so ive been putting this off for way too long and after the ice storm last month that knocked out power for 3 days i figured i really need to get serious about a proper go-kit. right now i have my FT-857D and a power pole distribution block and a couple of 12ah LiFePO4 batteries from bioenno that i use for portable ops anyway, so thats kind of a starting point i guess.

what i threw in a pelican case so far: the radio obviously, a thin little logging notebook and some pens, my tech manual, a small SWR meter, a handful of connectors and adapters, coax jumpers in a few lengths, my ID and license copy, and a USB battery bank for charging the handheld. also got a sotabeams linked dipole stuffed in a bag that fits in the side pocket.

but i feel like im still missing stuff and i cant figure out what. like is there a checklist somewhere that ARRL or somebody put together or do most people just kind of figure it out from experience. the antenna situation also bugs me — the linked dipole is great for HF but for local emcomm nets i should probably have something more VHF/UHF ready. im in a suburban area so usually theres a local repeater within reach but if infrastructure is down who knows.

anyone been through this process and can tell me what they wish theyd packed that first time they actually needed the kit?

your list is actually pretty solid for a first kit, dont stress too much. the thing i wish id had early on was a laminated card with all my local repeater frequencies, CTCSS tones, and the ARES/RACES net schedules written out — because when things get hectic you really dont want to be hunting through menus or trying to remember if the county EOC repeater is 146.940 or whatever. just laminate it and zip tie it to the case handle or tape it inside the lid.

also a headlamp and some AA batteries sound obvious but i left mine at home the first time i deployed and worked in a dim gymnasium for six hours squinting at my radio, never again. and bring more food and water than you think you need because nobody is gonna be feeding you at a shelter or EOC, learned that the hard way too.

for the VHF/UHF thing, a mag mount and a short run of coax you can snake out a window or door is usually enough. if the repeater is down you can still do simplex on 146.520. some people throw a slim jim made of ladder line in the kit which rolls up really small and actually works great hung from a tree or stuck out a window with some tape.

honestly the thing that surprised me when i actually activated for a real event was how much i needed stuff that had nothing to do with radio. like a power strip (the kind with the long cord), extra extension cord, hand sanitizer, a small first aid kit just for myself, ear protection because gyms and EOCs are LOUD and wearing headphones for 8 hours on a hard chair is rough. also a camp chair because sometimes theres nowhere to sit and you feel weird asking.

on the radio side the one thing id add is some kind of external speaker or at least a good earpiece. the internal speaker on the 857 isnt bad but in a noisy environment you miss stuff constantly. and yeah the slim jim suggestion in the other reply is spot on, i have one made from 300 ohm tv twinlead thats been in my kit for years and it goes up in like 2 minutes.