GORUCK Reviews

Pricey and the customer service left a lot to be desired. Got interested after reading about their products in a book and did a test run with an old backpack and some water jugs. Seemed like a good fit for me, so I bought a Rucker 4.0. The company talks a big game about military connections and American-made gear, but honestly most of their stuff is imported. Mine came from Vietnam and it's well-built, but you're paying top dollar for overseas products. I was also surprised there was no hip belt included at this price point, but I thought maybe their design didn't need one. Turns out I was wrong. Twenty pounds in that pack was uncomfortable on my shoulders and neck. Fine, I'll spend more money on a hip belt. Problem is the standard size was out of stock. I called to check when they'd have it. Actually I couldn't call since they don't have customer service phone support. You have to message them. They told me the belts shouldn't be long and they'd let me know when stock arrived. Months passed. Nothing. I checked the website periodically and it still said out of stock. Six months later I see they're back in stock but nobody notified me. I ordered right away. More waiting. Then ten days go by after I paid before they even ship it. Ten days!

I've placed multiple orders on this site with different credit cards that were active and working, both American Express and Visa. Every single order got cancelled days after I successfully completed the purchase. No explanation, no message, no actual person reached out. Really frustrating experience.

Can't complain about my purchases from this company. They've managed to work around new shipping regulations and get items across borders without any issues. I haven't had problems with the products themselves, even though I've read about quality concerns from some folks. The stuff made in Vietnam that I received is solid and meets their standards. Definitely recommend them.

Their customer service is absolutely terrible and I don't trust this company. I recently moved and my credit card auto-filled my old address. I immediately sent them an email AND called their support line right away. Left a voicemail explaining what happened. They ignored me, kept my money, and shipped a backpack across the country. Never called or emailed me back once. I've never been ghosted by a company so fast in my life.

Really poor customer service experience. I tried out one of their packs with a hip belt and realized the hip belt was important to me. They're completely out of the standard size and only have the small available. They said the standard size wouldn't be back for four to six weeks (basically they had no idea). I was ready to spend four to five hundred dollars if they'd just extend the thirty day return window on the belt only until the standard size came back in case the small didn't work for me. But they basically told me to just buy it anyway and return the belt, then wait indefinitely for the standard size to eventually appear. That answer was totally unacceptable for something this expensive.

Got a pair of hiking boots called the MACV-1 from GORUCK. The company makes military-style equipment and is based in Florida. They advertise these boots as tough, military-grade, and backed by a lifetime warranty. Shipping them to my country was expensive, but I trusted their promise to repair or replace any defects. After three and a half years of regular hiking, the glue holding the sole to one boot started coming loose and over a third of the sole peeled away. Since these are made for wet conditions, I expected the construction with the glue and stitching to handle moisture exposure. It seemed like a manufacturing defect. I figured they'd honor their guarantee. But GORUCK refused. They said they only cover soles worn completely through, not what they call normal wear and tear. That doesn't make sense. If a boot is falling apart at a structural level...

The GR1 isn't designed well for hauling this much weight. A properly built and fitted rucksack should put almost no strain on your shoulders because a hip belt transfers everything to your hips. This one has no hip belt included, though you can buy one separately, but it's weak and not integrated well enough to actually work. So you're carrying all that weight on your shoulders and neck. I can't say if it's harmful but it's definitely uncomfortable. Get yourself a real hiking backpack with a proper wide hip belt and just fill it with regular weights. Your shoulders will feel much better.

Bought a Rucker 4.0 with the sternum strap. The strap connects to the pack with a flimsy plastic attachment that snapped after just a couple uses. When I asked for a replacement, GORUCK told me this part wasn't covered by warranty. At that price point I was really frustrated that they wouldn't help. They clearly don't back up what they sell.

The products are really well made and high quality. What really stands out though is their customer service team went above and beyond helping me with an unusual request.

Grabbed the 21L Dyneema M23 and I'm really happy I snagged it when they had it marked down to ninety-nine bucks before the price went back up to one seventy-five (which is still a solid deal considering it usually goes for three thirty-five). Ordered late November and had it by early December. Everything about the purchase, shipping, and delivery was smooth. Wasn't even planning on this bag but couldn't pass up that deal. For a twenty-one liter bag it holds a lot, which is great. The twenty-six liter model must be huge. I used to not be into roll top backpacks but the M23 changed my mind. The external pockets are fantastic, and I especially love that you can access the main compartment from outside without going through the top. Tons of external storage that makes this perfect for everyday carry. It fits me well, comes with a sternum strap that I haven't bothered using since I don't think it's needed on a smaller pack. Really digging the M23 so far. Planning to use it mostly for light travel and daily carry. This is my seventh GORUCK bag now. Love what they make.