OT Battle pack weight?

M

munk

Joined
Mar 22, 2002
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Silverfalcon and all, I need your help.

a buddy of mine with 20 years service experience says he never carried a pack that weighed more than 40 pounds and therefore women could be on the front lines in combat. Leaving that political hot potato alone for a moment, ( and I don't believe that!) how much does the average battle pack weigh? Men did not sink at Omaha Beach in WWll because of 40 pound packs! Or am I all wet? I thought the pack weighed about 80 pounds, and total gear could top 150.

munk
 
Munk, with all their gear and their fully loaded rucks, I know for a fact the boys were humping right around 100 lbs apiece up and over mountain ridges over there in Afghanistan. There's surely women that could handle that kind of load, but I haven't met many.

A 40 lb. ruck sounds more like an assault pack carrying only essential items for a quick "in and out" operation. As far as an "average" weight for a combat ruck, I suspect it would go closer to 70-80 lbs.

Sarge
 
Sherpa women who serve as porters on mountaineering expeditions usually carry about 35 or 40 Kg up to alititudes of 17,000 feet (Everest Base Camp). They haul the load for ten hours per day then cook while others are resting and are up first to make tea and breakfast. Tough gals!

150 lbs, 100 lbs, 80 lbs, 40 lbs -- forget it all. I do well to carry myself.
 
I was in the Marines from 82-86.

I can tell you for sure with all my gear my pack didn't weigh more than 50 lbs.

80 LBS....Yeah right..Guess they are adding bricks or cinder blocks...:rolleyes:
 
I had a pal who was a radioman with Marines in Korea. He got selected as radioman because he was 6' 4" and 220 and as strong (maybe stronger) than a horse. His radio gear weighed 80 pounds AND he had to haul his rucksack, too. Hell of a guy and I still remember his name, Robert Jordan. When he had a flat he didn't bother with a jack.
 
Originally posted by Bill Martino
When my pack got over 2 Kg I started shedding stuff.
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Me too Bill. :D

I didn't carry anything I didn't need. The rest stayed on the ship.

My pack was always light as I could get away with..... ;)
 
My son's pack is 70 lbs -- US Infantry; not to mention the extra ordance you may be assigned to carry. If you're jumping, the weight is higher.

bt
 
Originally posted by btice
My son's pack is 70 lbs -- US Infantry; not to mention the extra ordance you may be assigned to carry. If you're jumping, the weight is higher.

bt
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The Army must make their people carry alot of extra junk they don't need I guess. :D

I remember when we used to cross train with the Army at Fort Bragg their packs did look alot bigger than ours. But then they were riding in trucks, not walking.;)
 
From my experience a 40lb pack is a fast assault pack for in an out with ready resupply. It depends on where your going , how your going and what your going to do.

If your on long range foot patrol it can be up to 150lb or more.

I think a 75lb pack was about average for Army hikes 15-20 years ago.

I can remember weighing a friends full pack ,m60 and ammo belt about 1990 and it came to 110 lbs.

Often if your potential for combat is high , an extra load of ammo is added and most welcome. A few hundred rounds sound nice but weigh a lot. Fire fights burn a lot of ammo and its always a surprise you used so much.

Just my opinion.:)
 
I'm a little guy, in the 150 lb range.

When I went out on my MORTAP exercise in November, I stepped on a scale just before walking out the door.

I weighed 260 lbs with gear and M225 mortar (with small baseplate and bipod) slung from neck.

I agree this was too damn much for foot troops. I got about an hour's sleep the first night, and about 2000 hours the second (after extensive marching), I began hallucinating...badly enough that I had to follow the medic out of the weeds we were in, because I was waiting for the "three soldiers ahead of me" to move. :rolleyes:

My neck has just stopped hurting this week.
 
BTW, Munk, you're right. I don't know many- if any- women who could handle a load like this. The other gunner was sucking pretty badly, too, and he's 74" tall.
 
I'm a broken record today, but Life Isn't Fair. Men die in battle. PC cannot change the reality of men being better suited for lifting heavy weights, covering distances, and breaking things with the toys they brought with them. If they serve along weaker individuals the instinct will be to protect them and compensate- not a good military deviation.

I've asked my buddy to review this thread. His was an interesting career, 20 years in service and on many issues he is a liberal. Bright guy, good guy though.

I kinda hoped he might become intrigued by the folks he saw here.

Thanks Silver, and all for the great responses. No one can say I brought in 'ringers' for the answer as Ankerson, for instance, carries a lighter pack, and Bill brought up the amazing Nepal women.

Has anyone noticed that HI forum has lifted lately? It has hit a stride and the air just feels good. Bill told me he thought it was the new Chaplain.

munk
 
munk,

for what it's worth, there is no way in hell I would risk other teammates out of some misbegotten concept of chivalry for any potential female fellow soldiers. In combat, I love all my fellow boys in green, and if females were in the mix, "being female wouldn't make 'em special". You know? I am a very capable individual, combat-wise. There are two little guys in my squad, 140 and 130 respectively. I won't go out of my way to protect them in combat more than other soldiers, either.

I do agree about the lifting. The avg female weighs less than average male.
 
There are always exceptions, but even with a 130 pound male and a 130 pound female the male is wired different and is stronger. Isn't it true that servicemen carry extra stuff for some of the women? I've read this before from first person accounts. The women are not required to complete the same training-different push ups. And love interests?
This is not about the spirit of the American woman. It is about the fate which put each of us in the vessel of our respective sex. Why should we field a weaker army? Equality is equal opportunity- not equal ability.
.. ...

Anyway, if the Barbarians were at the Gates you know darn well I'd arm every female in America and even a lot of 12 year old boys.

munk
 
I am of the opinion, that if a woman wants to pass the SAME PT test, can carry the SAME weight, and has IDENTICAL GROOMING STANDARDS AND DRESS, they can do the same friggin' job. Too bad it hasn't worked like that, eh? Currently, there are supposed to be no female infantry.

John
"If they can do the job, let 'em."
 
No one can say I brought in 'ringers' for the answer as Ankerson, for instance, carries a lighter pack
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Well I was in the Marines 20 years ago, not the Army so my experience might have been different.

I would guess that todays Military is alot different today than it was 20 years ago.;)
 
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