Before we get started, we invite you to check out our definitive guide to GORUCK backpacks, bags, and vests. If neither of these turns out not to be the bag for you, maybe one of the other 8 in our guide will work out for you!

Also, if you’re interested in GORUCK footwear offerings, check out our definitive guides on the GORUCK boots and GORUCK shoe lines!
If you’ve heard anything about this “new” (heh) rucking activity, you’ve probably heard a bit about GORUCK…
…“the rucking company” (if they do say so themselves!)
GORUCK makes stuff that can be pretty useful for rucking (and some stuff that…isn’t, really) and, in particular, makes a lot of bags.
…like, a lot of bags.
With so many bag options, it can be hard to determine which ones are the “best” and which one are right for your specific goals. Although GORUCK’s offerings are rather diverse, they do favor a couple specific rucks with these two showing up in the lion’s share of marketing promotions and having by far the most variation optionality.
To be more clear, we’re talking about the GR1 and the Bullet rucks.
If you’re brand new to rucking and looking for your first bag, there is a good chance that you’re considering on of these bad boys. Even if you’ve already got a bag or three, either one of these makes a good addition to your (growing) arsenal.
I’m partial to the GR1 (the stats don’t lie!) but let’s take a look at ’em head-to-head to determine who the true champion is…
Before we get started, check out our definitive guide to GORUCK backpacks, bags, and vests. If neither of these two turns out not to be the bag for you, maybe one of the other 8 in our review will work out for you!
Also, if you’re interested in GORUCK footwear offerings, check out our definitive guides on the GORUCK boots and GORUCK shoe lines!
Table of Contents
GORUCK GR1 vs GORUCK Bullet
GORUCK really likes both of these bags and it should come as no surprise that they’re the bags you see plastered all over the place, have the most variations, etc.
…but the GR1 is their true pride and joy…
“GR1 was built to thrive in Baghdad and NYC and has been tested and proven by Green Berets to meet the life or death standards of quality, toughness, and performance. It has proven itself the world over and earned its “Greatest Of All Time” status the hard way: one deployment, one event, one trip, one mile at a time. 1,000 Events/year, 175,000+ participants, and 200+ Special Forces Cadre later, the GORUCK Challenge is the most significant quality control program of its kind. No other bag is consistently put through more abuse, and GR1 thrives.”
Subtle, right? Maybe Jason (the founder of GORUCK) is a little more tempered in his explanation of the bag.
Heh…not so much!
The Bullet’s description is a little more relaxed and less grandiose…but it certainly still heightens expectations:
“The Bullet is the perfect streamlined ruck that you can use as a daypack or a grab and go ruck. One day it’s a trip to the pool, the next you’re stuffing jackets and snacks into your backpack for a day hike. It also makes a solid pack to loan a friend who is new to rucking and thinks their cheap book bag will be just fine — which it will be, till it won’t. As with all our rucksacks, the Bullet Ruck rides high and stable on your back and comes with our Scars Lifetime Guarantee.“
Gotta watch out for our friends now, don’t we?!
Those intros aside…
Rucking
90%
75%
Dynamic Rucking
80%
80%
Everday Carry
95%
85%
Customer Reviews
96%
96%
Price
75%
90%
Rucking
I’d be willing to bet that most people looking at the GR1 and Bullet are primarily interested in picking up a bag to ruck with (everyday carry being a close second). Both of these are more “vanilla” rucks and are overwhelmingly GORUCK’s most popular bags.
Long story short, if you don’t know a lot about GORUCK, these are probably the options you’ve heard the most buzz about.
While either of these options are suitable for light (under 30 pounds) rucking, the GR1 is definitely better suited for the job.
Although the GR1 doesn’t have as robust of a frame sheet as options like the Rucker – Long Range or the Rucker 4.0, it provides significantly more back/lumbar support than the Bullet does. Actually, this feature isn’t at all present in the Bullet, resulting in a minor (at light weights, at least), but constant thud, thud, thud, against the back with each step.
