Ok im new to this, the light - ultra light setup, but im former military and have some of my old kit to include an old recon kit. meaning the lightweight rucksack with a minimal frame water proof and durable as all heck. ive used this countless times in real world applications but im wondering if i should stick with this or if i should get a newer backpack for the hiking excursions.

First of all, thanks for your service and welcome. I would say stick to the kit you are familiar with and which has worked out for you in the real world. When, and if it wears out, or if it just does not work for the application then it is time to replace it. As I am sure you know, not all government issued equipment is the best, for example cotton BDUs are terrible in cold, wet conditions.
Assess what works for you in your area and what doesn't. You may be able to use some of your kit, all of it or none of it. It will probably take a couple of trips to figure it out.

The question is really do you need something different than what you have? The answer is "it depends." I say that because if you are happy with your military gear, there is no particular reason to get something else. Backpacks come in all shapes, sizes and colors, but they all do basically the same thing.

However, having said that, civilian packs may be lighter, more comfortable, and have more features, such as more straps or pockets than yours. I am not sure which pack you have, so how different other packs may be, I really don't know.

If you go to the TLB Gear Portal at the top of the page and look through the sponsors' websites, you can get an idea of what's available at places like REI.

My suggestion is to then go to a store like REI or a specialty backpacking store that carries a wide selection of quality packs that you can see in person. I'd stay away from big box stores and the cheap packs you'll find there. Some may be okay, but most are not and you may as well start by looking at the good ones.

That way you can compare them to what you already have and then determine if you want to get something else.

Welcome, and again, thanks for serving. You've come to the right place. I was a boy scout and only car camped, until I stumbeled across this site. I did buy a new pack after much research and started making my own gear. I went from a cheap dept. store tent to a DIY hammock and love it. I also now use a home built alcohol popcan stove which really helped lighten the load. Check out the light gear lists. It can become an obsession but don't let it take away from having fun and spending time in the woods etc.

So, I am guessing you are british from you using the term "kit". Anyways, my advice would be to keep the ruck, buy the rest of your stuff, then buy a new pack if you want.

lol no im not british, im American, the main reason i ask is the ruck is about 7lbs give or take a few ounces im just wondering if that'd be to heavy to proceed ahead with ultralight mind you the distribution of the weight in it is great due to the rack setup but no less its still 7lbs and im looking to do very long distance treks as it were.

Greetings. As far as whether the ruck is a good item to keep, I think that depends on what you plan on doing; military gear tends to be very tough compared to civilian gear, making them good "working" packs for activities like hunting. I'm of mind that if a person wants to stick to trails and is mainly concerned about weight, then the best three items to pick up first are a lightweight pack, sleeping bag, and tent. Picking lightweight versions of those three items will save more weight than any other piece of equipment.

Some things to keep in mind with lightweight gear, such as packs, are that they tend to be not quite as durable (depending on the brand & model) and that they often have a recommended weight limit, such as 30 lbs.

And to reiterate, I think (particularly if you are used to your army ruck) There's nothing wrong with using it for a bit - yes 7 lbs is monsterous for what we're often talking about carrying, but I would
lighten up the rest of your load first - once you notice you're carrying 20 pounds of gear in your
7 pound ruck - then it's time to think about "ok, if I'm normally carrying this.. what pack should
I buy" - it's a lot easier to buy a pack knowing what you're carrying in it, than not.

To put it another way, I typically head out for a weekend with about 18 to 20 lbs on my back,
carried in a pack that weighs about a pound and a half or a little less. However, you wouldn't
want to use my pack, unless you were that light in the first place, because my pack is not designed
to carry, and won't be comfortable with heavier loads than that. I too have the giant 7 lb ruck - a civilian style one - for big loads in the winter, hunting, etc.