Do you have a checklist?
Over the last few months, I’ve had very few opportunities to get on the radio.
Just a few weeks ago, I made the seven hour trek from Kansas to visit my mom and dad in Arkansas. On Saturday, I decided to get out and enjoy the late spring morning weather. It was a chilly morning for late May — in the upper 50s — perfect hiking weather. So, I got up before everyone else and drove out to a local spot, Cove Lake Recreation Area (K-7445).
As I opened the back hatch, I thought, “I packed this bag for radio specifically this weekend, so there’s no reason to check it.” And I shouldered the bag, complete with a radio kit, some snacks, water, and a first aid kit. It was a beautiful, steep, 1.5 mile hike to the top of the ridge.
As you might have guessed at this point, I left something at the car, some 300 feet below. It was the battery pack which I had used to charge my phone the day before.
Don’t get me wrong, I still had a wonderful morning hike at Cove Lake but it would have been enhanced by making a few radio contacts while enjoying the view.
The few chances to get on the radio that I’ve had the past few months were squandered due to lack of planning. I’ve decided to do something about it.
I was inspired by this post on QRPer and spurred on by the apparition of a Harbor Freight coupon in my inbox. What better place to start than Harbor Freight! A short bike ride later, I walked into the store with radio gear in hand to make sure that the largest elements were going to fit in the case.
Now that I have a hard case to place everything in, I set to work arranging all the elements. Fitting everything in was surprisingly easy since the transceiver, battery, and logbook had obvious places. Once I had that done, I took everything out, flipped to the back page of the logbook, and made a list.
You’ll note that there are some elements that don’t fit inside of the case, like the throw line and weight for instance. I’ve already started thinking about how I can further decrease the size of my setup in order to make it all fit in once case.
Some elements will forever be outside the case and others are optional.
With this setup, I can be confident that I can walk out the door and be ready to get on the air once I reach the park or summit. However, a pre-trip check could still do me some good. And now that I think about it, I bet I could put more thought into what I put in my radio hiking bag.
My Portable Radio Station Checklist
- Transceiver
- Antenna and Coax
- Battery and Cable
- Headphones and Cable
- Paddle and Cable
- Throwline and Weight (and/or) Mast with Stakes and Guylines
- Logbook and Pencil
Not necessarily radio items, but essentials
- Backpack
- First Aid Kit
- Food
- Water
- Map and Compass if leaving sight of car
- If you think its necessary to carry a map and compass, you should tell two other people where you’re going.
- Extra clothes, especially boot socks
- Hat and Sunglasses
- Knife
Some optional items as well
- Camera
- Backpacking Chair
- Stove with Fuel Canister
- Cookpot
- Instant Coffee
Amateur Radio Station WB0ISG 