PORTERAGE PARAMETERS AND TABLES

Abstract

Tables and computation methods for evaluating the load that can be carried by porters under various conditions. The logistic importance of porterage has been a disputed issue in American military planning. This study shows quantitatively its value in such areas as Thailand and Vietnam, and its costliness and inefficiency in areas of jungle and mountain. Data were drawn from specific historical accounts, much of it unclassified data from classified RAND publications. The most detailed information is from UN and North Korean experience in the Korean conflict, the Viet Minh planning factors in Indochina, and the 1963 American expedition up Mt. Everest. Weight carried and daily travel distance were related to the geographic, military, and physical conditions. Average ton-miles per man/day range from .04 to .21 and speed varies from 1.8 to 3 mph, depending on terrain, illumination, etc. Methods of estimating trail capacity and the probability of observation are given, and different staging policies are evaluated.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1967
Accession Number
AD0658096

Entities

People

  • J. W. Higgins

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Asia
  • Computational Science
  • Computations
  • Illumination
  • Manpower
  • Military Planning
  • Mountains
  • Operations Research
  • Southeast Asia
  • Supervision
  • Supervisors
  • Terrain
  • Thailand
  • Training
  • Transportation
  • Travel Time
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Library and Information Science/ Studies, Southeast Asia Studies, Bibliography of Vietnam and Lao Studies.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Theoretical Analysis.