Both bags sport the expected “sleeve” which, if you’re like most people, you’ll use to stuff your ruck plate into. However, these sleeves are only thin pieces of Cordura and are not the heavily padded and secured variations like you would find in any of the Rucker options. As expected, GORUCK-branded plates are much better suited for these pockets than most non-branded plates.
Regarding shoulder strap comfort, I again find the GR1 to be more comfortable, particularly during longer (over an hour) outings. Both rucks sport decently-padded straps, but the GR1’s, albeit being a little heavier, feel more comfortable against my body. They don’t dig in as much and especially don’t as the weight gets heavier.
Some areas where the Bullet may be more attractive to specific populations is in its smaller size: it is both shorter and has substantially less “girth” than the GR1. Even at a shorter-than-average male height (~5’7″), I don’t find the GR1 to be overly long on unwieldy, but my wife (~5’2″) feels much more comfortable carrying smaller bags.
The weight differential is quite small (~1.5 pounds vs 3 pounds), but if you’re prepping for a GORUCK event or something similar where you must carry a 10, 20, or 30-pound plate, lightening your load by even a couple of pounds is certainly nice over the span of 2-12 hours (not that I advocate for using the Bullet for these types of events, but you get the point).
Overall, the GR1 is superior for rucking in just about every conceivable way. The Bullet is still a good option, especially if you are of a smaller stature and/or don’t plan on lugging too much weight around, but generally won’t serve you as well as the GR1 will.
Winner: GR1
Dynamic Rucking
I understand that to many, this is more of a niche area and that plenty of people have little, if any, interest in running around their ruck or throwing it around during a workout. However, when you consider that GORUCK is now the Official Apparel and Footwear Partner of CrossFit, it goes to show that there are plenty of people interested in these types of activities!
Truth be told, neither of these rucks would be my first choice for this type of activity. The aforementioned Rucker bags are more suitable in most conceivable ways for ruck running, ruck thrusters, ruck swings, and ruck suitcase carries. However, either bag is going to be much better suited for these tasks than most non-GORUCK options.
Each bag also has its own distinct advantages in this area.
The GR1, mainly due to its size, feels a bit more durable and its dimensions make most common dynamic rucking movements easy enough to facilitate. You can keep your hands just inside shoulder width and press it, use it for thrusters, and keep it relatively close to you for swings.
During runs, burpees, and other exercises where you keep the ruck on your back the frame sheet is a lifesaver, It keeps the plate off you, although there is still a bit of plate jostling due to the design of the sleeve.
The handle on top of the bag makes swings and suitcase carries possible, but the bag is still a tad wide for swings and you’ll just wish it had a side handle for any type of long-range carries.
Also, if you’re really getting adventurous, you might be disappointed to learn that the overall size/bulk makes any type of gymnastics movements (pull-ups, muscle-ups) a lot more difficult to perform than with small, more compact rucks…
…like the Bullet
Don’t get me wrong, the Bullet is not my first choice for this type of work. However, I can appreciate its compactness for “ruck gymnastics” (if such a term/thing actually exists). Granted, you need to tighten a bit tighter than I did in my ugly rep above!
Another advantage of the Bullet is its smaller overall bulk, leading it to be easier to fit between your legs during swings (you don’t have to take such a wide stance) and its handle, while smaller, is up for the test.
However, I have found that the plate doesn’t stay as securely in place in the Bullet as it does in GR1. Also, you have to move your hands closer together (due to its shorter length), making any type of pressing movements awkward.
…and it’s really hard to grasp the top handle with both hands…
Look at how I have to stack me hands over each other to get a hold of the bag. Consider that I also have exceptionally small hands (my hands are the exact same size as my 5’2″ wife’s hands). For the vast majority of people, swinging this thing is going to be really annoying.
Overall, I don’t really recommend either of these rucks if dynamic rucking is something you even might plan on doing in the future. If you’re considering it and you’re a relatively inexperienced “functional fitness” athlete…I think you could get away with using the GR1, but you should opt for more appropriate gear.
Winner: Tie
Everyday Carry
Please forgive me for how bad I am at putting this part together. However, I think I have a pretty decent excuse…
I almost never use my rucks for everyday carry!
