My Rucking Setup (And It's Not A GoRuck)
Before anyone bashes me for not having a GoRuck, I actually bought the Rucker 5.0 and just found it super uncomfortable (and yes, I rucked with it for like 4 miles to try and break it in but I just couldn't do it because the shoulder straps left my shoulders red and sore). But I looked ALL OVER for an alternative, and also wanted more of a budget option. And this is no shade to Goruck, they're an awesome brand, and if I stick with this, I'm sure I'll eventually end up with one again in the future lol.
So after going to my local REI store (camping and outdoor store located in the US) I searched for hiking bags to try and see if something worked. And at REI, they have weighted bags at the backpack try on station, and I loaded it up with 25lbs to test out a few.
I finally ended up with an Osprey Talon 22. It cost $175 (but was able to use a $20 off coupon from REI) I'll attach some pics to maybe help someone out there, because damn, I wish I had someone help me to save a month of looking lol.
I went with the Talon 22 because it has :
- Great back ventilation
- Comfy shoulder straps
- Decent chest straps
- Comfy hip belt (with small storage)
- Load lifters on shoulder straps (to bring the bag closer to your back)
So.....what I did was pack 2 bigger towels on the bottom of the bag...that's it.
And then I went to Home Depot and bought a bag of play sand (less than $10 for a 40lb bag)
And then I found an old drawstring backpack
I then cut open the bag of sand and took out the amount I needed to end up with the correct amount I wanted to carry (40lb bag - 20lbs taken out = 20lb bag to ruck. I'm a newbie so I'm starting with 20lbs for now)
And then zip-tied the remaining 20lb bag of sand at the top so that it didn't spill all over the drawstring bag
I placed the 20lb bag of sand in the drawstring backpack (which makes is easy to also pull in and out of the osprey by just grabbing the drawstring bag in and out)
Hopefully this helps and inspires someone out there to use either a hiking backpack that you already own, or try out this Talon. I know it's not like....budget budget, but it's cheaper that many of the rucking bags out there.
*** I'm a newbie with rucking, so that's why I'm going light right now at 20lbs. And I also understand that I'm sure the max the Osprey Talon 22 holds is MAYBE 30-35lbs, but I thought this was a really good intro setup for someone out there that needs an idea.
You all have been awesome in this community, so much love!