Encumbrance

Page history last edited by Michael 8 mos ago

A human character can carry up to 1.5xSTR in kilograms before incurring penalties on movement and skills. Loads of overe 1.5xSTR to 3xSTR are "loaded"; over 3xSTR to 6xSTR is "burdened".

 

While characters can pick up and move weights greater than 6xSTR, they won't be able to make any long marches.

 

Thus our limits (in kilograms) are:

 

  
STR normal
 loaded
 burdened
4 6 12 24
5 7.5 15 30
6 9 18 36
7 10.5 21 42
8 12 24 48
9 13.5 27 54
10 15 30 60
11 16.5 33 66
12 18 36 72
13 19.5 39 78
14 21 42 84
15 22.5 45 90
16 24 48 96
17 25.5 51 102
18 27 54 108
19 28.5 57 114
20 30 60 120
21 31.5 63 126
22 33 66 132
 

 

Loaded: 
  • -1 from movement (from 8 to 7, that is, for most humans)
  • -5% to all skills
  • -5% to various contested rolls, as the referee sees fit
 
Burdened:
  • -4 from movement (thus 4 for most humans)
  • -20% to all skills
  • -20% to various contested rolls, as the referee sees fit
 

March distances: 

  • Normal:  CON x 3 in miles (CON x 5 in kilometers)
  • Loaded:  CON x 2.5 in miles (CON x 4 in kilometers)
  • Burdened:  CON x 2 in miles (CON x 3 in kilometers)

 

These are of course averaged over many men; training, footwear, terrain, hydration and rations, nature of load and how carried, etc. will affect all of this. And the level of exhaustion during the night, how many days the rate can be kept up, etc. are beyond any simple table of rules.

 

March rates: 

  • Roman:  2.5 mph for 7 hours
  • Napoleonic infantry:  3 mph, for 3-4 hours; forced marches meant 6 to 12 hours on the road
  • American Civil War:  15 to 20 miles per day regular march, at 2.5 miles per hour; 20 to 25 miles on forced march; up to 30 miles on forced march with good roads and conditions.
  • Foreign Legion, Bersaglieri, Rifle Regiments in the British Army, other elite infantry:  5 kph (3 miles per hour) normally, fast march 7 kph (4.5 mph).

 

"According to modern US Army doctrine, the average rate of march for trained infantry under favorable weather conditions is 2-1/2 mph over roads and 1 mph cross country. A normal foot march covers 20 miles per day."

 
 

 

Michael noted:

 

Currently, soldiers in the field -- expecting to be fired on, and to fire back -- in Iraq are carrying an average of 100 pounds of gear currently; 120 pounds in Afghanistan.

 

"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." Some info from the Australian Army:

 

British Infantry, early 1800s (Napoleonic Wars): 50 pounds (22.7kg) to 75 pounds (34kg) (up to 80 pounds (36.4kg) if extra rations were carried).

British and Australian Infantry 1914-1918 (World War I) Marching Order:

 

1914 - 59 pounds (26.8 kg).

1916 - 66 pounds (30 kg)(addition of helmet, grenades, etc.)

1918 - 74 pounds (33.65kg) (summer) and 80 pounds (36.35kg) (winter) (add 14 pounds (6.35kg) during wet and muddy conditions)

Falkland Islands (1982), British Infantry and Royal Marines:
Fighting Order loads of 70 pounds (31.8 kg) to 80 pounds (36.35 kg)
Marching Order loads of around 100 pounds (45.45 kg) to 120 pounds (54.55 kg)
Grenada (1983), United States Rangers: sustained operations for 72 hours.
 
Marching Order loads of around 120 pounds (54.55 kg).
 
 
Infantry Rifleman (July 1984) DINF Discussion Paper:
 
Average load in marching order - 101 pounds (46 kg)
 
 
Australian Army, The Rifle Platoon Pamphlet (1986):
Average load for the member of an infantry section carrying three days rations, four water bottles, water bladder, helmet and a share of section equipment and ammunition was 103 pounds (47 kg)
 
 
Infantry Rifleman, Depot Company RAR (November 1995)
Marching order, personal equipment only - 86 pounds (39 kg)
Marching order, including a share of section equipment - 101 pounds (49 kg).

 

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