Let's talk Yaesu FT-817/818 for portable comms

My ham focus is on emergency communications rather than talking to strangers in other countries, so I've been focused on the budget end by getting a bunch of Baofeng handhelds to disperse among family and group members. They've served me well so far, but I've also had my eye on some mobile HF comms.

So last week I bought a Yaesu FT-818ND. Haven't put it through the paces yet but I'm happy with what I see so far. I really like the small size; coupled with a small wire antenna, it's easily manpackable...much more so than any other radio with comparable capability than I've found. (But I'm new to ham so I certainly may have missed something.)

Prices are low at Ham Radio Outlet right now. $600 new...much cheaper than Amazon.
https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-016097

Re: "comparable capability," I want to be able to transmit on all modes on all frequencies. Many radios are all freq, but the modes on each freq can be limited...no AM or SSB at 144MHz, for example.

Of course, the tradeoff for a compact size is low power...max 6W. And if you use the AA option, it automatically drops to 2.5W. Another slight inconvenience is that (buried in page 9 of the manual is says) you can't operate the radio while using the 120V battery charger. But you can operate and charge the battery at the same time if you use an external DC power source. That's not important while using it in the field, but it's a limitation for home use that I wasn't aware of when I bought it.

Anyway, I'm interested in what folks here have done to tailor their 817/818s to their unique kits. How do you carry it, ham-in-a-box builds, what's the best antenna for different situations in mobile use, anyone use an inline amplifier for more power at home, etc.?

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Let's talk Yaesu FT-817/818 for portable comms