After recently cleaning the All Day Ruckoff gym we stumbled upon a large number of ruck plates… which include one of each size that GORUCK produces. Ruck Plates are one of my favorite inventions and I think it’s mentioned in the “Securing GORUCK Ruck Plates” post that I exclusively use Ruck Plates now due to their size to weight ratio. Gone are the days that 80% of your pack is filled with six bricks! They are very compact and fit perfectly in the GORUCK Rucker (our review).
In this post we’ll be comparing ruck plate sizes so you can judge how they look next to each other as well as how they fit in a GORUCK Rucker 1.0
.
Ruck Plate Comparison
Here’s the big comparison… hopefully you find at least one part of it useful. For those curious here’s the time frame that the GORUCK Ruck Plates were released in as they were not all released at the same time. Originally the 10 lb, 20 lb Expert, and 30 lb Expert were released… although they did not have the name Expert tied to them at the time. Then, the 45 lb ruck plate was released and finally the 20 lb Standard and 30 lb Standard plates were launched. When those two plates were created the previous 20 lb and 30 lb plates received the title “Expert” in their product name to differentiate them form the newer plates.
From using all of these plates I can say that I personally feel the 20 lb Standard and 30 lb Standard have a better use of space for rucking. They’re thinner and wider so they distribute the weight across your back more evenly and take up less of the depth of your pack. Of course that’s all preference but it’s what I’ve noticed.
10 lb vs 20 lb Expert
Starting off with the 10 lb Ruck Plate and the 20 lb Expert Plate. As you can see the handle size is the same on both and the 10 lb plate is (surprise) half the size of the 20 lb plate.
The width of the plates are identical which you’d also expect due to the sizing. The 10 lb plate is the least used plate in the gym. The only times it comes out are when: someone is very new to rucking, someone wants a little extra weight, someone is under 150 lbs and needs to borrow it for a GORUCK Light.
20 lb Expert vs 20 lb Standard
Here we’ve got the 20 lb Expert (right) next to the 20 lb Standard (left). You can see that the expert is wider and shorter while the standard is taller and skinnier. The new Standard plate is designed to fit into a Bullet Ruck so if you’re under 150 lbs you can rock that at a GORUCK Tough or if you’re over 150 you can rock it at a GORUCK Light.
Interestingly enough the thickness of the plates are nearly identical… with the expert being a few hundredths of an inch thicker.
30 lb Expert vs 30 lb Standard
The 30 lb Expert (right) is shorter (noticing a trend?) than its 30 lb Standard counterpart…
… and as expected it’s much thicker.
30 lb Standard vs 45 lb Standard
The 45 lb Standard plate is a beast of a weight. Although it appears to be roughly the same size as the 30 lb Standard Plate there is a clear difference in…
… thickness. The 45 lb plate is much thicker than the 30 lb Standard. This makes complete sense because those extra 15 lbs have to come from somewhere!
Here’s the 30 lb plate sitting directly on top of the 45 lb plate… it’s hard to tell the 45 lb is even in the picture at all.
Ruck Plates in Rucker 1.0
The way the weight plates fit inside your pack is very important. If the weight is too low then you’ll feel it more on your lower back so we always recommend keeping the weight as high as possible. Here’s how all of the ruck plates sit by default in a 21 liter (current version) Rucker.
10 lb Ruck Plate
Can you even tell it’s there? We can’t.
20 lb Expert Ruck Plate
It hardly peaks out through the top of the sleeve.
30 lb Expert Ruck Plate
Very similar to the 20 lb Expert plate it hardly peaks out the top.
20 lb Standard Ruck Plate
The 20 lb Standard sticks well out of the top of the ruck plate holder which means it does a better job raising some of that weight.
30 lb Standard Ruck Plate
The 30 lb Standard sticks well out of the top of the ruck plate holder which means it also does a better job raising some of that weight off of your lower back.
45 lb Standard Ruck Plate
The 45 lb plate is a BEAST of a plate and takes up nearly the entire back of the Rucker. This is, in a way, nice because it at least distributes those 45 lbs over your entire back instead of lumping it all in one location.
Ruck Plate Usage
When it comes to using the Ruck Plates we have a preference. To us… it’s easier to ruck with the standard line of ruck plates (right out of the box) and then use the expert plates for PT and kettle bell style exercises. If you’re willing to do some work to raise your weight then the expert plates could be better for rucking as you can get more of their weight higher on the back. At that point, however, 30 lbs is 30 lbs and there probably won’t be much of a difference in feeling. The important part is just getting as much of it off your lower back as possible.
Do you have a preference between the two styles of ruck plates? Let us know… we’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Rob says
According to GoRuck, and the “Rucker 2.0″….”Updated with an Interior D-Ring and elevated Ruck Plate Pocket, the Rucker® securely holds 20 LB and 30 LB Expert Ruck Plates high on your back. Other Ruck Plates will fit in the interior elastic pocket, but will not be secure and are not recommended.”
