Radios
Icom IC705 with a Peovi cage for protection
Standard Icom hand microphone
Heil HTH headset
Yaesu FT3DE hand-held transceiver
Antennas
DX Commander 10m Expedition with 80, 40, 20, 10m elements - thanks Callum!
Slim Jim 2/70 homebrew antenna
Abree 28.5" "tacticool" antenna
Power supply
PowerFilm 60W rollable solar panel
Victron 75/15 MPPT Smart Solar Charge controller
12v 12Ah Ultramax LiFePo Battery
Powertraveller Tactical Extreme Solar Kit for phone, camera and accessory charging
Coax
Two 2.5m lengths of Messi and Paoloni Airborne 5 with M&P connectors (courtesy of M0TIG) - thanks Gary!
Logging
Hamlog for iOS by N3WG
Photons
Supplied by M0MSN - thanks Mike!
Radio equipment and thoughts.
I was very pleased with the radio set up I took on my walk. The IC705 is an amazing transceiver, which suited my purposes well. It is packed with features that I am only just learning more about. These include full GPS and positioning abilities, D-Star digital function (why has nobody written a good D-Star instruction page anywhere? I have looked to no avail) and of course all the main ham bands available in one package. I took a MAT tuner with me, but never used it as the antenna was resonant. It will be interesting to play with sometime however. I have an inherent dislike of tuners - just seems more straight forward to send the RF up the correct size wire, but they do have a place I know.
At home, I have access to full transmit power permitted (and more) if needed. Using 10W TX output ("QRP" - but I refuse to use that phrase) has to be simultaneously one of the most exciting, and occasionally frustrating experiences. This is particularly so when a remote long distance station is being swamped by the whole of Europe - there is literally no chance to get in. I like operators who give time to low-power call ins and will try to do the same from now on. It is polite. However, making a long distance contact with low power is like catching a huge fish with 3lb breaking-strain fishing line - really satisfying!