[quote=@EldarionI]
I had an idea for a character that had the following load, 1 knife in each boot, a small knife for eating in a pouch on one gauntlet and a pouch with a spare bow-string on the other gauntlet, a single edged elven sword and a quarrel of bolts on his belt, each with additional leg holsters to keep them in place, a crossbow on his back and two small throwing axes tucked in to the back of belt. He wore thick leather armour. My argument for all these weapons, he's a lone survivor and one man walking army.

My character was half dwarven so the load wasn't too heavy... thoughts?
[/quote]

It's not necessarily about the weight so much as it is about inconvenience.

When you say a knife on a gauntlet, for instance, I'm imagining the dagger is either stuffed into the gauntlet or strapped to it. If it's in a pouch strapped to it, using that hand in certain situations could see it fall off or get knocked off. If the pouch is inside the gauntlet, might it not have some risk of cutting him?

A crossbow on his back doesn't really work the same way as, say, having a bow taut about your chest and back (which isn't the best of ideas by the way). For one, how is it connected to his back? Is it strapped on? Is it attached with a cord? Does he have a holster of sorts for it on his back? Also consider the shape of a crossbow: if he does have a holster, it surely gets in his way when he stoops down to do stuff, etc.

Again: weight isn't really the problem. People can carry a surprising amount of weight when it's well distributed (see: real life soldiers in the U.S. army carrying fucking heavy backpacks). However, the gear we're discussing can get in the way of movement, make it difficult to bend, bang against things, get caught on trees, etc.

Instead of having that crossbow on his back, just have him carry it. It's a lot more realistic, I'd say. If you're going to have it on his back, think of some fantasy method that makes it snap into a more convenient shape, and be able to explain why this doesn't weaken the usefulness/strength of the crossbow if prompted. ("IT'S DWARVEN ENGINEERING!") As for the dagger, I'd nix the gauntlet idea; since you're wearing leather armor, just have it strapped to the upper arm, I say, or have it in a spring-loaded wrist sheathe on his gauntlet rather than a pouch.

But yeah, realistically he should carry the crossbow.

As an aside, leather armor didn't get used much IRL, though examples of it surely existed. The issue with leather is simple padded cloth (gambesons) function better, and cloth with metal rivets inside is even better than that (such as brigandine or a coat of plates). Nevertheless, it's a very traditional fantasy aesthetic, and I cannot begrudge you wanting to use leather armor. It's got a cool aesthetic!