Lo and behold, there was a military rig laying by itself on the top corner of a couch in the resale shop. $10.50!!!

Right panel

This setup has; The padded shoulder harness with four strap clips A back modular mounting panel with two straps to attach to the harnesses back clips Left & right front ammo clip/gernade panels with one strap to attach to the harnesses front clips. The front panels have two adjustable straps with plastic clips to adjust fit, and the side space between the front and back panels are corset stringed for fit. A wide web belt (canteen belt) with eyelets which is strapped to the bottom of the front and rear panels And, a butt pack which attaches to the back panel A whistle and a chemical light stick tied to the shoulder harness A Medic Pin on the butt pack A small amount of dirt

The rig is heavier than a basic aluminum back-pack frame and nylon pack. But, it fits as close to your body as you wish it to. And the load can be distributed around the torso.

As it is now, it can't haul my gear. Small Pentax lenes will fit the grenade pouches. The digital camera will fit into a clip pouch. A meduim botted water will fit the larger clip pouches. There is plenty of room in the butt pack for  day hike stuff.

There will have to be ways to attach tripods and larger lenses, etc., though the butt pack has straps top and bottom for horizontal items (bed rolls). This web belt is rated "medium", for waist sizes thru 36".
 From the web;

Load Bearing Roots

The origin of the modern individual load bearing system dates back to World War II, where the first assault vests were used by American forces during the Normandy invasion. These vests were made from canvas cloth with a number of large pockets on the front and back to accommodate bulky items such as grenades, demolitions, and ammunition (in addition to what soldiers normally carried on their pistol belts).

Early Ranger assault vests.

America's military did not adopt a standard Load Bearing Equipment (LBE) harness until Vietnam, as the pistol belt remained the only uniform-issue piece of equipment combat troops could hang ammunition pouches and other essentials on. Not that the LBE was an efficient piece of hardware. Consisting of a set of padded suspenders attached to the pistol belt, the LBE allowed for more weight to be attached to the pistol belt (and better distribute the weight of that load), but didn't increase the surface area to which equipment could be attached - good for the "fat around the middle" look, but little else.

The Load Bearing Vest (LBV) was the military's first true assault vest. While it still used the pistol belt as the primary load-bearing item, the LBV replaced the suspender straps with a mesh vest, to which ammunition and grenade pockets were sewn into the front chest pieces. The introduction of these pockets freed up space on the pistol belt by eliminating the need for magazine pouches, as well as making magazines more readily accessible.

Ranger-Ready

The Load Bearing Vest (LBV) in action.

The first modern combat assault vest became available in the late 1990s with the introduction of the Ranger Assault Carrying Kit (RACK). The RACK was purpose-built to meet the needs of the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment. Specifically: a means of carrying large amounts of ammunition and equipment in a secure, accessible way that didn't impede the wearer's movement or mobility.

The RACK (also known as Modular Lightweight Load Carrying System, or MOLLE) was the first system to truly go "vertical" -- not only could the user store equipment in pouches around the waist, but he could also attach it to a "bib" on the chest. More impressively, the user could configure the modular packs that attached to the harness and bib to meet specific mission requirements.

Current Issue

Big things in a small package: the latest load bearing vest.

The concepts of vertical storage and modularity pioneered by the MOLLE have been refined with the military's current issue load bearing vest, the Fighting Load Carrier (FLC). The FLC is a mesh vest with modular attachment points covering the chest, much like the RACK, but unlike the RACK, the FLC has a band for attaching equipment completely around the waist. The FLC also allows for the installation of a sustainment or "butt" pack, to increase combat-carrying ability. The FLC accepts any combination of MOLLE-style pouches, thus allowing grenadiers to carry over 22 40mm rifle grenades, SAW gunners to carry 600 rounds of linked ammunition, and riflemen to carry as many as 16 M-16 magazines, as well as all common infantry equipment, such as the canteen, rations, communications gear and night vision devices. All efficiently stored, all immediately accessible.

The MOLLE concept has also been incorporated into the military's current issue body armor, the Interceptor OTV, or Outer Tactical Vest. While the OTV and FLC can be worn as separate items, the OTV incorporates the same pouch attachment system as the FLC and RACK, so that all necessary equipment can be attached directly to the OTV.

Carrying 60 pounds around is no picnic - but with the help of load bearing vests such as the RACK and the FLC and modular pockets, the modern warrior can finally organize his equipment in such a way that he doesn't have to take his eyes off of the fight to get to the tools that he needs.

ARMY ALICE LC-1 & LC-2 COMBAT FIELD PACKS
Lightweight nylon fabric military equipment packs, pack frames, suspenders, shoulder straps and packing comfort accessories for the field.
ALICE Medium Field Packs have been the Army standard issue since the Vietnam War. Current modifications and use of newer water repellant nylon materials make these packs and accessories very useful and economical load carrying systems for budget conscious folks. The Medium Pack is used with or without the LC-2 Pack & Cargo Frame. The Large Combat Pack requires use of the frame. Each pack features a large internal packsack and radio compartment, compression straps, external cargo pockets w/cinching buckles, Velcro® closing top flap with a pocket roomy enough for a 2 or 5 Quart collapsible canteen. Conventional lashing or gear attachment patches are provided. Fabrics are Mil-Spec nylon duck and harness webbing. Shoulder straps sold separately. Made in the USA.

ALICE LC-2 COMBAT 3-DAY TRAINING PACK
Affectionately known as the Butt Pack used for training and carrying 3-day existence loads of clothing and rations. The Training Field Pack is just like the older U.S. military issue canvas 3-day pack. It attaches to individual equipment belt and accepts shoulder suspenders at rear "D" rings for heavy loading.

SPECS:
• Water repellent collar that folds over contents
• Carry handle
• External 1'' web straps for attaching sleeping gear or cinching
• Plastic document pouch is easily accessible at the rear
• Attaches to equipment belt and suspenders
• 420 deinier nylon packcloth fabric
• Measures: 10-1/4'' W x 9-9/16'' x 6-1/4'' (26x24x16cm)
• Made in USA.