Rucking (walking or hiking with a weighted backpack) is an excellent full-body workout that burns calories and builds strength. But can Garmin track your rucking workouts? The answer is YES.
The Garmin Tactix 8 has a dedicated rucking activity, and the latest Fenix Beta V15.6 updates from Garmin add rucking features to the Fenix 8 AMOLED, Fenix 8 Solar, Enduro 3, and Fenix E models.
But what if you don’t have a Tactix 8 or Garmin Fenix 8 ? Don’t worry! In this guide, I’ll show you how to enable rucking on ANY Garmin watch—even if your model doesn’t have a dedicated rucking mode.
While it’s not a perfect one-to-one match, this method effectively mimics the rucking activity of the Tactix 8. It’s easy to set up and use. Are you ready to get started?
Set up Garmin Connect: Your first step to rucking.
Let’s prepare your Garmin Connect app for rucking.
Mimicking the rucking activity
To enable Rucking on any Garmin watch, we need to create a custom rucking activity. Instead of selecting ‘Hiking,’ you must copy the ‘Walking’ activity.
Why? Garmin counts ‘Walking’ activities toward step challenges, while ‘Hiking’ does not. Here’s how to set it up
how to add rucking to Garmin. Step-by-step instructions:
How to copy the “Hiking” activity:
- Open the Garmin Connect app on your phone.
- Tap on your watch in the app.
- Go to the “Activities” section.
- Select the “Walking” activity.
- Tap on the three dots (ellipses) in the top right corner.
- Select “Copy activity”
- Name the new activity “Jerk” (or “Jerk test” or whatever you want)
- Tap on “Save.”
Adding Rucking to your activity list
Now, let’s make sure ‘Rucking’ appears on your Garmin watch for easy access. Follow these steps:
- Tap the “+” icon in the activity area.
- Scroll down to find your new activity, “Rucking”.
- Tap on the “+” next to the activity to add it to your list.
Customizations (optional)
Want to customize the data screens? You can customize the readings your watch displays during your jerk activity. That’s a topic for another time.
Pin for easy access:
Use the following steps to make backpacks your favorite activity:
- Tap “Edit” in the activities section of the app.
- Select the “+” next to the “Test backpacks” activity to move it to the top.
If you pin the activity, it will appear at the top of the activity list on your watch. This will save you time when you’re ready to rock!
How to Enable Rucking on Any Garmin Watch (Easy Hack)
Pack Weight: Getting Accurate Rucking Data
Let’s talk about backpack weight. It’s the key to accurate data about your backpack training.
The importance of pack weight
The weight of your pack affects your calorie burn and overall fitness. Studies show that carrying a weighted backpack can increase calorie consumption by up to 30%. That’s a big difference.
Method 1: Using a Garmin index scale
If you have a Garmin index scale, you can easily synchronize your weight with your watch. This also applies to the weight of your backpack.
This is how it works:
- Place your backpack on the Garmin index scale.
- Step on the scale while wearing your backpack.
- Let the scale upload your weight to Garmin Connect.
- Synchronize your watch with Garmin Connect.
Check the weight on your watch:
Check that the weight on your watch is correct:
- Press and hold the center button on your Garmin watch.
- Go to “Settings” > “User profile” > “Weight.”
- Make sure that the weight matches the display on the scale.
Some Garmin watches allow you to set up hotkeys for quick access to the settings.
Method 2: Manual weight adjustment
Don’t have a smart scale? No problem. You can adjust your weight manually on your watch. Just add the weight of your backpack to your body weight.
Controversy Note:
There are conflicting opinions on how this affects calorie accuracy. Some say that Garmin only uses heart rate to calculate calories.
Nevertheless, it is a good idea to enter your correct weight to get the most accurate data.
Visual comparison: weight matters
Even a tiny difference in weight can affect your calorie consumption figures.
For example, on a short walk with a backpack, the calories burned at 196 pounds were significantly different than at 221 pounds.
This shows how important it is to have your current weight in your Garmin profile for data tracking.
Why a subsequent weight adjustment is not enough
You can change your weight in Garmin Connect after your activity.
However, this will not retroactively change your training data. It is best to set the correct weight before you start training.
Displaying the activity name: So that “Rucking” is displayed!
After uploading your activity, you expect it to say “Rucking,” right? Sometimes Garmin Connect shows “Walking” instead. Here you can find out how to change this.
The solution: Adjusting the display preferences
This setting applies to Garmin Connect on your computer (PC or Mac).
This is how you proceed:
- Open Garmin Connect on your computer.
- Click on your profile icon in the top right corner
- Go to “Account settings.”
- Select “Display settings”
- Under “Activity name,” select the option “Device activity name”.
This will ensure that the activity name you create (“Rucking,” “Rucking Test,” etc.) is displayed in Garmin Connect.
Wrap-Up
There you have it. This is a simple workaround to get the Ruck activity onto any Garmin watch.
Rucking is a fantastic activity. Add the correct weight details and you’ll get an accurate report on your Garmin watch.
Have you tried this workaround? What do you think about it? Share your backpacking tips in the comments below.
