so i finally did my first ever POTA activation yesterday at a state park about 40 minutes from me. brought the KX2 and a random wire thrown up in a tree, figured id be there maybe 2 hours and knock out the 10 contacts easy. well first off i forgot the counterpoise at home which i didnt realize until i was already set up and getting terrible SWR. ended up just draping some extra wire on the ground which kind of worked i guess. then about 45 minutes in it started raining and i hadnt brought any cover for the radio. just sat there hunched over it with my jacket trying to keep it dry lol. ended up with 12 contacts so technically a valid activation but man it was a mess. still really fun though and cant wait to do it again with my act together next time

haha welcome to POTA, forgetting something critical is basically a rite of passage. i did my first one without a pen to log contacts, ended up scratching callsigns into the dirt with a stick so i wouldnt forget them. the rain thing is real though, i keep a small ziploc bag in my kit now just for the radio, saved me twice already on longer hikes. 12 contacts on a compromised antenna in the rain is honestly not bad at all for a first one

which park was it? im always looking for new ones to activate in that region. also what band were you on, 40m? i find 40 during the day can be hit or miss depending on conditions but 20 usually saves me when nothing else is working