Thankfully, I think I have a pretty good idea of what people are using their bags for on a day-to-day basis and what they’re looking for their bags to be able to do and handle.
Right off the bat, the GR1 dunks on the Bullet due to its overall superior load capacity. Different iterations of the Bullet will be able to stand up to the GR1 a bit better in this regard, but none can match even the smallest GR1 in terms of the sheer amount of stuff you can haul.
I know that you’re probably not trying to max out your bag’s capacity just…because, but this lends itself to having a higher overall load capacity as well. 15 liters worth of junk stuffed to the brim in your Bullet looks a lot nerdier (think of the kid in school…you know the one…that always had the yuge backpack) than 15 liters of gear in your GR1 (where you have room to spare).
On a more “everyday” practical basis, the GR1 also comes out ahead due to the laptop pocket that is included in all of its models. The Bullet includes this on some of its models, but not all of them (mine does not include this). As such, most people (myself included) opt for the less secure inner “plate” (but not really) pocket to stash our laptops.
Other than this main difference, comparing the two really comes down to looking at the sizes of each of the different internal pockets. Interestingly enough, almost all of these pockets are larger (albeit, ever so slightly) on the Bullet than they are on the GR1 (at least for the 21-liter model).
I wouldn’t say that the size difference of these pockets (which, in some cases, comes down to, like, 1-square inch) warrants purchasing the Bullet, but if you really like having a pockets to stash smaller items, it has you covered as well as the GR1 does.
Both rucks sport 210D Cordura on their respective back panels which is more important that it sounds. This version of the more standard 1000D and 500D Cordura is still plenty resilient, but is much less abrasive against the skin when/if it comes into contact with the body. EDC doesn’t often involve shirtless rucking (and if it does, I want your job), but if you have a thinner shirt on, you don’t have to worry about these bags irritating you.
One final thing I will note that is rather specific to my particular Bullet is its reflective spearheads. Although I didn’t have my ruck at the time, I used to have a second-shift job and I walked home at 11 every night. I was almost hit by a car on at least two occasions and although both incidents were (obviously) the respective drivers’ faults, the reflectors probably would have come in handy during my “commute”.
Ultimately, if your everyday carry items amount to a laptop, lunch, a couple of binders, and maybe a change of clothes, either of these bags are going to more than up to the task. Anything more than that, and you’re probably gonna need to go with the GR1…which isn’t a bad thing!
Winner: GR1
Customer Reviews
One of the reasons why you’re probably reading this right now is because you’ve heard good things about GORUCK’s bags. Most of this is probably hearsay, but if you scratch the surface, it checks out; both bags sport really high customer review ratings on the GORUCK website.
As you can see, both bags are collectively (every Bullet and every GR1 configuration go into these reviews) rated as 4.8/5. I don’t know how high your standards are, but I can definitely live with a 96 out of 100.
(If you can’t…stop lying! I worked as a college professor for ~10 years, 96s weren’t all that common!)
Now, I understand that it may be slightly more difficult to take these ratings seriously when you find them on the company page, but…they hold up. If you go to the only other place where you can really find GORUCK reviews (Rogue), both bags actually score a bit higher (perfect 5s across the board).
Granted, there are only, like, 10 total reviews for each bag on Rogue (as opposed to 2072 and 984 respectively) and they don’t really move the needle for their overall ratings, but it’s nice to see that these ratings extend to non-GORUCK sites, as well.
Long story short, your average customer is as satisfied with their Bullet as they are with their GR1 purchase…and they’re pretty satisfied.
Winner: Tie
Price
This is…an interesting topic when it comes to these two bags.
Truth be told, there are a number of different size, color, and “line” options for most of GORUCK’s offerings, but these two really take the cake.
I know you can only see 4 bag pictures in this picture, but there are 4 more names/prices at the top and two “SOLD OUT” messages at the bottom. This adds up to ten bags…and that is only for the GR1!
The Bullet ain’t no slouch either. You got 9 options to choose from (using the same search protocol as you did from the GR1 spread).
