A rucking backpack is only half the equation. The other half is what you put inside it — and that decision quietly shapes every walk you take. Load your pack well and the weight disappears into your hips, your posture stays tall, and 45 minutes flies by. Load it badly and you get a swinging brick between your shoulder blades, a sore lower back, and a reason to quit by week two.
The good news: you do not need to spend a dime to start. A bag of sand and some duct tape will get you rucking today. But there is a real difference between weight that works and weight that fights you, so here is exactly what to load into your ruck, what to skip, and how to pack it so it rides right.
What Can You Actually Put in a Rucking Backpack?
Anything dense, secure, and reasonably flat can weight a ruck. The three families most people use are purpose-built ruck plates, sealed sandbags, and household stand-ins like bricks, books, and water. They differ mainly on three things that decide whether a ruck feels good: how flat they sit against your back, how well they stay put, and how much they cost.
| Weight Source | Cost | Comfort | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruck plate (steel/cast) | $40–$90 | Excellent — flat, contoured | Regular ruckers who want set-and-go |
| Sandbag / DIY "ruck pill" | Under $10 | Very good — molds to your back | Beginners, cheap and adjustable weight |
| Bricks / pavers | ~$1–$3 each | OK — wrap the hard edges | Fixed weight on a zero budget |
| Bottled / jugged water | Free-ish | Good — but sloshes and shifts | Dumpable weight on long or hot rucks |
| Dumbbell / kettlebell | Already own it | Poor — round and awkward | Occasional use when it is all you have |
A loaded pack turns an ordinary walk into a real workout: rucking burns roughly 120–170 calories per mile on flat terrain, compared with about 80–100 for unweighted walking. But the calorie burn is driven by the amount of weight, not the type — so pick whatever you will actually carry consistently, and comfort wins. Let us go family by family.
Ruck Plates: The Purpose-Built Option
Ruck plates are flat rectangular weights — usually steel or cast iron with a rubber or powder coating — sized to slide into the internal sleeve of a dedicated ruck pack and sit flush against your spine. They are the closest thing rucking has to standard equipment, and if you ruck regularly they are worth the money.
Why people love them:
- They sit flat and high. A plate hugs the curve of your upper back, which is exactly where the weight belongs. Nothing pokes, nothing swings.
- They are set-and-go. Drop the plate in the sleeve, cinch the straps, walk out the door. No repacking, no shifting mid-ruck.
- They come in clean increments. Common sizes are 10, 20, 30, and 45 lbs, so you can add a known amount as you get stronger — the kind of progressive overload the complete weight guide is built around.
The trade-offs are cost and rigidity. A quality plate runs $40–$90, and because it is a fixed weight, jumping from a 20 to a 30 is a real step up rather than a gentle nudge. A common fix is to pair a 20 lb plate with a small sandbag or a few pounds of filler so you can fine-tune the load between plate sizes. Plates also generally require a pack with a plate sleeve; drop a bare steel plate into a school backpack and it will slide, list to one side, and eventually chew through the fabric.
You do not need plates to start rucking. You need them once rucking has become a habit and you are tired of repacking sand every time you want to add five pounds.
Sandbags: The Cheapest Thing That Actually Works
If plates are the convenient option, sandbags are the smart-cheap one. Sand is dense, moldable, and costs a few dollars for far more than you will ever carry. Because it conforms to your back and to the shape of the pack, a well-sealed sandbag can be more comfortable than a rigid plate — there are no hard edges at all.
The classic build is the "ruck pill":
- Fill a heavy-duty freezer bag or contractor bag with play sand to your target weight. A kitchen scale or bathroom scale keeps you honest.
- Squeeze out the air and seal it, then double-bag it so a puncture does not empty sand into your pack.
- Wrap the whole thing tightly in duct tape into a firm, brick-like "pill." The tighter you wrap, the less it shifts.
- Make two or three smaller pills rather than one giant one. Smaller units stack neatly against your back and let you adjust weight in small steps.
Sandbags are ideal for beginners because the weight is infinitely adjustable and nearly free. Want to add three pounds this week? Tape up another small pill. The main downsides are that sand can slowly work loose if you wrap it lazily, and a torn bag inside your pack is a genuinely annoying cleanup — so over-build it and inspect it now and then.
Household Weights: Bricks, Books, Water & Dumbbells
You almost certainly own something you can ruck with tonight. These stand-ins are not elegant, but they are proof that the barrier to starting is basically zero.
Bricks and pavers
A standard brick weighs about 4–5 lbs, so three or four gets a beginner into range. They are flat, which is good, but their corners are hard, which is not — wrap them in a towel or an old t-shirt and stack them vertically so the flat faces sit against your back. Landscaping pavers work the same way and come in heavier sizes.
Hardcover books
Underrated and genuinely comfortable. Books are flat, stack tightly, and mold into the pack like a soft plate. A stack of textbooks tucked into the top of a bag, padded with a towel, rides surprisingly well. The catch is weighing them — throw the stack on a bathroom scale so you actually know your load.
Water
Water weighs about 8.3 lbs per gallon, so a couple of jugs adds up fast. Its superpower is that it is dumpable: if a long or hot ruck turns south, you can pour some out and lighten the load on the spot. Its weakness is that it sloshes and shifts unless the container is completely full, so top off jugs to the brim and wedge them so they cannot move. For a deeper primer on training when it is warm, see how to ruck in the heat.
