I have discovered the joys of operating a portable HF station.  My former QTH did not allow any antennas so I decided that if I was going to enjoy the hobby that I would need a portable station.  I had also never operated HF so I decided that this year I would setup a portable HF station and take it on vacation in Crosslake Minnesota. 

The station consists of a Yaesu FT-857D and LDG AT-100Pro Autotuner and its powered with a light weight Samlex SEC-1235M power supply.  As for the antenna I'm using a homebrew vertical attached to a 31 foot fiberglass Jackite pole.  The Jackite pole collapses down to 46 inches and only weighs 5 pounds.