[naturalman1975]

At the source, photos have been taken of a typical soldier's kit from British armies from 1066 (Hastings), 1244 (Crusades - Jerusalem), 1415 (Hundred Years War - Agincourt), 1485 (Wars of the Roses - Bosworth), 1588 (Spanish Armada - Tilbury), 1645 (English Civil War - Naseby), 1709 (War of the Spanish Succession - Malplaquet), 1815 (Napoleonic Wars - Waterloo), 1854 (Crimean War - Alma), 1916 (World War I - Somme), 1944 (World War II - Arnhem), 1982 (Falklands War - Stanley), 2014 (Afghanistan War - Helmland)

Fascinating stuff

[a fool in paradise]

PING

[real saxophonist]

I think I’ve seen this before, and it is, as you say, fascinating.

[rfreedom4u]

Very nice!

[Vigilanteman]

Indeed it is, but after Jerusalem, the only other long gap seems deliberate, as if to avoid the American Revolution or the Seven Years War (French & Indian War on this side of the pond).

[MasterGunner01]

One thing that has remained pretty much a constant from the time of the Roman Centurion to the present combat infantryman: the load he’s expected to carry on his back has stayed at 60 pounds (and sometimes more). That’s why you hear of the infantry being called Grunts — that’s what you do when you try to get on your feet with this load.

[LucianOfSamasota]

Nice!

[taxcontrol]

Note the growth in the volume, size and weight of the kit. Current US thinking limits the “combat load” to 50 lbs and march load to 72 lbs.

http://thedonovan.com/archives/modernwarriorload/ModernWarriorsCombatLoadReport.pdf

[SandRat]

In going thru the photos, it struck me that with time, the Kit was more and more equipment. Now it looks like the soldier is being used as a pack mule.

[VanShuyten]

bump for later

[NorthMountain]

Thom Atkinson

Fortuitous name ...

[DariusBane]

Thanks for posting. Look forward to seeing it on a bigger screen later in the day.

[mware]

Checked out the gear for Battle of Algincourt.

I had family on both sides of that conflict.

Lots of Thibaults fought and died in that battle.

[rejoicing]

Have to agree. Fascinating! Meticulously done.

[Justice]

Ya that’s pretty cool, thanks for posting.

[DCBryan1]

Never enough water, ammo, or armor.

[NorthMountain]

Compare the mace in the 1244 mounted knight’s kit with the mace in the 1916 private soldier’s kit.

Darn near identical.

[wrench]

Very interesting, especially the socks.

Socks look to have been issued for hundreds of years, but the Russians only started issuing them in the last couple of decades. It was 2 diaper sized pieces of cloth before that for the Rooskies.

[skinkinthegrass]

*

[Chainmail]

"‘I’ve never been a soldier. It’s difficult to look in on a subject like this and completely understand it. I wanted it to be about people."

That comment struck me: so why hasn't he been a soldier? Is it only the duty of a few? Is this generation that soft and unmanly?

This stuff is all common sense - if the writer had even been camping over a weekend, he would have understood the need for most of that stuff. All the rest are just implements of the trade.

One other comment - don't the Brits carry grenades? We always carried as many as we could. They tend to be very useful in awkward social situations.

[Chainmail]

I stand corrected: just spotted grenades on the 1944 and 1982 pages.

We tended to carry 4 grenades each in Vietnam and if we could get them, a 2-pound block of C-4 (for bunkers), a couple of LAWS 66mm rockets and at least 7 loaded magazines plus one bandoleer of ammo in clips. Running out of ammo usually only happens once in combat.