Information on RUCKING and PACKWEIGHT updated in 2025, here
via @Jw, ty
Garmin is about to add a Rucking Sport Profile to select sports devices with additional analyses in the Garmin Connect app.
Garmin Rucking – The Details
Garmin will soon support rucking by introducing a dedicated sports profile in its watches, making tracking progress easier with added pack weight. Ruckers (is that a word?) can now manually add the weight of their pack, allowing them to monitor its impact on their overall fitness metrics without altering other activity stats. With the new rucking profile, Garmin users can track basic metrics like distance and pace and how pack weight influences their endurance and muscle strength over time. As far as I know, no other brand supports rucking.
Adding pack weight to hikes is a potentially good way to increase difficulty and improve fitness, and Garmin’s new feature will help users track this more precisely. The Garmin device records the total weight of your pack and its contents so users can observe how pack weight affects their training metrics and identify trends. With these updates, Garmin enables ruckers to get more out of each session, using data-driven insights to enhance strength and cardiovascular health.
When?
Soon. ie this year (2024)
Any other speculation
This feature might be announced alongside an Instinct 3, though there is no new intel. #Speculation
Take Out
Further reading: Garmin Instinct 2X Solar Perovskite Solar Panel upgrade….
For the complete guide to hiking technology, navigation, and off-grid safety, see the .
Last Updated on 4 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red light therapy for niggles. It works.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love, which is this site, and I appreciate everyone who supports it.
Support the site: Follow (free, fewer ads) · Subscribe (paid, ad-free) · Buy Me A Coffee ❤️
Written by real people, with AI assistance. Fact-checked and verified for originality. See the Editorial Policy. FTC: Affiliate Disclosure — some links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
Aaaaah, when will they add unicycling???
after horse riding and unicorn riding I believe.
Horseback riding has been added as an activity on the Fenix 8 if you did it know.
sorry, i was being temporarily hilarious. at least i thought so 😉
the horse was the link to the unicorn which linked back to the unicycle. Jokes are always funnier when you have to explain them and when they’re not funny 🙁
I cannot fathom that they haven’t added roller ski as a separate activity.
roller skis are the ones that take up the entire road width? we have a couple of guys around here that do that and it looks fun. Going up hills…less so.
It’s basically a road version of cross country skiing. People do both skate and classic. It’s a somewhat popular activity for many endurance athletes in countries with a big cross country culture.
This is great! A days mountain trek with 20kg on the backs vs 2 is quite different and has given a faulty training score so far.
there’s going to be ways to determine rucking vs regular use. I’m unsure of the details on exactly how and how it might integrate with the physio metrics
Hopefully I can add pack weight to the Hiking activity as well … since we don’t get a Trekking activity 🙂