Shelter

There are a number of general survival skills that become relevant to radio once the operator is portable, and few are as impactful on your ability to remain effective in the field as shelter. Shelter protects your equipment from rain (hey it does the same for you too!) and remember that you can be cold, you can be wet, but you cannot be cold and wet. Shelter also protects you from the sun when you find that the nice shady spot you set up in gets baked an hour later once the sun has moved. Increased water consumption and sunburns limit how long you can spend in the field, as does dehydration and heat stroke!

The shelter kit I use weighs only 12oz, goes up fast (usually less than 4 minutes without even trying to rush) and packs away small enough to fit in a cargo pocket.

The Bushcraft Outfitters silnylon MEST tarps are strong and light weight for a 5x8 tarp. Home made bungies keep the shelter tight yet flexible in the wind, the titanium stakes weigh next to nothing, and a ridge line made from 2 strings of paracord knotted every ~4 inches gives you the ability to use "toggles" (small sticks) that set up and take down ultra fast without knots to tie and untie. You can configure a shelter to block rain, sun, or wind; you can set it up for maximum air flow or to hide your position from prying eyes. If you're in the field without this capability, you are vulnerable!