so i joined our local ARES group about four months ago after finally getting my General and i've been going to the monthly nets and training sessions pretty regularly. the EC has been great about welcoming new people in and i feel like i kind of know what im doing on a normal net... but we just got notified theres going to be an actual activation next weekend for a county-wide flood exercise and i'm honestly not sure what to expect.

like i know the basics, i know to listen before transmitting, i know net discipline matters way more during an activation than on a casual ragchew. but what i dont know is stuff like how formal is it really, do i need to bring a specific go-kit setup, whats the actual flow of traffic like when things get busy. our EC sent out a briefing doc but its kind of dense and written assuming you already know some of this stuff i think.

anyone been through their first activation or exercise and can tell me what actually surprised them or what they wish they'd known going in? even just general tips would help a lot right now

oh man i remember my first one, it was a simulated emergency test for our served agency and i showed up with way too much gear and not enough paper. seriously bring a notepad and pencil, like multiple pencils. pens dry up, pencils dont. and write everything down even if it feels redundant because when traffic starts flowing you will be glad you have a log.

the thing that surprised me most was how much waiting there is interspersed with moments where suddenly everyone needs something at once. net control is doing a lot of work keeping things organized so your job is mostly just to stay ready and not key up unless you're called or have something genuinely urgent. follow the net control's lead on everything and if you're not sure whether to transmit, the answer is usually wait a little longer.

also dont stress if you mess up a call or have to ask for a repeat. everyone does it, especially on their first exercise. the whole point of doing exercises is so the real thing goes smoother. you'll be fine, just show up and pay attention

yeah what he said about the notepad is real. also make sure your batteries are all fresh or topped off the night before, dont assume your HT is charged just because you used it two days ago. i made that mistake once during an AUXCOMM drill and was scrambling to find a way to charge mid-exercise which was embarrassing.

one other thing, know your ICS basics even just a little bit. like understand who the served agency liaison is and what your role is in the command structure. some newer hams get confused about who they're actually reporting to during an activation. you're there to support the served agency's communications needs, not to run your own show, so just keep that mindset and you'll mesh well with the group