Your POTA Bag Is Lying To You — Here’s How To Fix It

What’s actually in your POTA bag… and is it really ready?This week on Brew & Activate, we’re talking about one of the most common portable ham radio problems: keeping your POTA go-kit organized, charged, packed, and actually ready for the next activation.Because let’s be honest — most activations do not fall apart because of the radio. They fall apart because the coax is missing, the battery is dead, the adapter is in another bag, or the one cable you need is sitting back at the shack laughing at you.We’ll break down practical ways to organize your POTA gear, including core kits, mission-based add-ons, pre-flight checklists, post-activation reset routines, and smarter ways to track what lives in each bag.Then I’ll give you a first look at the gear bag tracker app I’m working on for portable operators. The goal is simple: help hams know what’s packed, what’s missing, what needs charging, and what needs to be reset before the next outing.Bring your best “I forgot the thing” stories. We’ve all got one. *************************************************************Affiliate Links: I receive no compensation for these and want to pass on the savings to all my followers.Mad Dog Coils: Receive an additional clamp when ordering any Mad Dog Coil - Use N1JUR in the order/shipping notes https://maddogcoils.com.au/Reliance Antennas: 10% off with Free Shipping. All orders of any Reliance Antenna or product use N1JUR at Checkout. https://www.relianceantennas.com/Seeed Studios: Discount Codes on all Meshtastic Devices on my website n1jur.comSpoolTenna: https://spooltenna.comSHOW LINKS: Discord Brew and Activate - https://discord.gg/EcuySeKkVvBrew & Activate Podcast - https://rss.com/podcasts/brew-and-activate/Brew and Activate Merch - https://livefreeandham.com/shop POTA Bucket List - https://n1jur.com/pota-bucket-listGuests/Hosts:Shannon's Channel (KC1OHT) https://www.youtube.com/@shannonkc1ohtHelp Support the Channel:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/N1JURBuy Me a Beer: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/n1jurN1JUR & KC1OHT Shop: https://www.livefreeandham.com/shop Follow me on:Website: https://n1jur.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1jurFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092365884527