There is an optional waist/hip belt available for GoRuck packs but they didn’t have the size I needed and so I started without it. I haven’t felt a need to buy one yet but there’s no doubt that all the weight is carried by the shoulders doing it this way, so it’s definitely not identical to backpacking. No doubt the setup isn’t cheap but there are often coupon codes and weight plates can be purchased on Amazon for a lot less than on GoRuck’s website. It’s definitely a splurge type purchase but it does seem to fit my lifestyle and gets me carrying weight a lot more than I otherwise would. Also, since my backpacking setup is far lighter than the 35-40 pounds I carry in the GoRuck, any kind of hiking is now easier in comparison, especially with the hip belt transfer.
ravi_jmt2013