æz wɪð dʒˈʌst ɐbˌaʊt ˈɛvɹɪθˌɪŋ ˈɛls ɪn jˈuːs ɪn vˌiːətnˈɑːm baɪ ðɪ ˈɑːɹmi, fɹʌm bˈuːts tə fˈiːld dɹˈɛsɪŋz tʊ ˌæmjuːnˈɪʃən pˈækɪdʒɪŋ, ðə dɪzˈaɪn ʌv lˈoʊdkˈæɹiɪŋ ɪkwˈɪpmənt wʌz ˈɔːlsoʊ tʃˈeɪndʒd ɪn ɐn ˈɛfɚt tə pɹəvˈaɪd lˈaɪtweɪt ˌɪndᵻvˈɪdʒuːəl ɪkwˈɪpmənt ðæt kʊd bˈɛɾɚ wɪðstˈænd ðə ɹˈɪɡɚz əvə tɹˈɑːpɪkəl ɛnvˈaɪɹənmənt.
As with just about everything else in use in Vietnam by the Army, from boots to field dressings to ammunition packaging, the design of load-carrying equipment was also changed in an effort to provide lightweight individual equipment that could better withstand the rigours of a tropical environment.