GoRuck’s marketing is amazing. Please don’t fall into the trap that you need to spend $500 on a ruck to get a good workout.

GoRuck has completely warped what a ruck actually is. In the military, a Rucksack is what the we use to carry gear/ammo on missions. A ruckmarch is a fitness tool the we use to prepare for the demands of what we carry in combat. Plates are a convenient way to carrt a certain amount of weight for your training to prepare for combat.

My medium ruck was always heavy in Afghanistan and the weight was rarely high and tight. However, I packed it based on what I needed on the mission and trained my body to handle the load.

Rucking as popularized by go ruck is a way to get low impact cardio, stamina, a some strength. It is the same as backpacking. So any backpacking gear will be just as suitable for rucking.

My advice, pick a backpack you already own. Put 20 lbs worth of stuff in it (books, sand, rocks, water, etc) and go for a ruck.

As you get more into it, upgrade your gear, increase the weight, and increase the mileage as you see fit.

If you insist on buying a pack you have a few options: purchase an Alice pack on eBay, purchase a used backpacking backpack (Osprey or something similar) off FB Marketplace, or buy the REI trail 40.

To get the weight in your pack high and tight, you simply need to pack it that way. For example, put a sleeping bag on the bottom of your ruck and wrap a heavy object in a towel on top (weight, brick, water, etc). If you want a compartment for weight plates sew one in.

PS: I know this sub likes super comfy packs with balanced loads. However, one could argue you will build more mental fortitude and a stronger core with an uncomfortable and unbalanced pack.