Kevlar equipment

[Mobhack]

Or the fun bits of kit. Like you can be the platoon radio operator and get the radio, its harness and a spare battery, so your backpack goes in one hand because it will not fit on top of the radio harness, along with the SLR that has no sling because it's policy not to have weapons slung. And then they ask me to assault up the banks of an Iron Age Hillfort (45 degrees??) in the dark, trying to keep in comms with both hands occupied... Oh joy!. Thankfully, I was 19 at the time!.

Of course if the platoon Sgt doesn't really like you then you get to carry the platoon Charlie G. That thing was sheer fun - luckily there were no blanks for the thing so you had no ammo to load you down. That was the 1970s version, it made of lead I think!. Today you can substitute javelins and the fire control box.

And of course entrenching tools - pickaxe was OK as it split into two, the shovel was one piece. Both fitted on your webbing yoke in the small of your back and poked into you at unexpected times.

Then the joy of doing 24 hours wrapped up in a Noddy suit, including digging a trench in it with the respirator on in the hottest summer of 1976 when the forests at Vogelsang were so dry that field cooking was out and we had to wait for the cooks to deliver any hot meals or even tea - otherwise the German foresters would slap you with a 200(?) DM spot fine for fire raising, cash on the nail or off to the station to sort it out. The brass called that idea off after an hour or so and 3 or 4 heatstroke casualties occurred. We still had to complete the NBC exercise, but with respirators stowed.

Oh yes - the sleeping bag or "maggot" that you sometimes got issued with, big and bulky. Never used on exercise unless you were guaranteed the time to use it. But even then the brass would often change plans, and you would be roused out of kip for an instant change of position, so if it was dry you left it tied to your pack and simply used it as a pillow. You learned quickly not to unpack and strew stuff around, in case of a quick move - nothing worse than trying to scrabble around trying to find your gear at night if it is strewn about, so best to leave everything tied on. I wonder if body armour is OK to kip in?.

So, yes - 20 extra pounds of body armour would be a real joy to add on top of that sort of stuff. Not. Especially in a NBC suit. Definitely not when in an NBC suit and trying to dig in!.

[jp10]

We also had a platoon rope. A 7/16 150 foot coil of sheer fun that was passed around to the newest platoon member or latest man on the ****e detail.
And it was a Light Infantry company so it was LPC (leather personnel carrier) all the way.

[Wdll]

I was in the navy, so,

[zovs66]

I hated wearing the NBC suits in the freaking desert, but when we went to war...

[Dion]

The Infantry Toughness player preference could be used to simulate body armor. The other preferences could simulate any odd effects that's associated with body armor use. I think this thread is a good example why there are player preferences. In fact any rare or unnatural occurrence could be simulated with good player preference use.

[Rysgame]

Suhiir, Imp, you both have really good points. But for example, my fighting load (Armor, NVGs, Radio, Ammo, Etc) was around 65lbs. It didn't really slow me down in the short term ( <12hrs) and I could hike with that for days on end. Add a combat load (24-48hrs Chow/Water/Socks/etc) it goes up to around 100lbs. Still very doable in combat environment. Not to mention as soon as shooting starts, that assault pack is gonna get dropped and came back for later.(the armor and such is what I refer to as a "second skin" since I am very comfortable in it and train heavily with it on.) A sustainment load is the full shebang, usually around 125-150lbs depending on time of year and local climate, horrible to hike in, usually anything past 16mi (20-24km) is pushing it, but I have done 50km+ (Or 30ish miles, not sure on my conversion) It sucks, and I am definitely not combat ready after a MAJOR movement without at least 6ish hours of rest/refit. But I know that your average Marine Grunt can make foot movement up to 12-15mi with a sustainment, drop the main pack, and carry out combat attacks with an overall very small impact in efficiency. Done this many times. And making a foot movement with a sustainment load over distances of MORE than 15mi is really rare in a combat environment. You will have trucks/tanks/etc to toss your stuff onto (the items you aren't gonna need for at least a day or so.) Even if that kind of movement was required purely on foot. Your average grunt is gonna drop a ton of extraneous gear. Things like extra boots, clothes, creature comfort items, hygiene gear, so on.

As for the ballistic capabilities of armor, the Current generation (2018-2019) ESAPI plate is rated for 3x impacts of 7.62x39mm before it is compromised, of course that is largely up to angle of impact, range, so on. They cover our chest/stomach, Kidney regions (Side SAPIs), and our backs. Very good armor overall, and the new plate carriers allow a large amount of your freedom of movement and prevent heat issues MUCH more than the old interceptor vests or the DREADED MTV (It was wool lined, because the manufacturer hates you)

As for in game, I imagine that the infantry is generally considered "rested" and with the "body Armor" I usually adjust with the infantry toughness. Insurgents Or other obvious no armor dudes I give a toughness of around 80 and USMC-US Army type I give around 120.

I apologize for the long post! Good Gaming!