When I was young, we never went on vacation abroad.
Can remember a week in Blaricum and a short trip to Zeeland (Delta Works) with a few more days in the Netherlands but no “travel.

So once I was allowed to go with the Corps to Wales, as a conscript raised in 1987 and therefore 19 years old, it was already special. When we also started “hiking” (marches!) through those beautiful surroundings there, I was sold; day marches, night marches, multi-day marches, tactical marches. I really had to be careful not to react too enthusiastically because, quite rightly, there were also colleagues who didn’t like it as much.

Is of course also personal, fact that I still enjoy doing it now is a result of these experiences.

So in those circumstances, for the first time, we enjoyed hiking, navigating, the beautiful scenery and reaching a summit.

Better training, incl. practicing drills, you couldn’t wish for and you got paid, well, for it too!
Some things are so ingrained that I don’t even think about them now (200 years later);
bring a fresh thermos of tea every day, ventilate (jacket on, jacket off) after an hour of walking, check the map regularly, clean socks every day, etc. etc.

Of course, these are things you don’t just learn here but for me this was really the perfect foundation.

How well I had a good time those 13 years I tell on
this page
but even in these cases not everyone realized how well everything was arranged.

Still some areas for improvement below but ultimately enjoyed this too.
Later several times to Scotland, other areas of England (Dartmoor), Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway to “walk” in at least as beautiful surroundings.

Received a comment from someone that Mount Christoffel in Curaçao should not be missed, herewith.
Tricky navigating there with the standard bad weather but the, also standard, Bright beer at the top (incl. fresh lime!) made up for much during this traditional hike for all visitors (and there have been many) during our 3 years on this beautiful island.

Where I now have a ridiculously luxurious backpack with a perfect hip belt, these “bergans” in the photos were not yet equipped with that. Did have a belt around your hips but that wasn’t really meant for force distribution so all the weight cut into your shoulders but you didn’t know any better.

Of course you had a standard torque with cartridge holders around your hip so a lap belt wouldn’t work either but when ‘crusaders’ came along (better backpacks with lap belts that is) we found and solution for that too! More on that later.

When I look at the below, scanned, images now, I have to chuckle at the youthful enthusiasm with which you see everyone walking around with a “tripod,” radio or a MAG (not tactical march, that is) on top of or in that bergan yet again with that standard pack.

Wonderful time!