Bob Copper was asked to go out and about by the BBC with a portable tape recorder in the '60s (read his book "Songs and Southern Breezes") to collect songs from singers in rural communities, mainly in the south of England. His short time as the landlord of a pub in Kent stemmed from his travels on his recording activity. The book describes it very fully. I can't recall exactly what the equipment was - but it would have been the standard, radio reporter's portable kit of the period.