GORUCK Rucker 4.0 – Our Review

The GORUCK Rucker 4.0 possesses two of the most important features I could ask for in a bag:

• It is compact enough for me, being a smaller rucker (5’2″; 110 pounds) and sits comfortably on my back, even during longer walks
• It has (almost) all of the main features I need in a ruck that I want to use to work out with

We will cover more of the specific features later in the review, but I want to establish that these are the most important qualities of a ruck for me personally. I am not overly concerned with how any ruck is at transporting my goods from my house to my car (this constitutes the majority of my “commute” on a given day) or how much stuff it can actually accommodate.

If these latter qualities are important to you and/or you’re looking for a more affordable rucksack, the Rucker 4.0 may not be the bag for you.

If you are looking for a bag that saves all of its frills for rucking, exercising, and is compact enough for just about all body sizes to boot, read on!

Sizing (unscored)

I want to provide a few special pictures of the Rucker 4.0 to give an idea of sizing. For reference, Tom is ~5’8″ and I’m ~5’2″:

Rucking

I have always had some slight problems when it comes to finding a ruck that fits me for even shorter walks outside with my husband or with my dogs. Much of the time, I get excited when I find a new, cute-looking bag only to very quickly realize that it’s just too big for my 5’2″ frame.

I was never the kid in school with the oversized backpack, overflowing with every single textbook, and I don’t want to look like that kid now. Plus, when I’m walking with any amount of weight in my bag, and I don’t have a hip belt attached to help balance things out, I’m pretty much off balance for my entire walk.

With all of this “baggage” in mind, I was somewhat skeptical that the Rucker 4.0 would be much of an upgrade for my “traditional” rucking activities than my Bullet ruck or my Tasmanian Tiger Essential Backpack (these are smaller bags that aren’t overly wide and are shorter than most other rucks). To say that I was pleasantly surprised immediately upon unboxing my new ruck is an understatement.

At my size, it’s going to be difficult to find a ruck that perfectly fits me, but the Rucker 4.0 comes the closest yet.

Besides the more preferable sizing, I have been very appreciative of the hard frame sheet that keeps the plate from constantly crashing into my back (neither the Bullet and Tasmanian Tiger rucks mentioned above have this sheet). This creates a more comfortable and consistent feeling and allows me to be more in tune with my surroundings than with the constant “thud” of the plate!

Along the same lines as the frame sheet, I appreciate the heavily-padded and velcro-closing dedicated ruck plate pocket. The shape and design is similar to the Rucker – Long Range, but it is much more compact. While the frame sheet keeps the plate from contacting my back, this pocket keeps the plate secure and minimizes any side-to-side movement. I have found this to be ESPECIALLY useful and important when navigating uneven and slippery ground.

Since I have the smaller 15-liter model, my ruck has only one of these pockets. I haven’t really tried to overload my ruck and have never packed anything other than a non-GORUCK 10-pound plate or a GORUCK 20-pound short plate into the Rucker. This works for me; at my size, I will never have to use more than 20 pounds for any official events or challenges. If I were to, for whatever reason, need to use additional weight or another plate, I would probably opt for a different bag. The “loose” weight contrasting with the “pocketed” plate would probably be even more annoying than completely loose weight!

The included hip belt (which is only packaged with a few select colors) was a VERY nice surprise, but, all things considered, is a little bittersweet. Because the Rucker 4.0 fits me so well, I don’t have as much of a need for the hip belt to help balance the bag and weight on my body. I imagine that those purchasing the bag in those colors might be in a similar boat as me. It is a very nice inclusion, but I haven’t used mine with any regularity.

I am much more appreciative of the heavily padded straps which really soften the feeling of the added weight on my shoulders. These straps also keep the bag more stable on my shoulders than other, less-padded ruck straps.

In conclusion, as a smaller woman, the Rucker 4.0 is the most I could ask for in a ruck. It’s smaller width and overall length alone make it preferable to most other bags. The additions of the frame plate and padded ruck plate pocket make me realize what I’ve been missing out on with some of the other popular GORUCK bags!

Rucking Score: 95

“Dynamic” Rucking

I was excited when CrossFit announced its partnership with GORUCK at the end of 2023. I have been involved with CrossFit for over 10 years and have enjoyed using rucks and weighted vests in my training and even trying out some of the higher-level rucking movements that have been programmed in the CrossFit Semi-finals and Games competitions.

Unfortunately, I have experienced similar struggles with other rucks when doing “dynamic” rucking workouts as I have when just trekking with my ruck. These bags can be ill-suited for movements like ruck squats or swings, making the movements more difficult than they should be and holding these wider bags is usually also pretty difficult.

Performing gymnastics movements like muscle-ups usually leads to the bag shifting or just being too bulky and unwieldy for more than one or two reps in a row.

Thankfully, the Rucker 4.0’s compact size fixes many of these problems for me.

