the amount of gear the PBI has to carry is staggering from the falklands onwards. The modern kit with ballistic armour added even more so.
For sure! Though the fact that the modern soldier is a sapper probably doesn't help matters much. I also expect some of that stuff is a lot lighter than it's yesteryear equivalents, though there are limits.
For example a Brown Bess weighs 10 lbs, while the modern bullpup weighs 8.5 lbs.