As many of you know, I’m a hopeless pack geek.
So when George (KJ6VU) asked if I would be interested in talking about backpacks and gear bags as a guest on the Ham Radio Workbench podcast, I agreed without hesitation.
What I love about the HRWB podcast are all of the truly deep-dives into a wide variety of topics. Quite often, topics are well outside my particular interest area, but the more I listen, the more I’m drawn in. The hosts’ enthusiasm is infectious.
It was an honor to join this fine team for a few hours of workbench projects, ham radio, and pack geekery.
If you’ve never listened to the HRWB podcast, I’d encourage you to check it out and subscribe. I think you’ll agree that the hosts–George, Mark, Mike, Rod, and Vince–have an amazing chemistry.
Thanks again, guys, for inviting me on the show. As I said after the recording, it was great “being on the other side of the lawnmower.”
We are lost souls in the world of bags when you own Think Tank, Klein Tools, Crye Precision, 5.11 and spend an hour in a new Decathlon store buying their pouches in the hunting, backpacking and travel section. If you have an Alice frame pack or three with radios on them then yeah the 10,000 hour rule applys. My therapist showed me these dopp kits that come with beauty product gift sets that are great for antenna bags but I now use metal canisters that hold my Icom vs-3 and another for my Palm Mini paddles. To contain a pocket dipole in a Gucci eyeglass case is normal at my shack. Looking forward to Nunuk, Pelican, Yeti and Harbour Freight hacks.
Ha ha ha! There you go!
Good presenters, good chemistry, good topics … But I can’t do three hours every two weeks. Just can’t.
Fun episode! Regarding how one organizes one’s bags, I’m a retired army medic, so my backpack, radio kit bags, range bag, trauma kit, etc., have been packed in essentially the same way for 30+ years.
Of course, old gear gets swapped for new and such, and new packs have different pockets, but everything gets a place and _always_ goes in that place. I can still find what I need in my aide bag without looking at it, regardless of what is going on around me. I can’t imagine having it any other way.
I had a lot of fun listening to you guys on HRWB. Thomas you continue to set the epidemiological gold standard in pota and sota.
Thank you John! 🙂 “Epidemiological gold standard in POTA and SOTA”–? I’m telling my wife I want that one the grave stone!
Thomas. I purchased the arborist throw line bag. Have a KX3.
How do you store your throw line? If I leave it in the bag it does not triangle down completely.
Which pack would you suggest to carry this basic pota? Tough to guage pack size. Thank you for your contribution to our hobby. 73. J
Hi, John!
Is this the throw line and bag you have?:
https://youtu.be/smdros6XhyQ
If so, simply pack it like that and you’ll never have a tangle! It’s worked for me even with 2MM line.
Cheers,
Thomas