I hike and backpack year round (and strength train twice a week), but find I benefit from rucking some heavier weight prior to hunting season. The stresses of heavier weight requires the small accessory muscles, tendons and ligaments to be strengthened before hand.
After 20 years or so of messing around with different rucking regimes Ive settled on a routine starting eight weeks out from huntings season. I start with low weight (30 lbs). I ruck every other day (hiking w/o weight the other days) and vary the route- short steep stuff (sometimes multiple times), longer gradual incline stuff and some off trail/sidehilling stuff. I do this for two weeks and then bump the weight up to 45#- again every other day and varied routes as far as steepness and duration (I always shoot for one longer hike of 8-10 miles/week); another two weeks at 60 lbs- again varying distance/terrain; the last two weeks I start pulling the weight back- much like a taper period for a long distance race.
I never (anymore) use more than 60 lbs training- chance of injury goes up and never saw any real benefits from using more than 60 lbs.
Hauling meat loads of 80-90 lbs, while certainly not easy, have never been overly problematic.
Rucking weight I've found is important, but the more important elements are hiking (or running/biking) consistently, building the aerobic base; secondly, consistent, focused strength training.
Listen to this guy^^^^^^^^^
I agree with everything he said.
I overdid it 2 weekends ago, 75 lbs, Thought I’d put the majority of the weight on my waist by really cranking the waist belt,
By the 3.5 mile mark my hip flexors declared a strike, still slightly feel it.
Go easy on the weight and so-so on the waist belt, shoulders can/will carry the weight along with the waist belt.
And if going to the gym, avoid machines you haven’t been on in years,,,,example, Starmaster,,,(miserable SOB)….Again, over did the hip flexors,,
And those flexors will remind you for a while.
