7 April 2002

During the past two centuries the load carried by individual infantry soldiers on operations has been an area of concern for all armies, especially when infantry operated independently and away from base areas, mobility and regular re-supply. This concern can be seen in the offical histories and especially in books and research papers that deal specifically with infantry operations. The only campaigns where the weights carried by individual soldiers are not mentioned are those where the soldiers are carrying out a short-duration operation from a firm base or defensive position or are operating with vehicles that carry their large packs, additional equipment and support weapons.

In the early 1900s it was determined that a man should carry more than one-third of his own body weight and this lead most armies during the twentieth century to determine that the ideal load for a soldier should be about 45 pounds (20.5 kilograms). More recent industrial research has determined that a workman can carry a maximum weight of up to 88 pounds (40 kilograms), however the duration for carriage of this load is not specified.

The infantryman’s load over the past two centuries regardless of changes in technology has always consisted of clothing and footwear, weapons and ammunition, rations and water, operational equipment, individual hygiene requirements, shelter and sleeping equipment. To carry this load the infantryman has worn a variety of belt and harness combinations to which a variety of pouches, water bottles, small packs, ammunition bandoliers and equipment carriers have been attached to make up what is commonly identified as either fighting or patrol order. The weight of this load including the soldier’s weapon has usually worked out at between 30 to 50 pounds. This is a fighting load and would sustain a soldier for a period of ideally up to 12 hours and no more that 24 hours. To be able to operate in the field for a period of longer that 24 hours, the soldier requires his large pack containing rations, shelter, sleeping equipment, spare clothing, additional ammunition and operational equipment. When wearing fighting order and large pack the soldier is in marching order and the weight carried has usually worked out at between 60 to 100 pounds and on occasions since the late 1950s of weights in excess of 100 pounds.

This research from a wide variety of sources concentrates on loads for Australian infantrymen in the twentieth century, however for interest I have also added the weights carried by British infantrymen on operations during the nineteenth century to provide a more complete picture of the problem and to cover the period of Australian military history.

Infantry Rifleman (July 1984) DINF Discussion Paper: