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Go kits and emergency power
What to pack and how to power it.
What to pack and how to power it.
A go kit (or go bag) is a ready-packed set of equipment that lets you operate on short notice, away from home, with no mains power. The idea is that you grab it and leave without thinking. The arithmetic of power is the part most people get wrong, so most of this article is about that.
Build the kit in layers and test the whole thing together before you need it.
| Group | Examples | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Radio | handheld with spare battery, or a mobile/HF radio | the core of the kit |
| Antenna | a better antenna than the rubber duck, plus a way to hang it | antenna and feed-line problems are common |
| Feed line and connectors | coax, adapters, a spare of each connector you use | the wrong plug stops everything |
| Power | battery, charger, fused leads, spare cells | see the budget below |
| Paperwork | frequency and contact lists, forms, maps, pencils, notebook | paper needs no battery |
| Light and tools | headlamp, basic tools, tape, cable ties | work in the dark, make repairs |
| Personal | water, food, medicine, weather clothing | you cannot operate if you are unwell |
| Identification | ID, and anything your group asks you to carry | served agencies decide who gets in |
Keep it modular: a small handheld pouch for the first hour, and a larger box for a long deployment.
Power is a budget of current over time. Battery capacity is in amp-hours (Ah); average current in amps. Hours = usable Ah ÷ average amps. A transmitter draws far more than a receiver, so the average depends on how much you transmit.
Check the worked example in the diagram: receive 1.5 A for 80% of the time plus transmit 20 A for 20% gives 1.5 × 0.8 + 20 × 0.2 = 5.2 A average. A 35 Ah battery with 80% usable holds 28 Ah, and 28 ÷ 5.2 is about 5.4 hours. These currents are illustrative of a typical 100 W HF radio; look up your own radio's figures, and remember a 5 or 10 W radio will draw much less.