Weight Vests Vs. Backpacks: The Ultimate Guide
Comparing 10 differences between the two for better fitness, fat loss, injury prevention, and more.
Post summary
Ever wondered if it’s better to use a weighted pack or vest?
This post explains 10 key differences between the two.
You’ll learn the best tool for the job, no matter your fitness level, task, or goal.
To my knowledge, this is the deepest dive on the subject in existence.
Housekeeping
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Audio version
It’s located at the bottom of this post.
The post
On Monday, we explored how weight vests can trick your body into losing weight by leveraging the “gravitostat” hypothesis.
A few of you asked me if you’d get the same fat loss effect from a weighted pack. The answer: Yes1.
I get many questions about the difference between walking with a weighted vest versus a backpack. A couple of years ago, I dug into the research and spoke with Kelly Starrett.
Kelly Starrett is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and co-founder of The Ready State. TL;DR, he’s one of the brightest public minds in human movement. He’s worked with teams in all major sports and has contracts with the US Military.
I wanted to create the definitive guide comparing vests versus backpacks. And, well, here it is.
This post examines ten key differences between the two and helps you determine which is best based on your goals, needs, and environment.
You’ll learn:
Which is best for walking long distances.
Which is most versatile across settings.
Which lowers your risk of injury the most.
Which strengthens your abs more.
Which supports better breathing mechanics and prevents overheating.
Which is easiest to load, fit, and use correctly.
Which is most practical in the real world (featuring an idiotic cautionary tale about one of my idiotic friends!).
Which tool first responders and military members should use.
Which works best for non-walking exercises, such as bodyweight workouts.
Which is most scalable as you improve your fitness.
Before we begin, an important note: That you carry weight is far more important than how you carry it. Use this information to discover and guide what works best for you.
Let’s roll …