Dumbbells and kettlebells
They work when they are all you have, but round metal is the worst shape for your spine. A dumbbell wants to roll and a kettlebell wants to sag to the bottom of the pack, both pulling the load low and away from your back — the opposite of what you want. If you must, pad them heavily, wedge them high with a rolled towel, and keep the ruck short. Treat this as a bridge until you build a couple of sand pills.
Whatever you load, weigh it. "Feels like about 20" is how people end up rucking 12 lbs for a month and wondering why nothing is happening — or loading 35 on day one and tweaking a hip. A cheap scale is the most important rucking accessory nobody talks about.
How Should You Pack the Weight?
This is the part that matters more than which weight you chose. The single biggest comfort mistake in rucking is putting the load in the wrong place. Get the position right and even a cheap sandbag feels great.
Three rules cover almost everything:
- High, not low. The weight should sit up between your shoulder blades, near the top of the pack — not sagging at the bottom near your waist. A high load stays over your center of gravity and lets you walk tall. A low load drags the pack away from your body and forces you to lean back to counter it.
- Tight, not floating. The weight should be pinned flat against the panel closest to your back. Fill every gap around it with a towel, a hoodie, or foam so it cannot slide, drop, or swing while you move.
- Snug straps. Cinch the shoulder straps so the pack rides high and close. If your ruck bounces with each step, tighten up. A chest strap or hip belt, if your pack has one, keeps everything locked down on longer efforts.
Positioning is not just about comfort — it protects your back. A load that hangs low and loose tips your pelvis and rounds your shoulders, which is a fast route to the aches covered in our injury-prevention guide. Keep the weight high and tight and your rucking form largely takes care of itself.
How Much Weight Should Go In?
Whatever you are loading, start lighter than you think. The pack should challenge your legs and core, not punish your shoulders or spine. A simple bodyweight-based starting point:
| Stage | Load | Roughly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1–2 | 10–15 lbs | ~10% body weight | Should feel easy — you are conditioning your shoulders and feet |
| Weeks 3–6 | 15–25 lbs | ~10–15% body weight | Add weight only after form holds for the full walk |
| Ongoing | 20–35 lbs | ~15–20% body weight | Past this, add distance or hills instead of pounds |
This is the short version; the full progression, including how to match load to your goal, lives in how much weight you should ruck with. And once you are walking, the smartest way to know whether to add weight, distance, or pace is to track all three together — which is exactly what your Ruck Score measures, so you can see progress even on weeks the scale sits still.
What About a Weighted Vest Instead?
A reasonable question, since a vest skips the "what do I put in it" problem entirely. A weighted vest distributes load across your chest and back and sits close to your body, which many people find comfortable for shorter sessions. The trade-off is capacity and back-specific loading: vests top out lighter than a ruck, and rucking's signature posture and upper-back demand come specifically from carrying weight high on your back. Plenty of people do both. If you are weighing the two, our full breakdown of weighted vest walking covers where each one wins, and the broader complete guide to rucking puts it in context.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Loading the bottom of the pack. The most common beginner error. Weight belongs high, between your shoulder blades — not resting on your lumbar spine.
- Letting the weight float. An unsecured plate or bag that swings with each step trashes your posture and your patience. Pad the gaps and pin it flat.
- Guessing the weight. Weigh it. Every time you change the load, put it on a scale.
- Using a pack that cannot handle it. A flimsy daypack will blow a seam or dig its straps into your shoulders under 30 lbs. Match the load to the pack — see the rucking backpack buyer's guide.
- Going heavy on day one. Bare metal, 35 lbs, and zero conditioning is how new ruckers hurt themselves. Start light and build, especially if you are following the beginner's guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use to weight a rucking backpack?
Purpose-built ruck plates, sealed sandbags (DIY ruck pills), or household stand-ins like bricks, hardcover books, or bottled water. Plates sit flattest against your back and are the most convenient; sandbags are the cheapest option that still packs well. Whatever you choose, it should be flat or moldable, secured so it cannot shift, and packed high against your spine.
Are ruck plates worth it, or are sandbags fine?
For a beginner or anyone rucking a few times a week, a well-packed sandbag or a few towel-wrapped bricks work perfectly and cost almost nothing. Ruck plates earn their price once rucking is a regular habit: they are flat, contoured to your back, quick to load, and they do not shift mid-walk. Plates are a comfort-and-convenience upgrade, not a performance requirement.
How should I position the weight in my ruck?
Pack it high and tight against your back, roughly between your shoulder blades — not down at the bottom of the pack. A high, close load keeps you upright and lets your hips and legs carry the weight, while a low or floating load pulls your shoulders back and strains your lower back. Fill any empty space with a towel or clothing so nothing slides.
Can I use dumbbells or bricks in a backpack for rucking?
Yes, carefully. Bricks are cheap and flat but have hard edges — wrap them in a towel and stack them vertically against your back. Dumbbells and kettlebells work in a pinch but are round and awkward and can dig into your spine, so pad them well and cinch them high. A standard backpack also is not built for heavy metal, so keep the load modest and watch for strap and seam wear.
Know Exactly What You Are Carrying
However you load your pack, Ruckaroo turns your weight, distance, and pace into a real calorie burn and a Ruck Score you can watch climb — free on iOS and Android.
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