so i've been in ARES for about 8 months now and mostly just showing up to the monthly nets and doing the occasional tabletop exercise. last weekend was my first actual activation though, county emergency management called us in because of the flooding along the creek that runs through the south end of town and they needed comms support while some of the repeaters were acting up and cell service was getting spotty in the affected neighborhoods.

honestly i wasnt sure what to expect going in. i was deployed to the EOC and another guy from our group was out at the shelter. mostly i was just passing traffic between the shelter and the EOC and relaying status updates to the net control. nothing dramatic but it felt real in a way that the exercises never quite do, like people were actually counting on the information getting through correctly.

the thing that surprised me most was how much the training actually mattered. i kept thinking about all those times i almost skipped the monthly net because nothing exciting was happening but the muscle memory of the procedures really does kick in when you're stressed. also brought way too much gear lol, had like three radios and a backup power setup that i definitely did not need for an EOC deployment with shore power available.

anyway if you're on the fence about joining your local ARES group i'd say just do it. the training feels repetitive sometimes but last weekend made me glad i stuck with it.

that's really cool to hear, congrats on your first activation. i've been licensed for almost two years and keep meaning to get involved with our county ARES group but always find a reason to put it off. your post is kind of a kick in the pants for me honestly.

quick question though — did they have a specific go-kit requirement to participate or did you just show up with whatever you had? i've heard some groups are pretty particular about what radios and modes they expect you to have ready and i wasnt sure if i'd need to get more equipment before joining.

the overpacking thing is so real, i did the same thing my first few activations. took me probably three or four before i figured out what i actually use versus what just makes me feel better having it in the car. now my go-kit is honestly pretty stripped down compared to what it used to be, a couple HTs, a mobile rig, some feedline and a portable antenna, batteries and a way to charge them. that covers like 90% of what i've actually needed in the field.

the EOC assignments are good for getting your feet wet without too much chaos. shelter assignments can get a little more hectic depending on the situation, had one a few years back during an ice storm where the net traffic volume just kept climbing and it was hard to keep up logging everything properly. good experience though. sounds like your group has solid training which makes a huge difference when it counts.