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I've recently started getting more into detailed equipment for my players. They've always been assumed to have some sort of webbing, but as they've started getting more equipment (through defeated enemies and looting), they've gotten different kinds of webbing and belts with pistol holsters and things like that.

How are you guys handling all the load bearing equipment rules wise?

Are you giving a negative modifier for not having any?

Are you giving a positive modifier to something for having good load bearing gear?

Or do you just handwave it and ignore it?

I'm curious.

Personally, I'm considering giving some sort of bonus to having load bearing gear over not having it at all. I just don't know what, yet.

I usually ignore it unless the player tell me more about their equipment management or system or the player is particularly against using at least something.

If the player pays particular attention or is interested in using a good load bearing equipment and mental system to manage it I will give a bonus from time to time if having a good management system seems to help like finding a particular piece of equipment fast.

If the player is against using something practical, mostly because of the attitude and personality of the character, then a penalty sometimes but mostly just descriptions and taking more time to do some tasks because some time was used to find the tools or materials.

But most of the time it is just flavor and the different characters outlook, some are more organized, some are more relaxed.

Carrying a backpack incurs a -2 mobility check per page 132 of the players manual.

With that in mind, would some sort of sliding scale work? For instance;

........................................... Backpack webbing weight load bearing
less than 20kg load -2 mobility -2 mobility -1 mobility or fatigue
more than 20kg load -3 mobility -3 mobility -2 mobility

Worth thinking if the load bearing gear helps with mobility or fatigue? The more i think about it the more i think it helps with fatigue over time while travelling.

Mostly handwave it for mechanics purposes. I do use it however and encourage players to note what they're wearing, for flavor, and I think because it helps with Theater of the Mind.

I take Heffes approach.
No need to micro manage gear placement to that level in most cases. Now they have to figure out what to put in the backpack and whether or not to drop the backpack. Since the "combat round" is 5-15 seconds I don't see much difference in "high speed" rigging and different holsters vs jeans and jackets.

I'm not into massive detail in my games. But i don't mind players having to decide whether to drop their backpack or not. Are they happy living with a -2 modifier? If they drop their backpack and end up moving during combat, they risk loosing everything in the backpack? Again staying out of the detail, but i like examples like this where players have to make a decision that may have significance (-2 modifiers verse loosing their possessions).

One thing i need to do more often is to understand how many magazines each player has on their person. So if they do drop their backpack and end up shoot and moving, they only have the 2/3/4 magazines on them - not the hundreds of ammo loosely (ching ching ching) being carried in their backpack!

the 2/3/4 magazines on them

Small note, more like 7-10 rifle + 3-5 pistol, and more for British troops.

EDIT: Also, if you want it to matter, you can always treat the character's STR die as one size larger when determining combat gear when using whatever your definition of good combat webbing is. No bonus to what you can stuff in a pack.

I've decided to house-rule that anyone not wearing any sort of webbing or battle belt will have their "get item from combat gear" action be a slow action instead of a fast action.

It would incentivize players to get web gear and belts if they don't have them, but won't be an issue in general, since most are soldiers and already have them.