so ive been meaning to do this for like two years and after the storms last month kind of woke me up i finally sat down and started building out a proper go-kit. got a pelican-style case, threw in my FT-817 which i know isnt the most powerful thing but its what i have, a small 20ah lifepo4 battery, some coax, and my j-pole that i can hang pretty much anywhere. also packed a logbook, pencils, and a laminated copy of local ARES frequencies.

feels like im missing something obvious though. like i keep looking at it and thinking theres a gap somewhere. do you guys carry anything that you only remembered after you actually got deployed somewhere and realized you needed it? im especially thinking about longer activations, like more than a few hours. the battery situation has me a little worried too because i dont really have a way to recharge it in the field unless i bring a solar panel which i have but its kind of bulky.

anyway first real attempt at this so be gentle haha

the thing that always gets people is the small stuff honestly. like yeah everyone thinks about the radio and the battery but then youre out there and your coax connector is loose and you didnt bring any electrical tape or a small crescent wrench. i keep a little ziplock bag in mine with some tape, a few spare PL-259s, a barrel connector, and those little anderson powerpole spares. also a headlamp with extra batteries because somehow it always ends up being dark when stuff goes wrong.

the solar panel thing is worth dealing with even if its bulky. i have a 50 watt panel that folds up and honestly once you get used to dragging it around you stop thinking about it. pairs really well with a lifepo4 setup. also if youre doing ARES or RACES stuff check with your EC about what frequencies they actually use day of because the laminated sheet is great but sometimes things change and you want to know who to call to get updated info.

sounds like youre in better shape than most people who show up to their first activation with a handheld and a prayer though so youre ahead of the game

food and water lol. sounds obvious but i completely forgot when i did my first one. also a folding chair if youre going to be somewhere for more than like an hour, your back will thank you. oh and a way to mount or support the radio that isnt just balancing it on your lap, i use a small clipboard i bungee corded to a tripod leg which sounds ridiculous but works fine.