DIY Ruck Weights: 10 Creative Ideas for Adding Weight to Your Pack

After I graduated from college way back when I was living in a tiny rented studio and was dirt poor. Of course, this didn’t stop me from trying to stay in shape.

With no money to pay for a gym membership, I got inventive. Along with the obligatory pushups and other body-weight exercises, I repurposed 2.5-gallon water jugs as dumbbells, which enabled me to add weight to my squats and also perform exercises for my back and biceps that weren’t being hit via the other body-weight exercises.

If you’re wondering how to add weight to your backpack, here are ten ideas that I have used in the past:

• Water Bottles: Fill multiple (smaller) bottles for adjustable weight and hydration on the go.

• Laundry Detergent: Full containers add weight and fresh scent to your ruck ;-).

• Books: Stack heavy books for a simple, adjustable load.

• Rice Bags: Use sealed rice or grain bags for easy, moldable weight.

• Dumbbells: Toss in small dumbbells for compact, solid weight. To make it a bit more comfortable, you may want to add a folded towel behind the dumbbells as well.

• Sandbags: Fill ziplock bags with sand for a customizable, dense load.

• Canned Goods: Pack sturdy cans for weight and post-ruck snacks!

• Bricks: Wrap bricks in towels for a dense, challenging load.

• Workout Plates: Use weight plates from your home gym for a consistent, balanced load.

• Pet Food: Fill your ruck with bags of pet food for a double-duty ruck and grocery run.