so ive been meaning to do this for like two years and kept putting it off but after the storms we had last month that knocked out power for three days i figured i really need to stop procrastinating on this stuff

here's roughly what i've got so far — a Yaesu FT-857D as my main rig, a 40ah lithium battery from bioenno, a small solar panel (30w i think), my random wire antenna and a roll of coax, logbook and pencils, a laminated copy of local ARES frequencies and the ICS forms i'd probably need, spare fuses and a few connectors, and a power strip with anderson powerpole adapters

its all going into a pelican-style case i found at harbor freight which honestly seems pretty solid for the price. the whole thing fits in my truck which is kind of the point

my main question is — is there stuff people always forget until they actually need it that i should be throwing in now? i feel like im missing something obvious but i cant figure out what. also curious if anyone has opinions on whether a dedicated HF rig for a go kit makes sense vs just using a handheld for local stuff and keeping it simple

that actually sounds like a pretty solid start, way more thought-out than my first go-kit which was basically just a radio and some hope lol

a few things that have saved me during actual activations — an headlamp (not just a flashlight, hands-free matters more than you think when you're trying to write and key at the same time), a notepad that isn't your logbook specifically for message traffic so you dont mix stuff up, and honestly some snacks and water because you'd be surprised how long you might be sitting somewhere before relief shows up

the other thing i'd say is dont underestimate how useful a cheap handheld is even if your main rig does everything. if the go-kit is in the truck and you need to walk somewhere or coordinate with someone 50 feet away the HT is way more practical. i keep a BF-F8HP programmed with all the local repeaters just as a backup comm tool separate from the main kit

also double check your antenna situation for the 857 — a random wire is great but having a quick-deploy option that doesn't require you to find trees or a mast can matter a lot depending on where you end up deployed

the HF vs HT question really depends on what your local ARES or RACES group actually uses. some nets around here are VHF only for local coordination and HF is for passing traffic to the state EOC, so having both actually does make sense if you're involved with a group

one thing i'd add — documentation. not just the freq list but like, written down procedures for yourself. sounds dumb but when things are stressful and you're sleep deprived you will forget how to set up your own antenna faster than you think. i have a laminated one-page 'set up checklist' in my kit and i've used it every single drill even after doing this for years