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11-22-21 10:30 PM - Post#914816
While the weight of loads carried was the focus of the article, it reminded me of a subject I started thinking about when I was a Boy Scout, back when Adam West was Batman—how people carried their loads.
My first backpack back then was an object of lust from the Boy Scout catalog: olive drab (all outdoors gear then seemed to look like WWII), all canvas, even the straps. In wet weather the backpack and everything in it, including the cotton flannel sleeping bag I had to spend the night in, got soaked and heavy.
Even when dry, carrying loads in my first Boy Scout pack hurt. The straps weren’t padded and dug into your shoulders. My next backpack had an aluminum external frame. The straps were padded, and it had a waist belt so your hips carried most of the load. By then, the counterculture was in bloom, and so was camping. Lots of manufacturers since then have been improving the design and materials of backpacks and other outdoor stuff.
in contrast, Google <Roman furca marching kit> to see how a Roman soldier carried his 50 or so pounds of gear when marching. An interesting take on loaded carries.
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