Rawlogy Ultralight Massage Ball: A Self Care Game Changer for Backpacking
It was in the spring of 2019 that I first learned of Rawlogy. I was following new hikers making their starts on the PCT and watching Mary from 2 Foot Adventures kit them out at the 100-mile mark with gear that could fix whatever issues they had been battling.
It was only a week or two in when these ultralight massage balls from Rawlogy pop up in Mary’s social media feed and I knew I needed to learn more. If Mary was buying off on them, then I knew there was more to the story.
Rawlogy’s mission is to promote self-care and relieve pain in a natural way, but this seemingly simple mission isn’t so simple for backpackers and especially Thru-Hikers. When I hiked the PCT in 2017, I tried bringing a massage device with me but ditched it because it was too heavy and annoying to use. My body was getting beat up day after day, but for the remainder of the trail, I just accepted it without actively doing anything about it beyond a little stretching at night.
Hikers in 2019 were in luck that Marek was literally hitting the pavement promoting his massage balls any way he could. It was literally a grassroots movement from a genuine heartfelt place.
After seeing what Marek had created, I jumped on the old ‘gram and messaged him asking if he’d want to come on the podcast to chat about his products. He agreed and we talked for an hour about his balls for Episode 78.
I was sold. I’ve since been spreading the love of Rawlogy anyway I can.
The Problem With Backcountry Self Care
Self-care is the last thing we think about in the backcountry, but oddly enough it’s also the first. The problem is that it quickly becomes the LAST thing because we don’t have any real way to accomplish it. We WANT to massage our feet or our legs, but we’re too tired and don’t have an easy way to do it. As a result, we just deal with it and let the pain stack up.
Standard self-massage products tend to be pretty heavy. They’re not made for backpackers so we are stuck with having to use a trekking pole or a water bottle to roll out a muscle. Those work, but they’re often not good enough. I personally resort to some light stretching at night and the used of my hands to pinpoint an issue, but I know it’s not enough. After a long hard day on the trail, my body needs more and I don’t have anything for it.
Enter the Rawlogy products..
What if we could easily address minor pains and issues when they crop up without making it complicated? What if there was something we could hide in a backpacking lid or side stretch pocket that didn’t take up much space, didn’t weigh hardly anything, but that could have an impact on those hardworking muscles and tendons?
That’s what these Rawlogy massage balls are. That’s what they do best! They’re not heavy, not complicated, and they can be easily accessible when you need them. Oh, and you can’t get it wrong!
Why Rawlogy?
I’m not going to say you can’t live WITHOUT a Rawlogy massage ball because you most certainly can. What I AM saying is that for $13 and 1.4oz, you’d be hard-pressed to find a solid excuse for not bringing one of these with you into the field. Even if you don’t use it, you won’t notice it one bit in your pack, however in the event you have a body part tighten up on you and you’re in need of something to relieve the tension, you’ll have this little cork ball with you at the ready. Hell, at a minimum they’re fun to toss around during a break!
Aside from the specs, Marek is a genuine human being who will treat you like family. I’ve seen him shower people with love just because it’s the right thing to do and it’s pretty inspiring to see. You’re not only buying a massage ball, you’re becoming part of a community that means something more than just a simple way to take care of your body in the backcountry.
Sure, you can buy a similar product from a different company, but in a world where genuine people and brands with the right values are getting harder and harder to find, I’d rather see my money go to Rawlogy. The main reason? Because Marek gives all he has to his community and I personally want to see that community grow and change lives.
Smaller and lighter than a water filter!
Even dogs love them!
Does Cork Matter?
According to Marek, yes. Making a massage ball out of cork does a couple of important things.
Cork is crazy lightweight. ‘Nough said.
Cork provides a feeling of being hard without being too hard while being soft without being TOO soft. It’s hard to explain, but that’s how it is. It’s this great middle-ground for massaging your body.
By using cork, Marek can not only create a lightweight product that does the job it needs to, but it’s also a material that can be sourced from recycled cork. So that’s pretty fun!
The Impact of Self-Care
The idea of self-care can bring you down some pretty deep rabbit holes, but here’s the long and short of it. You need to give back to your body. I’m as guilty as ever when it comes to not caring for my body the way I should, so it’s important to me that I find things that make it easy for me to do. A simple cork ball from Rawlogy is exactly that. Funny how the simplest of ideas are often the most impactful.
There are longterm consequences of not caring for your body. Sure, you can drive your body like you stole it, but at some point, it’s going to get old and beat up and you won’t be able to drive it the way you always had.
Within the last few years, I woke up to this concept of thinking long term about how I have been physically treating my body and have completely revamped how I approach training and recovery.
For example, I love lifting. It feels good to me, but I was always going to go heavy. I’d hurt myself, then stop lifting, then start over again. My personal claim to fame was when I found myself doing a flat bench press with 100 lbs. dumbbells…..each. Yes, 100 lbs on each arm…. I was probably 160 lbs. myself at that time and there was no reason I should have been doing that. I don’t even want to think about the damage I did to my shoulders.
Now I lift light. Like really light. I’ve been doing this for a few years now and believe it or not, I’m in better all-around shape than I ever have been. And get this, I rarely get injured and am actually stronger than in previous years.
So how does this relate to a lightweight massage ball? Because taking care of your body in the field when you’re putting it through the wringer is important. You don’t need to have a full body massage before you go to bed, rather all you need is to hit the spots that feel tender.
It’s the small incremental care you put toward your body that makes the long term impact. I want to be backpacking when I’m 80, not walking the halls of a retirement home!
Dogs and Rawlogy Massage Balls go together.
Who Is The Rawlogy Massage Ball For?
Literally anyone and everyone. You don’t need to be a backpacker to own one and you don’t even need to be a fitness guru. You could be an office pirate and use this product when your back hurts or your feet hurt.
This is what I love about a product like this. It’s not assigned to one particular group of people, however, in the event you ARE an outdoor junky it’s perfect for your mission.
How To Use The Rawlogy Massage Ball
I was lucky enough to receive a short class from Marek on the many ways you can use a cork massage ball and while I could list out the many ways here, I might run out of internet space so I’ll just say this…
Image courtesy of Rawlogy.com
Don’t overthink the use of a Rawlogy massage ball. You just put it in your hand, find the point on your body that needs the work, and start working that spot. You might use your hand and roll it around, or you might lean up against something to get some additional pressure. Or maybe you lay down and roll on top of it. Even just leaving it in place on a sore spot and allowing your body to naturally relax around it works great too!
You can’t go wrong unless you’re trying to massage a bone….don’t do that. It’s not good for you.
**For detailed instruction on how to use a massage ball, check out this LINK
Final Thoughts On The Rawlogy Massage Ball
I’m not going to tell you there aren’t other products that can do the same job because there are. But I will tell you that brands like Rawlogy and founders like Marek don’t come around all that often. When they do, you support them. It’s a simple massage ball used for simple self-care that is having a profound impact on the overall wellness of its users. Rawlogy has a leader that loves people no matter what you do or where you come from and that to me is probably the most important thing.
If you’re a backpacker, hunter, hiker, runner, or gym rat, go grab yourself a Rawlogy ball and make sure that the body is cared for!
Emory, By Land
Links
Rawlogy Cork Massage Ball
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