We dive deep into one of the most important questions in ruck training: how much weight should you carry?

You’ll hear:

• Why men and women tend to make different mistakes when choosing pack weight
• What military research says about safe load carriage and injury risk
• How thru-hikers are redefining what “smart weight” looks like on the trail
• Personal lessons from Lindsay’s evolution—from a 10 lb beginner to 40 lb competitor
• Practical tips and a weekly challenge to help you ruck smarter, not harder

💪 Your Weekly Challenge:

Step-by-step instructions to weigh yourself, assess your pack, and adjust intentionally for your goals. Bonus points if you share your loadout with the community!

📚 Sources & References:

• Easter, M. (2022). Two Percent with Michael Easter: How much weight should you ruck with? Substack Article
• Knapik, J. et al. (1990). Physiological, biomechanical and medical aspects of load carriage. Military Medicine, 155(3), 117–122.
• Orr, R. et al. (2011). Load carriage and its force impact. Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health, 19(3), 25–30.
• Hamonko, M. et al. (2011). Injuries Related to Hiking With a Pack During National Outdoor Leadership School Courses: A Risk Factor Analysis. Wilderness Environ Med, 22(1), 2–6. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2010.09.010

📩 Stay Connected:

• Subscribe to Just Ruck It on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you ruck and roll
• Follow Lindsay on Instagram: @JustRuckingIt
• Share your ruck weight and tag your post with #JustRuckItChallenge

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Life is Rucking Wonderful!