Between the smaller size and the secure ruck plate pocket, there is very little movement and distraction from the plate when doing “functional” rucking movements.

The Rucker also holds up very well for workouts with more diversity, accommodating a number of different movements, to include gymnastics and running, pretty well. I decided to try it out for the classic CrossFit hero “Murph” workout, switching out the 20-pound weighted vest for the Rucker with a 20-pound plate.

I knew pretty much every movement (especially the running, pull-ups, and push-ups) was going to feel VERY different in a ruck so I practiced these a few times before the workout (I wouldn’t suggest making your first dynamic rucking workout Murph!) I couldn’t really kip my pull-ups and the bag did move around a little bit on my back during the push-ups.

However, compared to just about any other bag I could have used, the Rucker was by far the best option for me. I wasn’t expecting to PR the workout, but I wanted a variation that would combine some familiarity with new challenges. Thankfully, I got both!

One minor disappointment, that was an oversight on my part, is that the 15-liter Rucker 4.0 DOES NOT have side handles, only handles on the very top and bottom of the bag. Most of the time, this isn’t a major problem, but I find it to be a little more awkward when doing suitcase carries with a vertical bag (as you would in the GORUCK Baseline Functional Fitness Test or in general training) than when holding it sideways. If these handles are important to you, I would opt for the 20 or 25-liter variations.

I have enjoyed using my Rucker for CrossFit-style workouts and I’ll be especially happy if future CrossFit Opens and in-person competitions make greater use of rucks. When and if they do, I’ll be ready!

Dynamic Rucking Score: 95

Load Capacity

As much as I like my Rucker, I wouldn’t consider using it to actually transport a large amount of luggage or other items. The 15-liter capacity is pretty small and sticking items in the ruck pocket isn’t something I’m usually interested in doing (effectively reducing the load capacity by a small amount).

Load Capacity Score: 70

Everyday Carry

I don’t commute to a job or office on a daily basis and I’m not regularly carrying work items or things I will need for the entire day with me when I leave the house in the morning. I am probably not the best person to speak on the topic of everyday carry bags.

When it comes to the Rucker, in some ways I would consider using it as more of a day pack when I am out for an extended period of time and need to carry a few more items than what I would usually carry in my purse. I have always preferred a backpack for carrying things so by default, the Rucker’s design works for me.

I am also careful not to overload my bags with too many belongings and with a big that has only a 15-liter load capacity, it is just the right size for the most stuff I would bring with me.

The ruck plate pocket makes for a secure laptop pocket (I am always a little paranoid about dropping my other bags and damaging my laptop. I feel much safer with the carrying it in the padded pocket). Most of the time, I do not take my laptop out with me, though, so the pocket isn’t really useful for me. Instead, it seems to take up some of the bag’s overall space and capacity.

I also haven’t really found a use for the interior pockets. I could see them being useful for sticking some smaller, random items into, but I don’t really do this.

Finally, the Rucker’s training features, like the side handles (on larger models) and the water draining holes, aren’t features I usually look for in an everyday carry bag. I don’t think I’m alone in this regard! I really appreciate them in training contexts, but I don’t find them to be the most stylish additions.

Everyday Carry Score: 75

Materials

A problem I have run into a few times over the years is that bags that look really nice are regularly made of not-so-nice materials and I find them falling apart almost as soon as I buy them.

The Rucker wouldn’t be my first choice in terms of how I want a bag to look, but for a rucksack, it looks pretty nice (and like a very well-made bag)…and the materials didn’t immediately begin to deteriorate!

The 1000D Cordura material, which is pretty much standard on GORUCK bags, lives up to its reputation. Whether I drop the bag on hard gym flooring, rubber floor mats, or on grass, there are no signs of wear or damage. It has even maintained it’s dark blue coloring and hasn’t really experienced stains or scuffing.

I am always concerned about something small, but important breaking on my bags. I have found zippers to be the main culprits, leaving a bag that is otherwise perfect condition essentially unusable. The Rucker’s YKK zippers are smooth and easy to use, but feel more resilient and able to withstand harsh and thoughtless “unzippings” (when I just finish a workout and want to get the plate out).

The mesh interior liner material doesn’t feel like anything special, but I don’t think I have ever placed anything in this pocket so it doesn’t really bother me. The ruck plate pocket hard plastic liner feels especially sturdy and the velcro enclosure material doesn’t feel like its adhesive qualities will ever weaken.

GORUCK bags are generally more expensive than other brands’ bags, but the quality of the materials helps to justify their cost.

Materials Score: 100

Price

The Rucker 4.0 is actually in a pretty interesting position as being one of GORUCK’s least expensive “standard-sized” rucks while still being a bit more expensive than rucks you might come across from other companies, both well-known and not.

When thinking about the price, I try to keep in mind that very few other options are able to fit me as well as the Rucker does and the similarly-sized Bullet doesn’t provide as much functional training utility. With these considerations in mind, I think the overall value is pretty good.

