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You can use books as weight for a short beginner ruck if the backpack is suitable, the total load is manageable and the books can be secured without pressing awkwardly into your back. You do not automatically need a purpose-built plate to try walking with a load. Books do have drawbacks: bulk, hard edges, uncertain weight and vulnerability to moisture.
This is a materials-choice guide for someone who wants to test the idea before buying specialised equipment. Our rucking for beginners guide covers the activity itself, while the rucking load-shifting guide covers detailed packing problems.
For men over 35 or 40, a small trial can be more useful than buying a complete setup before discovering whether the routine suits you. The important question is whether the load and bag behave properly during your intended walk.
Books and plates provide weight in different shapes
A stack of books is available in many homes and easy to alter by removing one item. It is also bulky compared with a purpose-built dense plate. The same total weight can occupy different amounts of space and sit differently inside the bag.
A plate has known dimensions and a labelled weight, but it needs a compatible carrying arrangement. Buying one does not automatically turn an ordinary backpack into a suitable rucking pack. An unsecured plate can move, press into the bag or damage it.
Books are not automatically comfortable just because you carried schoolbooks years ago. Their corners, covers and spines can create concentrated pressure. A stack may also spread or rotate when you turn. Check the complete setup rather than judging the material in isolation.
GORUCK's introductory discussion of rucking includes walking with a backpack containing books or other weight. That establishes books as one way people start, not as proof that every book-and-bag combination is appropriate for every person.
Choose books you can afford to use as ballast
Do not start with valuable, borrowed or sentimental books. Covers and pages may be marked, bent or exposed to moisture. Choose replaceable items you own and inspect them for sharp protrusions, damaged bindings or anything that could scratch the pack.
A few similarly sized books may be easier to organise than a chaotic stack of different shapes. But do not select a heavier stack solely because it looks neat. The correct arrangement still has to suit the bag and your ability.
Hardbacks tend to hold their shape, while paperbacks can flex. Neither property guarantees comfort. Try the arrangement with the bag off, feel the back panel and check whether you can sense a corner or spine through it.
Keep loose papers, bookmarks and accessories out of the stack. They add clutter without making the load better. The goal is an easily inspected set of items, not emptying the entire bookshelf into a backpack.
Weigh the complete backpack
Three books can weigh very different amounts depending on paper, dimensions and binding. Counting books is therefore a poor substitute for measuring the complete setup. Include the bag, water and any other items you intend to carry.
If a suitable scale can hold the packed bag within its capacity, weigh it directly. Another practical option is to compare your weight holding the bag with your weight without it on an appropriate household scale. That gives an estimate; it is not a laboratory measurement.
Write down the total and the contents so you can reproduce a manageable setup. If you later add a bottle or change a book, check again. Calling the load “about the same” can hide a larger change than you intended.
There is no universal book weight every man over 40 should start with. Your normal walking routine, physical capacity and bag all matter. Choose a light, controllable trial rather than applying someone else's challenge target.
Check whether the backpack can carry the load
Inspect the bag before loading it. Check seams, shoulder-strap attachments, the back panel, zippers and any intended retention pockets. Read the manufacturer's limits and intended use where available. A lightweight promotional bag is not equivalent to a pack designed for carrying a substantial load.
A laptop sleeve is not automatically a weight pocket. It may hold a flat book, but that does not establish that its stitching or suspension can carry a dense stack repeatedly. Use it only within the bag's intended use and guidance.
Check how the loaded bag fits your torso. Straps should adjust properly, the bag should not hang loosely away from you and normal movement should remain comfortable. Our guide to weight shifting in a backpack explains why a stable insert and a stable pack are separate checks.
REI's daypack guidance emphasises trying a pack with weight and assessing fit. Its hiking advice is useful equipment context; it is not a prescribed rucking load for this article.
Arrange the books so they stay together
Use the bag's intended organisation and retention features. Keep the load balanced and reasonably close to your back without hard objects pressing through the panel. Avoid putting a dense stack in an outer pocket where it pulls the bag away from you.
REI's backpack-loading advice discusses balanced, stable packing and positioning dense items appropriately. Apply that general principle while following your specific bag's instructions; not every pack has the same structure.
