So I "Rucked" for the first time today

I've been hiking for many years and have been backpacking many times as well but I've never combined them into a daily activity ala Rucking. So since I'm a beginner and didn't want to go all in until I tried things out, I started out by using a backpack that I typically use when I go hiking. I went on Amazon and bought a 20lb plate to start out with since that's 10% of my total body weight.

So I loaded the plate in my backpack and off I went on my typical Friday 3 mile hike at a local trail that goes to the top of a mountain. The initial weight was a bit of a shock but I adjusted pretty quickly and kept my pace at about my usual rate. Once I got to the top of the mountain and started going down, I really noticed that the weight caused me to slow down and take my steps more carefully. All in all I typically do this hike with no weight in an hour and by adding the weight I added about 5 minutes to my hike.

I really enjoyed the challenge that Rucking adds to my basic hike. It turns walking into a real workout. So my plan is to stick with the 20lbs for a month and to try and go Rucking 3 times a week. If I'm still enjoying it after a month I'll upgrade to pack that can better handle more weight. Since it was pretty easy doing 20lbs, I think I might move up to 25% of my body weight when I upgrade. I'm excited to see how far I can push things,