What I carried way back when
Since the thread title was "what DID..." (past tense) I thought maybe it would be appropriate to post some "back country" pics of what I carried in 1966 while in Germany. Back country being defined then as the NATO field exercise area known then as "the Graf"...a 400 sq kilometer area left just as it was at the end of WWII. No inhabitants, rubble villages, still active minefields, both axis and allied derelict tanks, trucks, etc., left where they were abandoned. Used for live fire training. The other back country was the ammo dumps (some bunkers had nukes or so we were told) at Koppern.
Cold duty for sure...M14 rifle and 1911A1, both with live ammo..never saw any bears, but those hogs can get very large in the wild where they are foraging for themselves.