so ive been meaning to do this for like two years and after the storms last month i finally got serious about it. put together a basic go-kit in one of those apache cases from harbor freight. right now i have my ft-857d, a roll of coax, some PL-259s, a spare mic, and my log book. also threw in a cheap swr meter i had laying around.

power is where im not sure what im doing. i have a 20ah lifepo4 battery i got off amazon and a little fused distribution block. been thinking about adding a small solar panel for longer deployments but not sure what size makes sense for running the 857 on like 50 watts for a few hours a day. anyone gone down this road?

also wondering if im overthinking the antenna situation. right now im planning to just use a buddipole but i feel like for actual emergencies maybe i should have something simpler that can go up fast. like maybe just a linked dipole or a end fed or something. what do you guys actually use when you're deployed for real

the solar question is pretty easy to ballpark -- a 100w panel will keep you comfortable if you're not running the amp all day. i run a 100w rigid panel with a victron MPPT controller and it handles my ic-7300 just fine at 50-100w output during field day type conditions, as long as you have some sun obviously. cloudy days are a different story and thats when your battery capacity matters more. 20ah is fine for overnight but if you're looking at multi-day stuff maybe think about a second battery you can parallel in.

on the antenna thing -- i actually moved away from the buddipole for go-kit use. not that it's bad but when things are chaotic and you're tired you want something brain-dead simple. i cut a linked dipole for 40/20/10 and have it rolled up on a winder with some paracord guys and a fiberglass mast. takes maybe 8 minutes to get it in the air and it just works. end feds are popular too, especially the 49:1 type, but you will want to make sure your rig handles the tuner load okay. the 857 has a decent internal tuner so you might be fine.

one thing i don't see on your list -- headlamps and a power strip with a cigarette lighter adapter? sounds dumb but at 2am in a EOC with bad overhead lighting you'll thank yourself.

honestly the apache cases are great, i have two of them. just make sure you pre-cut foam or get the pick-n-pluck foam because everything sliding around during transport is annoying real fast.

one thing people forget is documentation. like printed frequency lists for your local ARES nets, ICS forms, your own call sign card with phonetics if you get stressed (dont laugh it happens), all that stuff. digital is great until your phone dies and your charger is in the other bag. i keep a laminated sheet with the most important freqs and a basic ops checklist zip-tied inside the lid of the case. seems overkill until it isn't.