Carrying your gear - how often?

[Scythe13]

I just went on a walk with the wife and our dogs. I regularly enjoy these walks and carry a bag with me. It could be a GHB, BOB, or just a backpack with first aid kit, waterproofs, food, water, etc.

I find that whether we do 3 mile or 15 miles, the walks are a great way to gauge how much gear you can carry, and how fresh you feel afterwards.

Quite often I'll run a lot of it, if I'm just carrying a GHB, like today.

How often do you test your gear weight and how well you can cope with it?