I only tend to weigh myself once or twice a year, so I calculated my load from the last reading I took. The challenge was finding objects around the house that added up to my goal weight. Unopened or partially sealed bags of flour, rice or sugar tend to work well but my cupboards were running low, so I ended up sticking my backpack on some scales and tossing in whatever I could find. In the end, I was carrying a few books, a magazine, my laptop and two candles. Good stuff.

My backpack didn’t look particularly full, but when I picked it up, I could feel the added weight. With that being said, the heaviness wasn’t uncomfortable – just enough to make me feel like I was working a little harder as I picked my legs up to take a step.

Keep it short

You don’t want to set off on a half marathon hike on the day you first decide to try rucking – a study of female hikers carrying backpack loads found many experienced negative muscle changes after just 2km of walking. With this in mind, I decided to stick to my usual lunchtime route – about 1.5km.

Choose the right kit

This is where I fell short. Wilson and Redwood-Brown recommend using a backpack that’s suitable for rucking, ie one that has adequate padding and proper weight distribution. There are even some backpacks that have slots that weights and sandbags can be slotted into to add even weight.

All I had to play with was my usual work backpack. I don’t tend to travel light day-to-day, so I knew it could carry a heavier load, but I felt the added weight when I put it on. If I got into rucking long-term, I’d need a backpack with wider straps and perhaps even a waist support to ensure all the weight wasn’t placed on my shoulders.

“Is TikTok’s ‘rucking’ trend worth it? I gave it a go – and won’t be doing it again anytime soon”