The Age of Napoleon - A Brief History

The most common type of infantry headgear in european armies was the bicorn. Soldiers on all sides carried packs of roughly 50 to 80 pounds, that's 22 to 36 kilograms in metric now. Even common soldiers uniform jackets came with a whole spectrum of colored piping and rows of shiny, superfluous buttons and insignia. Some of this ostentation was purely about tradition and regimental pride, but it did serve some practical purposes as well. A cool looking uniform couldn't hurt when it came to recruitment.