A light protective wrap may keep book surfaces from rubbing against one another. Any padding should be secure and should not disguise a poor fit. Loose towels that migrate through the compartment do not make the books reliably retained.
Do not tape the stack to the backpack, punch new holes or modify the straps to force a configuration. If the bag cannot hold the chosen books securely with its intended features, use fewer suitable items, a different arrangement or another appropriate bag.
Lift and put on the loaded bag carefully according to its design. If doing so is awkward or uncontrolled, reduce the load before the walk. The equipment needs to be manageable at the beginning and end as well as while moving.
Protect the books from moisture
Books and rain are a poor combination. Use appropriate protection for the items if your bag and conditions require it. A cover can help with exposure, but do not assume any cover or liner makes the whole backpack waterproof.
Pack drinking water in a suitable closed container and check it for leaks before placing it near books. Keeping the bottle separate from the book stack may simplify inspection. A soaked book can expand, deform and become a different load from the one you tested.
After use, remove the books and inspect the bag. Let damp items dry as appropriate instead of leaving everything closed until the next session. If books have become mouldy or damaged, replace the ballast rather than continuing to carry it.
For a first trial, suitable dry weather is one less variable. You can learn whether the material and routine work before adding wet-weather logistics.
Make the first outing a setup test
Start near home on a familiar, easy route. Keep the planned outing short enough that turning back is straightforward. Wear familiar comfortable footwear and do not add a hill challenge while testing the load for the first time.
- Record the books and total packed weight.
- Inspect and close the bag, checking its retention features.
- Put it on and confirm that breathing and normal movement feel comfortable.
- Walk a short section at an easy pace.
- Check for corners, pressure, movement or an altered walking pattern.
- Stop and adjust or remove the load if the setup does not work.
Do not walk farther simply because the books were free. Equipment cost says nothing about whether the trial suits you. If the bag requires constant holding, rearrangement or a new way of walking, the setup is unfinished.
Stop for pain, numbness, dizziness or unusual breathlessness. Those are not problems to solve by adding more padding or “getting used to” the load. Remove it and seek appropriate advice for concerning symptoms.
When a plate or purpose-built pack may be worthwhile
Consider specialised equipment after you know what practical problem you want to solve. Perhaps the books take up too much space, the arrangement changes each time or you want a known load with a compatible retention system. Those are concrete reasons to compare products.
Check plate dimensions and approved compatibility together with the bag. A labelled weight is not enough. The intended pocket or retention system must secure that particular insert, and the pack must suit the total load.
You may instead decide that ordinary walking is the routine you enjoy. Our after-work reset walk needs no added ballast. Or you may prefer a vest, in which case weighted vest walking has its own starting and fit considerations.
A sensible purchase improves a routine you want to repeat. It does not need to happen before your first useful trial, and it should not become an excuse to increase load faster than you can manage.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start rucking with textbooks?
They can provide weight for a light trial if the bag is suitable and the books can be secured comfortably. Weigh the complete load and test it near home.
Are hardcover books better than paperbacks?
There is no automatic winner. Hardbacks hold shape but have firm corners; paperbacks can flex. Evaluate the actual arrangement, comfort and stability.
Can I put books in the laptop sleeve?
Check the backpack's intended use. A laptop sleeve is not automatically approved for a heavy ballast load, even if the books fit.
Do I need a ruck plate after a certain weight?
There is no universal switch point. Compatibility, bag capacity, bulk and comfort matter. A purpose-built plate still needs the correct retention system.
Should I use books when travelling?
You can consider the same equipment checks, but do not add load just to maintain a walking habit. Our travel walking routine guide starts with ordinary walking and destination planning.
Sources and further reading
- GORUCK: introductory discussion of rucking.
- REI: packing and handling a backpack.
- REI: choosing and assessing a daypack.
The materials comparison and trial checklist are practical guidance, not a personalised exercise prescription. Manufacturer instructions take priority over an improvised load.
Tim Lekach founded Vitamin Hippo in 2020. He writes about men's healthy aging through personal experience and careful reading of published research. His own observations are identified as such, not presented as clinical proof.
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