so i finally did my first SOTA activation last weekend, summit was only a 2 mile hike which seemed easy enough but i completely underestimated how much my pack would weigh with the KX2, the buddistick, a 20ah lipo and all the other junk i threw in last minute. legs were dead by the time i got to the top and then i spent like 20 minutes fighting the wind trying to get my antenna up. ended up just doing a vertical because i couldnt deal with the EFHW in those gusts. still made 12 contacts on 20m which i guess counts but i expected way more. also i forgot my log book so i was typing calls into my phone notes app which was a mess. anyone else have a disaster first activation they want to share so i feel better about myself

haha yeah my first one i forgot the coax adapter and had to literally drive back down to the car. didnt even make it to the summit that day. now i have a checklist taped inside my pack lid, never leaving without it again. 12 contacts is actually solid for a first run especially in wind, some summits i barely scratch 10 even on a good day

the phone notes thing is totally fine for logging in the field, i use an app called hamlog or sometimes just voice memos and transcribe later. as long as you get the calls and times you're good for submission. congrats on the activation though, it gets way easier once you figure out what you actually need vs what you thought you needed