Encumbrance can be so simple you’ll actually use it!

You can carry:

• Your strength score in “items” without being encumbered.
• Double your strength score with light encumbrance. You get -2 to attacks and dexerity checks and disadvantage on strength checks. Your movement rate is -10.
• Triple your strength score with heavy encumbrance. You get disadvantage on attacks and dexterity checks and automatically fail strength checks. Your movement rate is limited to 10.

So, if your strength is 16, you can explore with 16 items, trudge around with 32, or plod heavily with 48 items.

Items

Most equipment is 1 item, including packs of small items, like 4 torches or 12 candles. Medium armor is 1 item, as is a small shield. Heavy armor is 2 items, as is a large shield.

Most one-handed weapons are 0 items; most hand-and-a-half weapons are 1 item; and most two-handed weapons are 2 items.