What is your opinion,what was the most important piece of equip?
What single piece of equip was the most important to any infantry man or army?


My guess = the wrist watch

I would have to go with the compass. And, for the obvious reason of navigation.

BOOTS !

The Soviet army did adequately fairly well without much in the way of wristwatches (although they did end up with quite a few, as the photo of the chaps erecting a flag on the Reichstag was retouched to remove the multitude of watches on one soldier's arm).

I'd have thought the tin can (holding rations) that allowed armies to be maintained without an accompanying baggage train of fresh meat (i.e. cattle etc.) and the like would be a good candiidate. Surely it would be something logistic anyway.

I would say the weapons

Ammunition!

Cheers,
Joe

I would say the man and the training he gets.

Beyond any doubt the most important bit of kit was the shovel

The steel helmet does not get enough recognition. in terms of survival, it completely changed the picture.

Canteen + clean drinking water for my guess

It would be the thing you need right now that you don't have, or that just broke, or ran out. Or clean, dry socks.

I'd give the shovel the runners up prize.

I think the knife was a more versatile item as both a weapon and a tool.

I think it is a photo finish between:

Good, lasting marching boots
Long term storable food
The self contained cartridge and matching rifle
The folding spade

I just realized, the answer should be the soldier. They are finely honed pieces of equipment, that have thousands of dollars invested in their training.

Let's say some are. I met good ones but I also met "professional" soldiers (Read: Soldiers for Life / Berufssoldaten) who's main skills where "staying sober Monday to Thursday Afternoon" or "finding an enlisted man to week to fight back and mob him"(German enlisted CAN fight back quite effectively)

The nature of the question struck me as after assuming the obvious needs of his or her weapon and that he or she is fully qualified and trained for combat, what THEN would be their most important tool.

such an interesting question, to my mind the answer is warm clothers)

As an ex-professional infantryman of 13years experience as a highly trained

'Steeley eyed dealer of death'

I can tell you all with confidence that whilst your assumptions are all fine and laudable.

The following list is in descending order the most important kit.

1 brew-up kit (I'm British)
2 A thorough knowledge of the location of friendly forces and supporting arms at all times (PUBS)
3 KFS (knife fork and Spoon) and can opener.
4 Timetable of when it all finishes, (because there's that 'Do' on Saturday you know)
5 Scoff, (rations)
6 Dry comfortable boots
7 Spare socks
8 Your own weapon that YOU zeroed, not just the one the guy in the armoury wants you to take because no-one else has used it for 6 months and it needs a clean because he couldn't be arsed.
9 As much ammunition as you can carry, and more
10 An officer to blame when it all goes pear shaped and a good sergeant to 'advise' hime how not to do it again.

Yep that about covers it

Simple

"Who dares wins?"
Nonsense !
"Who cares who wins I'm off to the pub".

Paul