Analysis of load carriage systems using system compliance measures

The purpose of this study was to conduct objective assessments of the stiffness of four military Load Carriage (LC) Systems on a Load Carriage Compliance Tester (LCCT), and to examine the relationship between these results and subjective ratings of these systems. The LCCT uses a two-piece 50(th) percentile male mannikin, a load cell, and a multi-turn precision potentiometer to measure the resistance of a pack to anatomical trunk flexion/extension, torsion, and lateral bending. Subjective ratings of each pack were generated by experienced military subjects who completed a five km march interrupted each km by a series of agility stations, and questionnaires rating perceived agility and functionality of the particular LC System. A Pearson correlation showed significant relationships between the objective measures and a number of subjective scores, which could be explained by task demands and therefore may be used as independent predictors of LC System effectiveness.