What makes this so “interesting” is that, there is quite the price range between the lowest-priced bags and the most expensive ones:
- The Bullet will run you between $135 and $395(!!!)
- The GR1 goes from $215 to $695(!!!)
So, as you can see, the Bullet’s range is lower at the high end and the low end. Granted, it’s possible to purchase the most expensive Bullets and they’ll cost more than the lower-end GR1s…but that’s a bit of a stretch/outlier. Also, let’s be real; the vast majority of people aren’t going with the $395 Ultra Blaze for their first ruck.
Yeah, naw man…
Anyways, the Bullet is definitely the winner here which makes sense given that these are normally smaller, less frills bags.
Winner: Bullet
Overall Winner
According to our metrics, the GR1 is your winner!
We had a couple of ties along the way and the Bullet actually won the “Price” category, but the GR1 is the clear winner for the vast majority of buyers when it comes this showdown.
If you’re even slightly serious about rucking, the GR1 is the superior option of the two.
Granted, as we noted, there are certain instances where the Bullet might be the better option (you want a small EDC bag, you are on the smaller side and don’t want as bulky of a bag, you want to use your ruck for more gymnastics-related CrossFit movements), but these won’t apply to most people.
None of this is to say that the Bullet is a “bad” bag or that you absolutely should not purchase one; just be aware of exactly what you want to do with your ruck. Depending on your response, in a side-by-side showdown, the GR1 is going to make the most sense.
Our Testing Process
I’ve been messing around with both rucks for close to a year now and actually had my hands on these two before I tried and bags from the Rucker series. As such, I got used to lugging these around for a while, both during my regular ruck outings as well as for a number of metcons involving “ruck (insert exercise variation here)”.
In all honesty, over the last few months, I have used my Bullet less and less since I derive as much personal utility from it and because other rucks are simply more appropriate for most of my activities. However, I still throw it around from time to time and have a lot of “old” memories with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
“GR1” and “Bullet” questions…never thought I’d be considering the answers to these questions, but here we are:
I have a GORUCK event coming up; which of these two bags would be better to use for it?
As long as you have a set of reflectors (which you can get, for like, $10), the GR1 is almost always going to be the better option. It's more durable, easier to press and "rack", and, in general, is just better for the types of "dynamic rucking" that takes place at GORUCK events.
I’m on the smaller side and don’t plan on rucking with much weight. Do I go with the Bullet?
Yeah, you fall into the demographic where the Bullet is probably the best option.
With that being said, if you DO plan on using your bag for dynamic rucking and/or have plans to haul a decent amount of stuff in it during everyday carry, you'll be slightly limited (at least in relation to the GR1).
I don't like either of these options...but I want a GORUCK bag!
Stop reading this and read up on the Rucker. You're welcome.
Two Great “Gateway” Rucks…but One Stands Alone
If you haven’t already picked up on it, I guess I’ll make a “full disclosure” type of point: I am not and everyday carry guy and actually “ruck” a bit less than your “average” (whatever that means) rucker. I’m more inclined to throw on my ruck to make my strict pull-up sets more challenging or to use it to take on something like Chad.
…so you could say that my rucking priorities are a bit unique.
While this may certainly be the case, I can still state with sincerity that I am happy to have started my ruck-purchasing “journey” with these two bad boys…even if they’re intended purposes are slightly different than what I usually use mine for.
If you’re dead-set on getting a bag for all of your grand “dynamic” rucking ventures, I can understand that you may have pause choosing between one of these. However, at the Bullet’s price point and the GR1’s overall functionality point, I don’t think you’d really regret picking one of these up, as well.
(although if you are going to go down that path…I suggest you opt for the GR1!)
As we finish up, we invite you again to check out GORUCK’s current “Deals”. Knowing what I know about these, there is a good chance that a number of the bags from this guide (among other goodies) are deeply discounted right now!
Also, if you’re interested in GORUCK bags, you gotta be interested in other rucking gear and workouts, right? Check out our definitive guides on the best dynamic rucking workouts!
Rucking
90%
75%
Dynamic Rucking
80%
80%
Everday Carry
95%
85%
Customer Reviews
96%
96%
Price
75%
90%