Price Score: 80

Customer Reviews

It can be difficult to find customer reviews for GORUCK products on websites other than the company’s official webpage. They don’t sell on Amazon so there are no reviews to take from that major 3rd-party website.

Another thing I found a little strange when researching other customer reviews and experience was that the Rucker 4.0 apparently has close to four thousand reviews already!

I know the bag hasn’t been around for very long and this seemed like a lot of reviews. I looked closely though the reviews and found that they included previous version of the bag (like the Rucker 3.0) and were not all focused solely on the 4.0. Because of this, I have decided not to include a score here since it would be difficult to sort through all of the different versions.

I did find this review to be rather…fitting. I can empathize with her!

Customer Reviews Score: N/A

Customer Service

I have never communicated with GORUCK directly, although Tom has on a number of occasions. These interactions have always been pretty good and even minor annoyances (he had to create an entirely new order for making a small mistake on the shipping address) weren’t overly burdensome.

Earlier in the year, he planned to attend and participate in GORUCK’s annual Normandy Beach commemoration event. Unfortunately, he injured himself a few months before and was unable to attend. Fearing that he would not be able to secure a refund for the event fees (it was within 30 days of the events) he reached out to GORUCK anyways, hoping they might understand his situation.

He received a response the next day stating that all of the event fees had been refunded! This was a very welcome surprise and we both appreciated their empathy and willingness to extend their cancellation policy for him.

Customer Service Score: 95

Who is the Rucker 4.0 really for?

A lot of people would like and appreciate the Rucker…but who would really like it?

Small-stature Ruckers

I really appreciate how well the Rucker 4.0 fits my body, especially in comparison to many of the larger, boxier rucks I have tried on in the past or the very basic, non-padded smaller bags that aren’t suitable for rucking.

I would be confident in recommending the bag to anyone, but I would go out of my way to suggest it to women, shorter people, and people who often feel almost “swallowed” by their rucks.

“Dynamic” Ruckers

People who use their rucks as a piece of fitness equipment will appreciate all of the features the Rucker 4.0 comes equipped with (most notably the top, bottom, and side handles (on the bigger models) and padded ruck plate pocket).

I think the bag’s smaller size and lower overall bulk is especially attractive. The added weight of a bag like the Rucker – Long Range can start to add up over time, even if it is also a good bag for ruck swings and the like. With the 4.0, you’re a lot closer to that 20 or 30-pound requirement and not needlessly using a lot of extra bag weight.

Not for People Looking for an Everyday Carry Bag

GORUCK has plenty of “travel ruck” bags. If you’re looking for a bag to use on a daily basis for hauling your things to work or school, you would be better off purchasing one of these.

The Bullet ruck is a similar size to the Rucker 4.0, but most models don’t have a lot of the features (padded ruck plate pocket, frame sheet) that help with rucking and when exercising with your ruck. Because everyday carry doesn’t require these features, and because the Bullet is about half the price of the Rucker, a bag like this would be a better option in most circumstances.

How we reviewed the Rucker 4.0

I do a little bit of dedicated rucking with Tom, but a lot more of my rucking involves my throwing a bag on and walking each of my dogs. I would argue that most days, this leads to a longer total rucking time than when I am only focused on rucking!

Many of my CrossFit workouts involve rucks or instances where added resistance is necessary (such as when I performed Murph in the Rucker). In other cases, I use it in place of a light sandbag (our lightest sandbag is 40 pounds) and it has been a decent substitute.

GORUCK Rucker 4.0 Alternatives

If the Rucker – Long Range sounds pretty good to you, but you think you’d prefer something pretty similar to it, check out our three alternative picks:

Frequently Asked Questions

I hope by answering a few more questions I can help you make a more informed decision:

The Rucker 4.0…a Bag that Works for Me

I have been pleasantly surprised with my bag and really didn’t have any type of grand expectations for it prior to its delivery to my home. I honestly don’t think that rucking will be the my primary fitness activity, whether in the form of a more traditional hike or by using my ruck for swings, presses, thrusters and the like.

However, the Rucker 4.0, and its compact size and ruck-facilitating characteristics, makes it more likely that I will incorporate more rucking into my workouts than I would have had I never come across the bag. I’ll be especially excited if rucks are included in the 2025 CrossFit Open!

If you’re not the largest rucker or if you have been trying in vain to find the “right” ruck for functional fitness training, the Rucker 4.0 should be at the top of your list.

Thank goodness for Facebook Marketplace!

As we finish things up, I encourage you to check out our definitive guide to GORUCK backpacks, bags, and vests. If the Rucker 4.0 turns out not to be the bag for you, maybe one of the other 9 in our review will work out for you!

Finally, if you’re interested in GORUCK footwear offerings, check out our definitive guides on the GORUCK boots and GORUCK shoe lines!