Let’s face it… ruck plates are the new standard for GORUCK events. They weigh the appropriate amount, they are relatively inexpensive, and they don’t take up much space in a pack. I have spent a lot of time with them and came up a carry solution that makes rucking with them easier. The goal of this article is to show you how I secure my ruck plate for rucking. I use a GORUCK Rucker but there’s no reason you couldn’t apply this to a similar pack.
Leading up to this article I had been tossing either a 20 lb or 30 lb ruck plate inside a GORUCK Rucker and simply hoped for the best. What I found was that the bottom edge of the ruck plate dug into my lower back. The solution I came up with, and present below, completely removes the lower back pain. I realize that not everyone experiences this but if you do then please give this a shot and let me know in the comments how it worked.
Issue
The issue I was experiencing was that the ruck plates would dig into my lower back causing some light discomfort when rucking. In addition, the weight was low in the pack which made it slightly more difficult to ruck with.
Solution
The solution I came up uses a yoga block to both remove the lower back pain and raise the weight in your pack.
Materials
To follow along with this solution you will need:
- Yoga Block (1): You will need one of these to raise the ruck plate.
- Sharp Cutting Object (1): You will need this to cut the yoga block in half.
- Ruck Plate (1): You need weight to raise and secure.
- Securing Straps (GR1 Only)
Steps
- Gather all of your materials
- Make sure your sharp cutting object is indeed sharp
- Trace a line around the yoga block based on the ruck plate width
- Cut the yoga block in half along the line
- Break yoga block apart
- Ensure height is acceptable
- Clean up mess
Using The Yoga Block
Now that you’ve made your franken-yoga-block it’s time to put it to good use!
GORUCK Rucker
I’ve used the GORUCK Rucker configuration in one GORUCK Tough event so far with awesome results. To use the Yoga block within the GORUCK Rucker just follow these two easy steps:
- Slide half yoga block into backpack
- Slide weight plate into ruck and secure
GORUCK GR1
I have not tested this configuration at a GORUCK event. However, if I were trying to elevate a Ruck Plate in a GR1 I would do the following:
- Gather the straps (more the merrier)
- Slide yoga block into GR1
- Weave straps through top row of webbing
- Weave straps over Ruck Plate and through second row of webbing
- Pull straps through
- Buckle straps together
- Slide second half of yoga block in to sleeve
- Complete!
As I mentioned before I have not tried this method at an event however I’d use it for a few reasons. First, by weaving multiple straps through the top two rows of webbing you are doing a better job distributing the weight between molle. This should help prevent webbing from being pulled loose due to the weight. The second yoga block will also assist in keeping the ruck plate on top of the first yoga block as the sleeve in the GR1 has much more “give” than the Rucker.
Conclusion
When it comes down to it rucking is tough. You’re carrying weight for an extended period of time and it’s not easy. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Give this idea a shot and let me know if this makes rucking with plates better for you.