I very rarely sound evangelical about anything, but a GoRuck backpack can change pretty much everything about how you carry and live your life. The company makes some of the toughest backpacks we’ve tested. They’re all well-made, comfortable, and durable, which makes choosing one difficult. Do you want the original GoRuck GR1? The bigger GR2? Or perhaps the smaller Bullet? And what is the Rucker?
To help you make the right choice, we’ve rucked, traveled, hiked, and schlepped GoRuck packs around our neighborhoods and the world to figure out which are the best. Don’t see exactly what you need? Check out the rest of our buying guides, including the Best Laptop Backpacks, the Best Totes, and the Best Carry-Ons.
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GoRuck was founded by former Army Special Forces soldier, Jason McCarthy, who wanted to create the toughest possible consumer backpack that works like the ones used in the military. It’s roughly based on a tactical medic pack, which you can find used on eBay, and like military equipment, it’s built to work in a lot of different environments.
GoRuck packs are famously overbuilt, using heavy-duty 1,000-denier Cordura (which is so heavy-duty that it destroys T-shirts it rubs against, leading GoRuck to back off a bit to 210D Cordura for the back of its packs). GoRucks are often described as bombproof, which is a strange word to use on a pack built by someone who knows better than most people that they are not actually bombproof, but it gets to the point. These are tough packs, built to last, with a lifetime warranty to match. The zippers are all heavy YKK zippers and the paracord pull tabs are the best pull tabs I’ve ever used. The pull tabs are so good that I reverse engineered them and made similar versions for my other backpacks.
What makes GoRuck a little different than most backpack companies, and what inspires fans to a vaguely cultlike adoration, is that McCarthy didn’t stop with making packs. He also wanted to show people how to travel and train in some of the harshest environments in the world. This has led to everything from the company’s famous rucking events to GoRuck’s Tribe ‘N Training program. A GoRuck can be a great pack if that’s all you need, but it can also be a life-altering purchase, if that’s what you need instead.
Rucking is what the military calls backpacking—walking with weight on your back. Since no one outside the military needs as much gear as a soldier, fitness rucking substitutes weights for all that gear. You need a pack, some weight, and then you just go outside and walk. That’s rucking.
Chances are, you already “ruck.” Carrying books around campus? Rucking. Carrying that thick stack of papers and a laptop into the office? Rucking. You can ruck with GoRuck’s fancy metal plates, but you can also get a 20-pound bag of rice from the store and throw it in whatever backpack you have. The general recommendation for starting out is to carry 10 to 20 percent of your body weight. Once you have some weight in your pack … walk. Enjoy the Zone 2 cardio workout.
While you can get started that simply, as you increase the weight you’ll find two things to be true: Most packs can’t actually carry that much weight, and it’s more comfortable (and your posture is better) when the weight is closer to your back. This is where rucking-specific packs come in. GoRuck’s packs can stand up to the weight, and the weight plates keep the weight against your back. If you love rucking, a GoRuck pack makes sense, but which one? Read on to find out.
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Photograph: GORUCK
Still the Best GoRuck
GoRuck GR1
The GoRuck GR1 (7/10, WIRED Review) is the pack that launched the company, and it’s still the best and most versatile of the GoRuck lineup. The GR1 comes in two sizes: 21L and 26L. I have both, but if I had to pick only one, it would be the 21L. This is the perfect size for rucking, everyday carry, and weekend trips if you pack light. I have even lived out of the 21L bag (with a shoulder bag for my camera gear) during a weeklong trip. It was a squeeze, but it worked. The 21L GR1 is deceptively large and always seems to swallow more gear than I think it can.
My favorite thing about the GR1 is its versatility. I have used this pack for plane travel (as a carry-on), rucking, hiking, hauling camera gear, and more. I even strapped it to the back rack of my bike for an overnight bike-packing trip. The only caveat I have is that if you use it for rucking (or hiking, or whatever you want to call it) you will sweat, and that sweat will soak into the pack. Eventually it will get stinky. This is easy to fix by washing with soap and water and then hanging it to air dry (never put the bag in a washer or dryer), but it does take a while. Be sure to plan ahead if you’ve been rucking a lot and don’t want stares at the airport.
The GR1 consists of three compartments. Against your back there’s a well-padded, rigid laptop compartment (or ruck-plate holder when you’re rucking). On the front outside of the pack there’s an angled zipper pocket for frequently accessed items. This does get tight if you’ve really packed out the interior, but it’s useful for wallet and passport and the like. The inside is one big compartment accessed by a U-shaped zipper so that the “lid” folds completely out of the way and you can load it out like a suitcase.
Internally there are three rows of Modular Lightweight Load Carrying Equipment (MOLLE) webbing at the top for adding pockets and organizers, along with three internal pockets: a large elastic pocket on the back and a zippered mesh pocket and a small solid pocket on the lid. The outside of the back is made of very heavy-duty 1,000D Cordura. The back panel and shoulder straps are 210D Cordura. The lighter-weight back fabric is easier on less sturdy (but awesome) fabrics like merino wool. There are three rows of MOLLE webbing on the outside front and sides. This allows you to strap on extra compartments and organizers. (I keep a Vanquest water bottle holder, which fits a Nalgene, on the side of mine. See below for more organizers and accessories.) You can also use that side MOLLE to attach a padded hip belt. The top handle is not only strong but also comfortable enough to carry the GR1 for quite a ways. You can pull out the plastic framesheet in the back of the pack if you want the back to be less stiff, but I have never felt the need to do this.
If you’re over 6 feet tall or just need more room in your pack, the 26L version is also a great pack and does have a very nice extra zippered pocket at the top of the bag where you can stash your wallet, keys, and other small items.
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Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
The Best Travel Backpack
GoRuck GR2
If I were going to live out of a single bag—say, traveling the world for an extended period; say, for the rest of my life—this is the bag I would choose. The GR2 is a gear-hauling monster with a ton of built-in organization options. And yes, it can double as a rucker, though there are better options if that’s your main use case.
I primarily tested the 34L GR2, which is big enough to fit everything I need for a seven-to-10-day trip (for me, that’s the same as living indefinitely out of it) but not so big that it’s unwieldy. There is also a massive 40L version, which still manages to qualify as a carry-on bag for US flights. However, if you’re really doing the world-travel thing, smaller domestic airlines abroad (like Ryanair in Europe or Jet star in Asia) may not let you bring the 40L as a carry on. I tested the Heritage model, which is identical to the Cordura model but made of waxed canvas (the heaviest waxed canvas I’ve ever tested). I liked the fabric, but it does get dirty easier. For world travel I’d consider the Dyneema version, though the original Cordura is a solid option.
Where the internal organization options of the GR1 are limited, GoRuck went a little nuts with the GR2. There are zippered pockets and pouches everywhere, allowing your organizational fantasies to run wild. The GR2 has two main compartments. The larger internal compartment is very similar to the GR1, with two internal pockets—one large mesh zippered pocket, and one elastic pocket. Capacity-wise, this compartment is roughly the same as the same-volume GR1. On top of that main compartment there is an outer, zippered compartment with four internal pockets: two large mesh, zippered pockets; one small pocket; and one built-in GoRuck field pocket. It’s enough to make sure everything has its place.
