Its about the antenna.
Power helps but if its in a pack your back may complain.
Antennas that are small physically are less efficient as physics
always wins. They be ok if they trade bandwidth for efficiency
and that's not an operating inconvenience.
HF the PAR EF40/20/10 is the goto t 40ft long. Light and compact. I've used
it on every band from 60M though 10M with wires cut for 60, 17 and 12M
handy in the kit. It takes 25W continuous so even the 100W rig throttled to
50W SSB is reasonable. That antenna, spare wires and 25ft or RG58 is
under 2 pounds. Add ropes and all maybe 4-5 pounds. Still installation
and height are the key elements. That varies with the known or expected
limits of the location. I have a kit for vertical and height (of the element)
is everything as its going to be less efficient than dipole or EFHW.
I do have a small HF only (80-10M) 100W brick. At 13V it eats a nice 16A
(for 60W) on peaks along with the radio at 2A s its not much better than
the average 100W radio. Until I turn the amp off, and 2A (ft817 peaks)
looks good. It they heard me with the 60W then they will hear me with
5W unless their antenna is very poor (or they are in noisy location). Either
case experience taught me that its about the antenna. So anything
close to a tuned dipole (or EndFed Half Wave) at reasonable height is
game on.
IF the site and all allow a wagon or cart to transport it all, you can get
the bigger stuff to the working position like 100W, big battery, maybe
solar charging, are a easy thing. Still a good antenna makes contacts
easy then. Field day is a good example.
FYI the 1:9 fed random wires are rarely the same performance level as
a tuned half wave anything (Dipole or EFHW) until the wire starts to be
long as in 53ft for 40M and 84ft for 80/75M) Which is nearly a half wave
on those bands plus it requires a tuner! They require a counterpoise and
all the setup rules (height and supports) as any other decent antenna.
Despite all that said.. First rule is best antenna possible, and active band,
and the attitude I can be heard. A little persistence helps. Generally once
the first or second contact is made there will be people actively hunting for you..
Best way to get that, POTA, SOTA, IOTA.
HINT: you want a signal that attracts attention of the positive kind.
That being clean, crisp, no background noises, and no undesired
artifacts. Do not overdrive the rig or have a setup with RF in the
audio issues. It degrades the signal and often will get you passed
over as its too difficult to copy. Same for CW, poor keying, chirpy,
or a bad fist (less common) can lower responses.
Allison