The Goruck Rucker is the 20 liter little bro of the Goruck GR1 26 liter bag.
Please read this review of the GR1 26L first since the bags are really similar....
The Rucker is the brain child of a smiling manic former special forces guy named Jason…
This man is a mild lunatic I think, but he loves his dog…
And his kids and beer...
So he can't be all bad. He is also the founder of Goruck and like most mad geniuses he had a vision, make a super tough, super simple backpack that can survive in literal war zones and still look good on the streets of Manhattan.
Goruck has an almost cult like following and I am starting to see why.
I am not the normal market for this bag. I'm not a tactical operator, not police, not EMS, not military. I'm a schmo run commuter and a nurse. But I like simple and clean designs and I like things that are over built. For those things Goruck is my market.
Here are some side by side of my Black GR1 26 liter with my new Wolf Grey Rucker (20 liter).
So the GR1 is just a little bigger all the way around. Taller, wider, and deeper. For the most part the only major differences between the bags is the lack of laptop compartment on the back. And there is some detail differences on the straps.
The black ones look much stronger and more reinforced but I think it's just an overlay anyway.
Inside is simple and clean. And it opens flat like a suitcase. I cannot stress enough how important this is. It makes packing the bag a breeze. Fold your clothes flat and just lay then inside. So easy! No more rolling clothes.
The Rucker has a Velcro pouch that is meant to hold rucking weight plates. I'm running to work over 5 miles as my workout, I don't need an extra 30 pounds. But is a great pouch to secure any 11.5” by 9” items. So an iPad or small laptop.
The elasticized pouch in front will fit a 3 liter hydration bladder. Or secure a pretty huge laptop.
The front panel has an open thick mesh storage pouch. With a closed zippered portion on the upper part. These are the areas that you will be putting all your keys, wallets and other quick access items.
The front outside has a slash zippered pouch that runs all the way to the bottom of the bag.
Speaking of zippers…
Nice heavy duty zippers with a flap that covers the entire ziooer.
There is a super heavy duty Velcro access port for a hydration bladder hose.
Here is where the magic happens...3 inch wide and over a half inch thick. The pack stuffed and full feels like you are giving a koala bear a piggy back ride.
That's why I call my bag koala gray...not wolf grey.
The bottom has another heavy duty handle
This comes into play for the Goruck events were apparently no one really knows how to use a backpack 😉
No! Pick it up!
Not overhead?!?! Use the straps!
No, no, no, put it on your back!
No! You put your pack on your back! Don't put the guy with the pack on your back!
That's probably why Jason the maniac is always smiling watching all these guys use backpacks wrong.
Oh shit! He's not smiling in this photo! It's freaking out Drax’s little brother on the left as much as it's freaking me out! But little beard photo bomber in the back thinks it's funny.
So how does this back perform as a run commuter?
With some extra reflectivity, add on chest strap, and a hydration bladder.
I love this bag! For an everyday bag I think I give the slight edge to the GR1 in basic black but for run commuting the slightly smaller 20L Rucker is perfect for me as my daily driver to and from work. That smaller size makes it feel much lighter and being shorter it doesn't ride down as low on my back.
The full zip opening makes loading the back simple. Also as a side effect keeps it cleaner since everytime you open the bag you can get out all of those small little things that fall down to the bottom of your back purse.
The molle webbing on the front is just a feast for the imagination. Use bungee cords to strap extra stuff to the outside. Carabiner anything you want to the outside of the bag. And then there are all the other ready made molle pouches and accessories that you can find.
My only real request that I would reasonably make is for more Velcro attachment on the front...there is only room for one morale patch.
I want the whole front area above the molle to be patch attachable.
The Rucker is also a little easier on the wallet at $265 but if you are, or know anyone who is, a vet, active duty, cop, teacher, student, firefighter, EMS , or government employee you get a 25% discount which makes the bag a more reasonable $199.
If you have a laptop that you run with I would recommend the GR1 at 21 liters. My black bag is the GR1 26L. So the make a GR1 in the Rucker size but it's $395 ($300 with discount).
Here is a link to my review of the GR1 26L again if you missed it the first time or didn't want to read it.
Please read it if you have a chance. The Rucker and the GR1 are basically the same bag minus the laptop sleeve. And the size difference for the one that I chose. The GR1 comes in 21L and the Rucker is 20L. The extra liter is the laptop sleeve capacity I think.
Or you can check out the same review and more run commuting tips on the run commuter.
Thanks for reading guys but me and the Rucker gotta run….
