so i've been meaning to do this for literally two years and last weekend i finally sat down and just did it. got everything into a pelican 1510 case, which is maybe overkill but i had it laying around from an old job. threw in my FT-817ND, a few different antennas, coax, a little 20ah LiFePO4 battery, charging stuff, log sheets, pens, a copy of my license, all that. also grabbed one of those cheap little handheld weather radios because honestly i forgot i even owned it.

the thing that surprised me is how fast it all adds up in terms of weight. like i thought i was being smart by using the 817 since its so small but by the time you add the battery and the coax and everything else im hauling around maybe 18 pounds? which is fine but more than i expected.

my question is for you guys who actually deploy with served agencies or ARES stuff -- what do you wish you'd included that you didn't think of until you were actually in the field? i feel like im probably forgetting something obvious. also is there a standard checklist anywhere that people actually use or does everyone just wing it?

nice work getting it done, honestly just having *something* ready puts you ahead of most people. the thing i always tell folks is dont forget the boring stuff -- spare fuses, a small roll of electrical tape, a multi-tool. i showed up to a deployment once and had everything except a way to mount the antenna and spent an hour jury rigging something with zip ties. now i keep a small bag of zip ties, velcro straps, and a little roll of paracord in the kit and i've used it every single time.

also headlamp. always a headlamp. you think the net will be done before dark and then it isnt.

as far as checklists go the ARRL has one somewhere on their site but i find those pretty generic. after my first real deployment i just started keeping notes on my phone about what i wished i had and built my own list from that. probably the most useful thing i ever did for my kit honestly.

I'm still pretty new to all this (got my general about 8 months ago) so take this with a grain of salt but I've been reading a lot about go-kits and one thing that comes up over and over is documentation -- like having a laminated quick reference card for your radio's memory channels and the local ARES/RACES frequencies so you're not digging through a manual under stress. I made one for myself even though I haven't deployed anywhere yet, just seemed smart. Also heard people mention having some cash in small bills tucked in the kit in case you need to grab something at a store and card readers are down. Probably overthinking it but hey.