How much weight did the average soldier carry during the Vietnam War?

Answer 1

Straight leg (called light infantry today) infantry carried everything they owned in their rucksacks...maybe 20 or 30 pounds. Naturally some veterans will say 80 to 100 pounds...because it felt like that much weight. Straight leg grunts carried maybe 5 to 10 canteens of water (1 qt bottles), 3 to 5 frags (hand grenades), 1 or more smoke grenades, a bandolier of M60 ammo for the machingunner, 3 or more M16 bandoliers (7 magazine pouches per bandolier-20 rounders), 2 or 3 C-Ration meals, possibly a claymore mine with it's clacker and wire (50 footer), possibly some trip flares for NDPs (night defensive positions), a sleeping bag...his steel pot (M1 helmet) and an extra pair of socks or two didn't weigh nothing...cigarettes were in his pockets and helmet band, as was his lighter or matches...of all of that material...it was the water that weighed the most. Mechanized Infantrymen on dismount carried mainly 2 or so canteens, 3 or so bandoliers, 3 or so frags, 1 or more smoke grenades, a pouncho liner to sleep with (which could be stuffed into his trouser thigh pocket) and often didn't wear a steel pot (unless word leaked out that there was definitely going to be some contact!). In either of the above described cases; the poor M60 machinegunners and the RTOs had that extra weight to carry (Machinegun and Radio). Second answer: Average weight carried by infantrymen in Vietnam 85 pounds. Number below. 2 Frag grenades - 2 lb., 2 Smoke grenades - 3 lb., 1 claymore mine - 3.5 lb., Helmet - 5 lb., boots - 2 lb., Poncho and liner 3 lb., entrenching shovel - 5 lb., gas mask 2.5 lb, M16 ammo - 14 lb, 200 hundred M60 ammo in can - 13 lb, rifle - 7.5 lb., 3-4 days C rations 6 lb., 1 1/2 gal. water - 12 lb adds up to 78.5 pounds. additionally a fire team shared equipment to include a full sized shovel, a full sized pick, starlight scope, LAW and radio batteries, 1.machete 3 lbs for about another 7 lb. The 173rd Airborne Brigade humped that load 7 days a week on a year long back packing trip in very rugged country. The 173rd did not wear flak jackets because of the heat and heavy load. I believe most if not all Army light infantry units carried the same load in the same conditions of high heat and humidity.