Can You Move in Medieval Armour? An Experiment in Mythbusting - Medievalists.net
Many believe the myth that medieval armour was hard to move in. However, with Boucicaut as an example, our video proves that late medieval armour allowed for surprising mobility.
I wore some chain mail once ---- heavy as shit.
Sources are saying 60 lbs.
So strap a 50 lb bag of feed to your back and go practice.
I could see this only working with a small guy who is stout as shit.
The video is of late medieval chain mail, which was more evenly distributed. Chainmail's weight is mostly on the shoulders.
Also: https://hyperwear.com/collections/weight-vest
It's heavier than you think it would be --- a lot of weight is on your head too.
Go try some on.
An average person today would have trouble getting up out of a chair.
Best way to get the full understanding of the problem.
Not like that really. Problems will began around 10 minutes of wearing chainmail. At the beginning it is just heavy, but more than acceptable. Humans have relatively high limit of load. Problem is that this can't last long. Most people will have no problems lifting 50kg weight, but carrying that load for some time is completely another thing. I estimate average person will be unable to scratch a nose after an hour or two in chainmail.
You need months of training to adapt and be able to wear armor without exhausting. And still it will noticeably make you slower.
It is not surprising that you could shoot a video of how you can move in heavy armour for few minutes, but imagine you have to wear it all day long. :)
The average person is also weak and fat.
An average person who doesn't do regular manual labour would not be able to carry a trained soldier's gear.
Doesn't mean that soldiers are some superhumans. It's all about training.