I saw your images. Is this the same bag? Do only the expert plates fit this bag?
Thanks
Brian Lohr says
Hey Rob,
The pictures above are for the Rucker 1.0. The Rucker 2.0, which is what is currently on GORUCK’s website, only accepts the Expert Plates in the elevated ruck pocket. We have a video and post in the works for the GORUCK Ruck Plates and the Rucker 2.0… you can put the non-expert plates in the elastic pocket but they won’t fit in the elevated pouch.
Hope that helps!
Rob says
makes sense now. thanks
Andy K says
Trying to decide on standard 30 vs expert for an original rucker. I normally use a standard 20+10 strapped together for Challenge but hate the top-heavy and shifting of the 10.
Brian Lohr says
That’s a tough one. I prefer the standard 30 lb plate in the original Rucker but the expert will definitely work in the 1.0 and it will be there for you if you ever do end up with a Rucker 2.0.
Is there a way to strap the 10 lb and 20 lb together to make it less top-heavy? Maybe strap the 10 lb on halfway through the 20 lb? I’m sure you’ve tried a few different variations but figured I’d ask.
John Be says
There’s a mistake in this article. Where it mentions several times the 30lbs Expert plate as compared to the 45lbs Standard plate – it should say 30lbs Standard plate as compared to the 45lbs Standard plate. The expert 30 is much squatter and fatter than the standard 30 which is more close in size to the 45lbs.
30 lb Expert vs 45 lb Standard
Brian Lohr says
Thanks John! Just got that updated and fixed. You’re absolutely right, the comparison is between the 30 lb Standard and the 45 lb Standard. Thanks again!
Joe says
What combination of plates can fit in the Rucker? If you had a 45 in the main compartment, what plates would fit in the second? I have a Rucker and it seems like it may even be possible to get two 45’s in but I don’t have any ruck plates (yet) to try with. I’m planning on getting some plates but not sure what combinations would work to add as much weight as is reasonable for some shorter training rucks.
Brian Lohr says
You can definitely get two 45 lb plates in a Rucker 1.0!
Anthony Smith says
I too purchased one of the original 30lb plates when first released. I’ve rucked with it a lot and love it. I even gave one to a buddy for Christmas present. I agree much better than sand or bricks.
Anthony Smith says
I forgot to mention that I used it with my old GR1 with the cinch system. I would put it up high and sideways to get as much of the weight up high. Then support the bottom with a yoga block cut in half long ways. I’ve since switched to the newer Rucker and I miss the internal Molle. I wish goruck with include it with the Rucker. It would make sense.
F3_Stallion says
I have a 30# expert and I also had an extra 30# plate made to the specs of the standard by a local shop. I have done an event with the expert and another with the standard and I prefer to carry the standard on events. It used the GORUCK clinch system to secure the expert in the inner MOLLE of my GR1 and it had a decent comfort level, but the longer plate was just way more comfortable on my back. I have yet to try the expert with pool noodles attached though.
Brian Lohr says
I think by securing it to the MOLLE you’re getting enough of a benefit that the pool noodle would be a negligible difference in feeling. 30 lbs is 30 lbs but 30 lbs strapped in higher feels a lot better than 30 lbs sitting on your lower back :)
Thanks so much for the feedback on what you prefer for the expert vs “standard” when rucking!
DA says
Brian – have you found you prefer the 30# expert (with yoga block) or 30# standard for events? I have the yoga block already and am planning on buying a 30#. Just trying to figure if any material difference. Would love your thoughts.
Brian Lohr says
Going to be testing the 30# Standard this weekend at a Tough. Have only been training with it up until this point so I’ll hopefully be able to provide a better answer after that! From training I haven’t noticed too much of a difference between 30# standard and 30# expert + yoga block. I do notice a difference between 30# standard and 30# expert (no yoga block) though.
DA says
Curious your impressions of the 30# standard (vs. 30# expert + yoga block) after your recent Tough.
Brian Lohr says
Interestingly enough I think I prefer the yoga block + 30# expert. It’s nice having the yoga block sitting on your lower back instead of a ruck plate.
Michael says
Do you think even an inch of two of yoga block under a standard 30lb plate would help a bit?
Debating whether I go with a Rucker or stick with GR1 shooter and GoRuck’s new weight sleeves. I couldn’t get the pool noodle trick to work well enough in the laptop sleeve of the GR1.
Brian Lohr says
I think even an inch or two would help… anything to raise it a little off the lower back. I’m definitely interested in the new weight holder thing they’ve got going on in terms of how comfortable that fits into the laptop sleeve.