so ive been meaning to do this for like two years and after the windstorm last month knocked out power for three days i finally got serious about it. got a pelican case, my IC-7300 probably wont go in it (too big?) so i was thinking the 705 or maybe just my old VX-8 for the HT side of things. i have a little power setup with a 20ah lifepo4 battery and a 30w solar panel that i tested in the backyard last summer.

the part im fuzzy on is the antenna situation. at home i have a dipole strung up between two trees but obviously i cant take that anywhere practical. thinking a end-fed halfwave with a small tripod mast, maybe 20-30 feet? i do have a comet SMA whip for the HT but that feels pretty limiting.

anyway i keep making lists and then losing them, figured id just ask here what are the things people forget until its too late. not the obvious stuff like extra batteries and a logbook, more like the small dumb things

the thing i always tell people is dont forget a way to make copies of your ID, your license, any ARES or RACES membership cards — laminated copies, not just digital. when youre at an EOC at 2am and someone needs to verify you belong there you dont want to be digging through your phone with a dead battery trying to find a screenshot.

also meals. sounds obvious but i showed up to a deployment during a flood situation and spent 12 hours on a radio with nothing but half a granola bar i found in my jacket. now i keep a small dry bag in the kit with a couple days worth of simple stuff. its a go-kit not just a radio kit if that makes sense.

your antenna plan sounds fine for most situations. ive used a 40m EFHW thrown over a tree limb more times than i can count and it works. the real thing is practice putting it up fast in the dark or in the rain before you actually need to

oh man the small stuff. okay here's what got me: i had everything wired up beautifully but forgot a simple anderson powerpole distribution block so i was trying to run two things off one connector with some janky adapter i made at midnight. also bring way more coax connectors and adapters than you think you need, like PL-259 to BNC, BNC to SMA, whatever you can fit in a little ziplock. you'll need the one you didn't bring guaranteed.

the 705 would be a solid choice for a go-kit by the way. i know some people think the power output is low but with a decent antenna it really does fine and the size is just right. the 7300 is amazing but yeah not really practical unless you have a dedicated vehicle setup.

one more thing — headphones. actual headphones not earbuds if you can manage it, when youre in a noisy shelter or EOC you'll thank yourself