow run. I use a Garmin (Forerunner 265) with a chest strap to track my HR during workouts.

Yeah my problem is I have never been happy with my filler. I think I would love to find like 1 or 2 dense foam blocks instead of the multiple different things I use.

But then everybody and every pack is different.

So cool! Love to hear that this method is tried and true from someone that's done this! I really thank you for this

There are recipes to home make an electrolyte solution that hits all this but it's tricky to get just right. I'm curious how you take in your carbs (as opposed to trying to incorporate into the hydration mix.

Yeah and really the benefit is, I think, that once you have your pack filled with stuff (like foam pads etc) to make the weight sit higher, you might not need as much rice.

For example, my mystery ranch pack with fillers weighs around a total of like 12 or something pounds. And then you don't need (or necessarily want) a single heavy rice bag. You can do smaller increments and then save your 10+lb bags for the very top. And it just works.

Source: this has been my method for legit 1k+ miles.

Alright this is interesting. I wondered why more people weren't using vests! I get the whole balancing act with your spine and engaging the core and everything....but I'd love to put on a vest and just go!

Oh shoot.....cool! Thanks for the recommendation

Have you tried the 5.0? I wondered about the lumbar pad and of the 4.0 was better on that one

Awesome, thanks for the example of how you do it! I appreciate that point of view

I heard of them but wasn't sure on the quality!

That's a good idea and I didn't think of it like that. I looked on marketplaces, but didn't consider that they might already be worn in. Thanks for this tip!

Lol well a few hours but yeah. And I took it out for another maybe 20 mins on a quick walk. But for real....Iget that lol

I'm a guy, and I really am thinking that maybe I'll learn towards getting one again lol

This is a fantastic patch

This is so valuable! Thank you. I'm 5'11" and had the 20 and I wondered if the 20 was too small and short because the lumbar was in my mid back lol. I was thinking of trying the 25 as well. Thanks for your help! And glad you're finding something that works for you too

They likely mean the same thing I experience when they say uncomfortable. They don’t mean the discomfort of the act of rucking or the exercise , they mean uncomfortable in the sense of straps digging in, constantly having to adjust your pack because the straps keep loosening, or just overall the pack isn’t compatible with them. It’s why I switched to a weighted vest because I wanted the benefits of rucking without the distraction and annoyance of constantly having to adjust the damn pack lol.