Start here: gear without the hype
You don’t need to buy anything to start. A snug backpack and a gallon water jug (8.3 lb) will carry you through your first month, and that month tells you what’s worth buying. When we review vests, rucks and shoes, we follow our published testing standard and say clearly when a product hasn’t been tested yet.
- Before you buy a vest: how heavy a weighted vest should be (start near 5% of body weight).
- Before you buy plates: use the ruck weight calculator so you don’t buy a plate you can’t use for months.
- Using what you own: the no-cost setup in how to start rucking after 35.
How we choose what to recommend
No brand can pay for a place in our reviews. We may earn a commission from some links, which never changes a rating; see our affiliate disclosure and editorial policy.
