finally going to try my first summit tomorrow morning. got my ft-817nd and a 20m dipole, extra battery pack, logbook etc. been looking at W6/SC-001 since its only about an hour drive and not too crazy of a hike. im probably overthinking this but what obvious thing am i going to forget that will make me kick myself? also do you really need to stay for the full 30 minutes or can you pack up once you get your 4 contacts?

Oh man the number of times ive gotten to the summit and realized i forgot something basic... definitely bring more water than you think you need, and maybe throw a granola bar or something in the pack. Also dont forget to spot yourself on sotawatch once you get set up, makes a huge difference for getting contacts. You can pack up after 4 QSOs but honestly once you get going its usually pretty fun to work a few more if conditions are good

Weather can change fast up there so maybe bring a light jacket even if it looks nice at the bottom. And double check that your battery is actually charged the night before - learned that one the hard way! W6/SC-001 is a great choice for a first activation, pretty straightforward trail. Have fun and 73