The good thing for us airsoft players is that we rarely have to carry 50 pound loads whenever we go to a game and thus we can afford to stay light with our loadout. Some airsoft players will go to carry heavy loads to create certain impression. But if you are to ask us here at Popular Airsoft, we prefer lighter loads to be quicker and faster. As they say "Speed Kills."

But for soldiers, carrying heavy loads is part of their normal lives, grunting under heavy weights (which perhaps associated the word "grunt" to soldiers). The problem though with heavy weights is that you get to have slow moving units and if they can carry such heavy loads, will also bring severe strain on their bodies causing injuries to muscles and joints. The problem is that the loadouts of grunts these days are just getting heavier, with no end in sight as a soldier nowadays carries more gadgets apart from his weapon and ammo load.

There are two ways that defence research is helping out to lighten the problem of load carrying among soldiers. The first is of course reduce the weight of what they have to carry without compromising the devices, personal equipment, and weapons requirements to carry out the mission. The second approach is to develop load-carrying assistants such as the "robotic mules" or all terrain vehicles. But an interesting development in this second approach is the development of the exoskeleton for the warfighter, giving extra strength to carry the load, and at the same time helps the soldier avoid injuries.

DARPA are now testing what they call the "Warrior Web" which is  a "soft, lightweight under-suit that would help reduce injuries and fatigue common for Soldiers, who often carry 100-pound loads for extended periods over rough terrain."  Almost like a wet suit, this is limited to being a 100-watt suit that is battery powered which means that its power requirements is not great as compared to other exoskeletons being developed for the military by private companies.

The Warrior Web is designed to augment, rather than take over the load-bearing duties from the soldier and at the same time protect areas in the body that will be prone to injuries.  Other exoskeleton projects can be designed to do autonomous tasks, such as bringing the injured soldier to a safe area, or back to the base on its own without any command from the soldier. With the target of Warrior Web being an easy to wear augmenting under suit, such a function would be impossible to implement given existing technologies.

If successful and implemented in the military, there are even more applications beyond its original concept especially in the medical field. It can be used to help people with muscle or motion control problems and assist frail people, such as recovering patients and senior citizens to be able to carry weight and maintain proper posture whilst protecting them from potential injuries in areas where motion functions are required.  Who knows, people who do a lot of load bearing such as delivery and construction may also benefit from it.