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
From the Combat Load PDF:
> For the test... The team leader further required that all team members were ranger qualified.
I suspect results would have been diffferent with a “regular” infantry company instead of using only “stars”.
It’s interesting that a lot of people think medieval knights were slow due to their armor. In truth full plate armor weighs no more than a modern soldiers pack, and being spread over the entire body is not much of a hindrance to movement at all. Knights fought equally well on foot or horseback.