How to Track Rucking on Strava: Pack Weight, Pace and Calories

Record a ruck in Strava as Walk or Hike, then add the weight you carried to the activity description or private notes. Strava's current sport list has no dedicated Rucking option. A note such as “20 lb pack” gives you a useful training record; it is not a documented input to Strava's calorie calculation.

These instructions were checked against Strava's help documentation on September 10, 2026. They cover phone recording and activities synced from a watch. For apps that accept pack weight directly, see our rucking apps comparison.

Should you choose Walk or Hike?

For a neighborhood or pavement ruck, we suggest Walk. For a trail outing, Hike is a useful convention. That is our way of organizing a training log, not a Strava rule about where you may use either label.

Choose consistently so you can find comparable sessions later. The same loop with the same starting load tells you more about progress than comparing a flat walk with a steep hike just because both covered three miles.

Both labels appear in Strava's supported sport types. Some Strava features are limited to running, riding or swimming, so do not expect every running analysis screen to appear on a Walk or Hike.

Record a ruck with the Strava phone app

1. Open Record in the bottom navigation.
2. Tap the sport icon beside Start and select Walk or Hike. Check this each time: the app can remember your previous sport.
3. Tap Start when you begin your session.
4. At the end, tap Pause, then Finish.
5. Add a title and description, and check who can see the activity. Include your pack weight in your notes.
6. Select Save Activity on iOS, or Save at the upper right on Android.

This sequence follows Strava's recording instructions. Basic recording and sharing are free; that does not mean every planning or analysis feature is included.

Where to put your pack weight

The documented workflow has no dedicated pack-weight field. Use the description for a note your activity audience can read, or use private notes under Details when saving or editing. Strava says private notes are visible only to you; a public activity's description cannot be made private on its own. See its privacy controls FAQ.

Log the whole pack's starting weight, including the pack, plate, water and other contents. A 10 lb plate does not mean a 10 lb total load. If you only know the plate weight, label it that way so future comparisons are honest.

Here is an example format to copy into your notes. It is a blank training-log template, not a recorded session:

Ruck: [route or session name]
Starting pack weight: ___ lb / kg
Water included in that weight: ___
Activity type: Walk / Hike
Surface and hills: ___
Distance: ___
Elapsed time, including stops: ___
Effort and comfort notes: ___

Use the last line for something you can act on: a heel slipping, a shoulder strap rubbing, or a pace that felt comfortable. Keep elapsed time labeled separately from moving time. If one session includes a long stop, comparing the two as though they used the same clock can mislead you. Our pace calculator helps convert distance and time into a planning pace.

If you record with a watch

Record once on the watch, then sync through its supported connection to Strava. Starting a second phone recording as well can leave you with two records of the same outing. Strava's upload guide links to device-specific setup instructions.

After a device upload, Strava's mobile Quick Edit lets you change the title and description and review visibility. Select Done to save those edits, or Advanced Edit for the full editor. This shortcut is for device uploads, not activities recorded directly in the phone app. See Activity Quick Edit.

Check the sport label and load note after the first sync. A watch's Rucking label may not transfer to Strava unchanged, and you should not assume its pack-weight field will appear in the description. Add your own note if it is missing.

Change the sport on a saved activity

On mobile, open the activity, select the upper-right three-dot menu, then Edit. Select the current sport, choose its replacement, and save. On the web, open the activity and use the pencil on the left, then the Sport dropdown and Save.

Changing sport can affect analysis and segment matches. It does not establish that an imported calorie figure now accounts for pack weight. These steps come from Strava's activity-type instructions.

Does Strava calculate rucking calories?

Check where the number came from. Strava displays calories supplied by an upload partner when that data is included. If no calorie value arrives, or you record in the Strava phone app, Strava calculates an estimate for supported activities, including Walk and Hike. A watch or app may use different inputs from Strava.

Strava's calorie documentation does not describe a pack-weight adjustment for its Walk or Hike calculation. Writing the load in your title or notes is therefore a recordkeeping step, not a verified calorie correction. Changing your Strava profile weight will not change a calorie total supplied by an upload partner.

For a separate estimate that accepts load, use our rucking calorie calculator and read its method and limitations. Keep the source beside any number you log: “watch estimate” and “calculator estimate” are different records. Neither is a direct measurement of your energy use.

Common questions