Hyper Ruck® 20L Rucking Backpack – Modular Load System, Laptop & Plate Sleeves, Fitness, Hiking & EDC (Empty)

I bought this to replace a regular backpack I was using that couldn't handle the weight I was at. At the time that was 40lbs. Since then I'm now at 50lbs. I do wish it would sit a bit higher on my back. It might be that I just don't know how to adjust it correctly.

Item: HYPERWEAR Hyper Ruck: Rucking Backpack - 3 Rucking Plates/Laptop Sleeves - Weight Vest Strength Training Fitness Day Pack, Travel, EDC Bag, Adjustable Flexible Plates Optional (20L, Black) (30 lb, Adjustable 20L, Black, Silver) Pros: -Weights and backpack don't bounce around like a regular backpack. There are lots of straps that prevent this. You can jog with this backpack on if you wanted to. -Backpack is silent while walking. This is important if your walking in areas where you don't want to draw attention to yourself. The back outside pocket, you can throw your keys in there and your keys won't make any noise. -Weights are accurate. I weighed all 3 weights at once on an accurate scale, it weighed 30.4LBS, which they are suppose to weight 30LBS. -Can be used as a regular backpack -The front bottom strap is great (see cons). While your walking, you can take the weight off your shoulders and transfer it to your belly just by shifting around. -Weights plates are adjustable. It has two inch wide pockets that allow you to put whatever you want in it. -Backpack has room for more weight plates. 1 in the front pocket closest to your back, 6 in the main pocket, and 1 on the outside pocket. So 7 or 8 plates in total. -Has good reflectors in front and back so cars can see you. -Stitching is very precise. -Has handles on the sides, bottom, and top. You could use this to do different exercises other than walking/hiking. -Great for dips and pull ups Cons: -Con for skinny people. The front bottom strap, you may not be able to take the weight off from your shoulders and transfer it to your belly. The problem is, the strap can only adjust inward so far before it stops. Its not a con for me. I'm 5"8 200LBS and have a decent amount of muscle, so this is not a problem for me. I have the strap adjusted pretty far inward though... Other Thoughts: -Zippers are average -Shoulders pads are average -30LBS is not enough weight for me. I use this for walking and definitely need more weight. I have walked up huge hills up and down. I haven't hiked in this backpack yet... but I'm definitely going to be saying the same thing for hiking. -So the weights that these come with.... each weight has 20 plastic squares inside. Each square has sand in it with glue on the top. -On the bottom of the backpack, the corners are reinforced a little which makes it kind of stiff.

Seller does not honor warranty, Wear and Tear isn’t covered even though this an exercise equipment. This is the Hyperwear product I bought that broke so far.

I have tried to adjust the backpack on my three trips so far but cannot find a combo that is comfortable on my neck and shoulders. Pinches into my rotator area and gets to the point that it’s too uncomfortable to continue by 30 minutes. Love the concept, want to go much further but so far its a bust

I ordered this because my regular, everyday life is too easy. Why walk around and workout with a 30 lb. backpack on my back? To make life fair for everyone else. This backpack is really great. It’s held up during all of my adventures, and there’s no sign of it failing. Quality is Top Notch (Quality = 95) __________________________________________________ I’m really, really pleased with the quality. The material is thick and abrasion resistant. The zipper, Velcro, and buckles are super strong and oversized. After about 3 weeks of use, this backpack looks as good as it did the day I opened it. The stitching has easily held up with the 30 lbs. of plates loaded in the backpack. I haven’t tested it with more than 30 lbs. inside, so I can’t attest to the weight limit claims of 60 lbs., but I’m sure this backpack would laugh at even 60 lbs. Versatility Sets this Backpack Apart (Performance/Versatility = 95) __________________________________________________ Not that I’m going to replace the plates with my laptop and take it to the office or on a trip, but I like that I could. At this price point, quality and versatility are the name of the game, and this backpack nails it. I love that this backpack is versatile enough to use with my hiking gear and a hydration bladder, as a simple piece of exercise equipment, or for some yet to be determined adventure that will require attaching accessories to the backpack. The reflectors and handles on the side are also a nice touch. As comfortable as it is loaded with weight plates, it’s definitely going to be comfortable loaded with textbooks or just about any other type of gear. Premium Price for a Premium Backpack (Value = 70) __________________________________________________ A quick search on Amazon didn’t immediately reveal any peers, so this backpack is somewhat in a category of its own. The only other rucksack like this that I’m aware of is made by a notable fitness equipment manufacturer and costs about $25 more but with fewer versatility options. That would make this backpack a pretty good deal. However, even with the exceptional quality, the $350 price tag feels a little steep for a piece of exercise equipment not made by that other company. That leaves me with some other comparisons. Since my next, next best alternative would likely be a high quality weighted vest, I started with that for comparison. A very high quality weighted vest with 35 lbs. of weights included is about $180. That’s roughly half the price of this backpack. That means I’m paying an additional $170 for the backpack. Though the backpack does have some additional capacity for attaching accessories, the material and zipper are very similar to a high quality sandbag, which has a 125 lb. weight limit and costs about $66 plus about $15 in sand. There’s just no good comparison for this backpack. It’s not a no-brainer at $350, but it would be if it was $275 - $300. How I Determined the Number of Stars __________________________________________________ Quality (.40) = 95 Performance/Versatility (.40) = 95 Value (.20) = 70 Weighted Sum (Total) = 90 points To ensure that my reviews are as unbiased as possible, I use a five step process to review each product. 1. I list the criteria I believe to be important for each product, 2. Assign a weight to each criterion based on my perceived importance of that criterion, 3. Score each criterion from 1-100, 4. Calculate the weighted sum to arrive at an overall score for the product, 5. Assign a star rating (1-20 = 1 star, 21-40 = 2 stars, 41-60 = 3 stars, 61-80 = 4 stars, and 81-100 = 5 stars). By examining my perceived criteria, assigned weights, and assigned values, it’s easy to see how I calculated my star rating and easy to then determine the extent to which my criteria and weights reflect your own, enabling you to make a more informed buying decision.

This backpack is versatile and the ease of swapping out the weighted inserts is a definite plus. However, I found it pretty uncomfortable on the shoulders, which is disappointing for something at this price. It's very expensive, so I expected a bit more comfort. Overall, it does the job, but there's room for improvement in the design.