I’ve been doing a lot of POTA, and I got tired of building a different pile of gear every time I left the house. I also travel for work, and I’ve taken this through airports more than once. So this is the bag I keep packed: a GORUCK GR1 26L.
Radio
The radio is a Yaesu FT-891. I want 100 watts to make sure I get an activation no matter how bad conditions are, and the 891 is relatively small and lightweight.
- Yaesu FT-891
- Earbuds
- Hand mic
- Power cord
Power
Power is the annoying part when you’re not at home. The 6 Ah LiFePO4 runs the 891 and is allowed by TSA. I’ve got a 12 volt charger for the car and a 120 volt charger for the hotel, plus USB chargers and a battery bank for everything else.
- 6 Ah LiFePO4 battery
- 12V LiFePO4 charger
- 120V LiFePO4 charger
- 12V USB charger
- 120V USB charger
- Battery bank
- USB cords
Vertical
I only carry elements for 20 and 17 meters. I normally operate on 20m, and have 17m available in case there’s a contest clogging up the bands. One mast, dedicated elements, 32 radials.
- 20m & 17m elements (16 AWG)
- 32 radials (22 AWG, 16 feet long)
- BNC To Binding Posts Adapter
- Feedline Choke
- Carbon 6 mast
- Mini tripod, camera rod, and 3/4" PVC to shim the rod in the mast
- 25 ft RG-8X coax, UHF to BNC
Logging and computer
I still take a pad and pens, just in case. The laptop and a Digirig DR-891 are there when I want digital, and a GPS receiver to keep the clock in-sync.
- Pad, pens, pencil
- Laptop
- 120V laptop charger
- Digirig DR-891
- GPS receiver
Chair and table
Working off the ground for more than a few minutes is miserable, so the chair & table come with me.
- Helinox Chair Zero
- Chair Zero pad
- Naceture table
Miscellaneous
And then all the little stuff that isn’t radio but I’d be unhappy without.
- Compactor bag
- Sweat rag
- Aspirin, antacid, salt pills, etc.
- DUDE Wipes
- Headlamp & AA batteries
- Lighter
- Watch, set to UTC
- Readers
- Screwdriver, pliers, and scissors
- Sunglasses
- Hat
I attached a water bottle holder on the GR1, it stays empty until after I get thru TSA.
The bag ends up heavy at 25 lbs., everytime I have tried to reduce gear (table, chair, etc.) I’ve regretted it more than the trouble of lugging it around so it stays.