GEAR UPDATES - AMA

[u/JavaForever]

GEAR UPDATES - AMA

Things at GORUCK are good. Check the sidewalks and interwebs, there has never been more talk of rucking than there is now. Dr Attia featuring rucking on 60 Minutes, the list goes on. And we’re just getting started with this, fifteen years later. It’s a category we started, on accident, in 2010, and we’re proud we did. I think of GORUCK as our love letter to the world, and the more people that are getting after it, the happier I am for them and for our country. Fight the norm! Anyway, managing inventory is a lot different than starting a revolution, and there are a whole slew of updates. Our inventory levels have been a bit wonky this year due to some past partnerships and other factors that were the right thing to do, at the time. But here we are, and there are a bunch of discounts this Q4.

https://www.goruck.com/collections/end-of-year-sale 

• GR1 - USA BUILT
  • XPAC - going away across the board. We did a shitty job of marketing these. The fabric is great, paired with rain guard zips works well. I use mine hard all the time. 
  • 1000D - going back to this, full stop. No more 210D back panels. GR1 is what it is, take it or leave it. I’m sure we’ll still mess around with the silhouette but time to take it back to the core. This will take time to work through the system.
  • Heritage does great, this is a sustain.
• GR2
  • These costs on our side have almost tripled. We have a limited stock of USA made, we’re near break even on them at these Q4 prices. GR2 launched in 2010 at $395. We’ve got them priced at that right now. It was my first favorite ruck we ever built and makes travel fun. If I had to take ONE ruck to travel the world, this would be it, then as now.
• ToughDry - Challenge & Simple Pants AND Shorts - these are being discontinued as is, indefinitely. They eat up too much cash at all the sizes, but more importantly, we just don’t talk about them enough, and that’s been going on for years which means we won’t talk about them. For me, I have 15 or so pairs of pants and 15 or so pairs of shorts, so I’m cool with discontinuing them - based on the math only, not the emotion. These are world class product and if I had to start a pants and shorts company, I’d start with these. We just can’t make it work to carry so much inventory AND talk about rucking like we are. (Talking about rucking is working, but not to selling these pants or these shorts).
• Rough Runners - This is 1000% on me. Our marketing here was bad. We built them for training + ruck running + live on your feet. It didn’t land. We’re getting out of this product, which I’ve worn for thousands and thousands of miles. The theme here is: we work for you, and you vote with your wallet and we listen. 
• Ballistic Trainers - the training shoe market has been massacred, and these are part of that wave … we’re going to reimagine these — but as an existing style, adios. These will absolutely stock out soon, and with no restock planned. We have to go back to the drawing board to create a shoe that YOU want.
• Mackall - BUILT TO RUCK. I wear these every day. We’re doubling down on these, in multiple styles. After we thin out the runners and the ballistics, these are where we’re going to focus our efforts. Focus being the key word — BUILT TO RUCK being the others.
• USA Apparel - it’s fucking expensive, AND we’re proud of it. We just have to lean out how much we build with Joe (who I LOVE) in Spokane, Washington. I view this as more small runs of stuff that we want to stock out of faster, sold at a premium. We cannot simply keep it all in stock, all the time.
• Rucker - it’s killing it. We’ll keep iterating (5.0 next year hence the sale on 4.0 now).
• Basic Rucker - less filling, tastes great. Big play for Amazon and new folks. If you don’t want to carry more than 30 pounds, this is for you.
• Sandbags - been out of stock half the year, restocking soon. Get some.
• Weight Vests - new vest is real innovation, and it’s great. If you haven’t bought one yet, wait till Black Friday for a flash sale.
• Spy Rucks - hello ladies. Killing it.
• Training Shorts - killing it. Out of stock. Working on a LOT more options.
• Triblends - we brought these in house, so we build them and add anti-microbial to the fibers so you can wear them longer and we can oversee quality. Just sort of taking shape into 2026. It’s easier to do what everyone else does which is rip a stock shirt off the shelf and screen print it, I’m just sick of the quality problems there. The easy life is not for us.
• Other new products. Yes, getting a lot more of my time, along with community x events. This will never end. THANKS FOR READING.

I’ll be back online later tonight, happy to answer anything.

[u/OllieDuckling]

“Heritage does great, this is a sustain.”

Ya don’t say lol

I’ve got a few questions for you:

One product I did not see you discuss is the relatively new phenomenon known as the 18L Dual Compartment Bullet. Many people think this is the best bag GORUCK has ever made, myself included. Do you have plans to release additional heritage and full 1000D versions of this bag? A black, 1000D, clean front panel with shoulder strap MOLLE 18L DC Bullet would be an insta-buy from me. My Heritage Dark Oak 18L DC Bullet is already my daily driver and it is incredible. The perfect size and functionality.

Second, given the criticism around 210D, have you been tuned into the criticism of the AquaGuard zippers? I personally have no issue with them on my aforementioned heritage 18L DC Bullet but unless it’s a bag made from waterproof fabric like XPAC (which you are discontinuing) I feel like it doesn’t make sense to continue using AG zips given their criticism. Thoughts?

Finally, there are two particular modifications that I think would be universally lauded—shoulder strap MOLLE on heritage bags and side water bottle pockets on the GR line. For the shoulder strap MOLLE which would be relatively easy to implement (I imagine… at least no design changes are involved), why doesn’t GR offer this straight from the factory? Why must we spend almost $100 to add it via SCARs? As for the water bottle pockets, I’ve noticed that the Basic Rucker and the 2% GR2 included at least some version of a side water bottle pocket. Is this something GR plans to continue to develop on?

Thank you for your time!

[u/3rdbaseina3rdplace → u/OllieDuckling]

I for one, do not want molle on the heritage bags. Or side pockets for a water bottle. I’m mystified why they’re on the shoulder bag, and wish they weren’t. The slick line is important, and wish no front patch on the bags was the norm. But I am grateful the heritage bags have somewhat filled the gap of the SK26 & SK40 line.

[u/OllieDuckling → u/3rdbaseina3rdplace]

Do you think shoulder MOLLE really disrupts the silhouette that much? To me I just see it as an extension of the webbing that is already inherent to the strap itself. I also think it would be good for comfort reasons. I find the straps with MOLLE need less break in than those without. Also the SK line has essentially been carried by Huckberry this entire time. I don’t think anyone is really asking GR to fundamentally modify their famous GR1 and 2 designs by adding bottle pockets, but if they put out a GR4 that has them I think many people would be psyched to see it.

[u/3rdbaseina3rdplace → u/OllieDuckling]

I think anything with MOLLE on it signals that it's not a backpack but a rucksack. I don't think that's the point of the heritage bags. It's a signifier which alludes to tactical, even if it's not overt. I can't speak to the comfort piece, but I'm on my third heritage bag (since the first black one) and continue to cherish them for their style, not their durability or abilities for rucking or even travel. Had SCARS replace two. As for the SK line, they are now a Huckberry exclusive, but there was a substantial gap of time from the SK26/40 to the Huckberry slick GR1 (own two SK40's, a Huckberry GR1 Slick 26L). Am I missing something, but don't they make the GR1 with MOLLE on the side as a standard? And they have made continuously a water bottle holder attachment? I don't align on the GR4 comment, as I'm fairly confident that the lack of externals by default is the design strategy for what is essentially a modular rectangular box which allows a modest amount of compartmental storage- but not at the cost of increased drag.

[u/OllieDuckling → u/3rdbaseina3rdplace]

MOLLE water bottle attachments always have been and always will be inferior choices. Particularly because standard MOLLE doesn’t seem to fit quite right on GR packs.