Load-bearing body armor

There are several steps involved in fighting such as such as first registering that you are being attacked, protecting yourself from incoming fire, preparing and positioning your weapon, returning fire, and finally chasing the enemy when they start feeling the return firepower.

Under these conditions, a soldier might want to unload unnecessary gear such as sleeping gear and food, but you will want to keep your ammunition on board for returning fire -- and especially for the chase. And also water.

This implies two layers, a "permanent" layer with the ammo that might also include body armor, and the less critical layer with supplies. As the MOLLE frame would be part of the "permanent" layer, your strategy of making it a lot lighter and smaller makes sense.

The load-bearing component of a military pack system has to be body armor. Weapons, water, ammo, and short rations need to clip to that, and the load bearing body armor components need to conform closely to the body, like an exoskeleton, to properly distribute the weight. It also needs to extend the original ALICE system so that the loads can be carried w/o the body armor.

The pack itself with long-term supplies has to clip to the body armor with quick release clips at the shoulders and the small of the back where weight is transferred to the body armor.

Pack designs

Frame pack

• Hip belt transfers the weight to the front
• Frame transfers the weight downwards to the hip belt
• Straps hold the frame to the back

Advantages

• Weight is transferred to where it is best supported
• Frame acts as a column to support weight
• Pack load can extend upwards where carrying is most efficient
• Straps or mesh allows air circulation
• Sacks can be lashed or strapped to the frame

Rucksack

• Weight pulls downwards from the straps

Advantages

• Low center of gravity
• Easy to organize

Tube pack

• Bag is tube-shaped, or "D-shaped"
• Structure is from a foam sleeping pad the circumference of the bag
• Weight is divided between straps and belt
• With a small load, the pack resembles a rucksack where the top is folded inwards.
• The sack can be increased in height above where the straps meet and connect to the bag

Layers

Short (inner layer)

• Weapon
• Ammunition
• Water
• Short rations
• First aid
• Radio communication

Long (outer layer)

Supplies

• Tent
• Sleeping bag
• long rations
• medical supplies

Background Material

Note: all the material below is temporarily quoted from various websites under fair use and stands as unverified reference material only. The Interceptor page is from the Wikipedia.

Webs

Anyone who has high or low-crawled with a loosely fitted web belt (even when attached to a harness) can validate that web belt attachments automatically head for the groin area [1]

Armor plates

7.62mm proof ceramic plates [2]

Choices

"RACK or Blackhawk/Tactical Tailor/etc clones thereof, which is basically a MOLLE compatible version of British assault chest rigs and, in turn, a derivative of the venerable Warsaw Pact/3rd World AK chest harness apron." [3]

"I find ALICE more comfortable than MOLLE and PAL vests. I'm a pretty short guy so vest never fitted me right." [4]

Load Bearing Equipment

Belt

• Belt (often a pistol belt), and a
• Set of suspenders
• Pouches are connected to the belt
• Gear is stored in pouches

The Load Bearing Vest

• Pockets on the front of the vest for gear
• Insulating
• Makes laying flat difficult

Rucksack

• ALICE pack

Source: Ohio Valley Outfitters

Interceptor body armor

Due to the increased dangers of improvised explosive devices, a newer versions of the vital plates and components have been developed. the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (ESAPIs) and Enhance Side Ballistic Inserts (ESBIs) have become available, along with the Deltoid and Axillary Protectors (DAPs). These new systems are becoming the standard for forward deployed troops in OEF and OIF. The E-SAPI plates are thicker and heavier than the normal SAPIs, but they offer increased protection from 7.62mm M2 armor piercing ammunition. The ESBIs is an attachable MOLLE ballistic pannel with a pouch for a 8x6 side-SAPI, for protection of the side of the torso/under the arm. DAPs consists of two ambidextrous modular components, the Deltoid (upper arm) Protector and the Axillary (under arm) Protector, and provide for additional protection from fragmentary and projectiles to the upper arm and underarm areas. With the Interceptor body armor, E-SAPI plates (10.9 lb), ESBIs (7.75 lb), DAPs (5.03 lb) and with the neck, throat and groin protectors installed the armor is significantly heavier at 33.11 pounds (15.01 kg) A combat load of ammunition and first aid kit are almost universally attached to the webbing on the vest, adding even more mass.

lightly-equipped insurgents with U.S. troops routinely burdened with upwards of 60 lbs. of weapons, ammunition, armor, food, water, and other assorted equipment. Many troops have complained that under such conditions, they are simply unable to pursue their guerrilla opponents. Troops who primarily ride in vehicles generally want the highest practical level of protection from IED's and ambushes, while dismounted infantry often make the case that impaired mobility can prove just as fatal to them as inadequate armor.