Article Updates
- 8/5/2016
- With the introduction of the Ruck Plate we have released a new article titled “Choose Your GORUCK Weight” which is more up-to-date and complete than this post.
GORUCK now allows you to bring sandbags instead of bricks to their events which opens up a big debate on which to choose. I’ve trained extensively with bricks and sand and know that there are pros and cons to both… which is what brings about this article. Commence the big Sandy Brick debate!
The Weight
Bricks
If you buy your bricks from Home Depot or a similar store they’ll most likely weigh out to 5.5 pounds per brick. If you buy them from a specialty hardware store you may run into some that weigh as little as 4 pounds. GORUCK has stated that as long as the bricks weight between 4 and 6 pounds that you’ll be good to go… but we know that’s horse shit. Get bricks from Home Depot and train hard!
Pros
- Can weigh as little as 4 pounds per brick (but come on now buy real bricks…)
- Relatively cheap
- If secured to top of ruck creates a nice “shelf”
Cons
- Abrasive edges can puncture ruck/bladder
- Solid objects (won’t conform at all)
Check out my article on how to wrap bricks if you need any help with that.
Sand
Sand weighs what sand weighs. There’s no “cheater sand” available and the requirements are what they are. Keep in mind that you should pack sand as water-proof as possible because if it gets wet you’re going to have a bad time aka it’s going to retain water.
Pros
- Sand is virtually free (just find a beach and bring a bag)
- The sand bag can be sized differently so that they may fit better in your ruck
Cons
- If sand gets wet it will gain weight quickly
- Sand can lose its shape if not packed very securely
Check out my article on how to create a sandbag pill if you need assistance with that.
Event Requirements
I’ll post the weight requirements for sand and the equivalent weight requirements for Home Depot bricks and cheater bricks. I’ve marked the lightest in bold and have not included cheater bricks because cheater bricks will ALWAYS weigh less. Seems like sand is always the better bet unless you’re doing a GORUCK Challenge or GORUCK Heavy and weigh over 150 pounds. Here’s a handy dandy table if that helps you out with the info to back it up below.
| Weight/Event | Light | Challenge | Heavy |
| Less Than 150 Pounds | Sand | Sand | Sand |
| 150 Pounds or More | Sand | Bricks | Bricks |
GORUCK Light
Under 150 Pounds
Sand: 10 pounds
Bricks: 11 pounds
Cheater Bricks: 8 pounds
Over 150 Pounds
Sand: 20 pounds
Bricks: 22 pounds
Cheater Bricks: 16 pounds
GORUCK Challenge
Under 150 Pounds
Sand: 20 pounds
Bricks: 22 pounds
Cheater Bricks: 16 pounds
Over 150 Pounds
Sand: 40 pounds
Bricks: 33 pounds
Cheater Bricks: 24 pounds
GORUCK Heavy
Under 150 Pounds
Sand: 20 pounds
Bricks: 22 pounds
Cheater Bricks: 16 pounds
Over 150 Pounds
Sand: 40 pounds
Bricks: 33 pounds
Cheater Bricks: 24 pounds
Why does the difference in weight even matter? Why do you have to have 40 lbs of sand but only 33 of bricks? Doesn’t make sense to me.
It doesn’t make sense but it’s the requirements laid out by GORUCK. When given the option of 6 bricks (32 – 34 lbs) or 40 lbs of sand it’s helpful to know what the difference is.
New to the Goruck world and can’t find an answer to my question. Can you use lead weights instead? I’ve seen some Lyman lead weights that look considerably smaller than bricks and obviously wouldn’t be as abrasive.
That’s a tricky question but hopefully this answer will help. Lead weights are allowed at all HCL and Heavy events. At non-HCL events (normal challenges and lights) it’s up to Cadre discretion. Some allow it and some do not. The only way to know for sure is to ask them on the Facebook event page. I agree… lead weights take up a LOT less room and can definitely be more comfortable (and less abrasive).
Thank you, Brian. Maybe I’ll make both and carry the lead unless they say I can’t. :)
I’ve been using pea gravel in my two 20lb filler bags. The pea gravel conforms almost as well as sand, but does not hold water nor pack down in the bottom. Also has a side benefit of not being as messy as sand.
50lb bags of pea gravel are $4 at my local Lowe’s.
That seems like the way to go then… thanks for the advice! I’ll have to check out Lowe’s and pick up some pea gravel there.
Good stuff! I never bothered to weight these out (have only ever used solid bricks), but this is useful info.
As you know, sometimes it’s not the weight that kills you during a Challenge, but how it can be balanced against your center of gravity. For example, I’d rather carry a 60 lb. sandbag on my shoulders as a coupon than 30 lbs. of water in a military jug. That’s the primary reason I’m sticking with bricks: they don’t just sink to the bottom of your ruck like a sandbag. You have much more control regarding their positioning in your pack. This loadout has worked really well for me:
https://grtevolutions.com/balancing-the-load/
Love the set up! I completely agree… those water jugs can be a nightmare. I may have to give that foam pipe insulation a try… I bet it really helps out with bear crawls and protecting your head from the bricks.