Undoubtedly, physically, I am ready to increase the weight of my rucksack while rucking. Still, am I mentally ready for it?
I wrote this text on the 13th of December, 2025. It was a day when I was rucking with the highest possible (for me) weight of my backpack (37.5 kg [83 lbs]). I took over 11.5k steps while taking over 150 pictures on Warsaw’s streets. Was there anything special in today’s walk? Yes. It was the third in a row walking with such a heavy rucksack when I did not have to take any break (the two previous such walks occurred, from what I remember, two weeks ago). I remember that I wrote that I would start to consider increasing the weight of my backpack only after taking three subsequent walks with the highest possible weight on my back and shoulders without any single break.
The funny thing is that it happened today.
I feel and know that my body is ready to take on more. Still, I think that my mind is not ready. I doubt I will increase my burden by the end of 2025. I do not want to push myself anyhow. If I feel I am not ready for it, I won’t do it. The fact that I can walk with such heavy equipment does not mean it is light for me. I still feel this burden on my muscles. I do not want to speed up the process.
I’ve been walking with the 37.5 kg on my back and shoulders since the beginning of June 2025.
I do not have to force myself to increase the weight now. I hope to do rucking until the end of my life, and I feel that too rushing myself can lead me to the hospital, and this is not what I expect from rucking. I will increase the weight only when I feel my mind is ready, even though I know my body is already prepared.
