So...I'm in this how situation and most operating will be portable in southwest Idaho. I'm on the antenna phase. I often won't have trees available. I'm considering something like a packtenna 9:1 EF antenna and a Sotabeams 7000hds, or the chameleon MPAS 2.0 thinking I would use the vertical option most, or the wires when supports are available...
So the most critical aspect of choosing an antenna is figuring out what
you want to accomplish, rather than reading all the glossy advertising
and assuming that their criteria for "portable" operation are exactly
the same as what you are planning to do.
Clue: they often aren't.
And I'd be particularly wary of any equipment sold as "pseudo-military":
the military has some very specific requirements, especially for NVIS
operation, that generally don't apply in ham usage, and performance,
especially on 80m, can suffer accordingly.
So, first, let's understand your needs.
I'm going to start by making an assumption. Yes, I know that is
dangerous, but let's make it explicit from the onset. I am going
to assume that you are more interested in having an antenna
system with good performance than simply being able to brag
about how much it cost, how fancy it is, or the many other
aspects that some manufacturers would prefer to focus on
rather than glossing over how poor their product really works.
Why is this important? Because for some manufacturers, being
able to get a low SWR
with a wide-range tuner appears to
be their definition of an antenna "working" on a band, even if
you get 1 watt radiated with 100 watts applied to the antenna.
(Yes, by actual measurement.)
So let's look at the first item on your list:
80-6m
What this doesn't mention is,
who do you want to work on
each of those bands? That makes a big difference in
selecting an antenna.
On 80m and 40m, if you want to work relatively local stations
(when the ionosphere permits), then you probably want to be
using horizontal polarization. This involves
NVIS propagation
out to 300 miles or so, which requires maximum radiation
straight up. A vertical whip has a null overhead, right where
you want maximum signal for these paths.
Much of my portable operation has been on 40m, and a simple
dipole up 15 - 20 feet provides excellent performance, at a cost
much lower than most commercial offerings. And, once adjusted,
it doesn't need an antenna tuner. Combining a 40m dipole with
a
dual-band dipole for 20m and 80m in about the same length
gives a very effective multiband installation, where the antenna
wires can be used as guys for your mast.
Or you can use one of the many link dipole designs that will
work all bands. I happen to prefer being able to change bands
without needing to lower the antenna, especially in the middle
of a storm, but those are individual trade-offs that we each make
based on our own criteria.
In fact, I've been surprised how many SOTA operators have
mentioned that they have switched from verticals to dipoles
because they get much better results, even if the are a bit
more work to set up.
Over longer distances, typical of the higher bands where they
are rarely open for distances under 500 miles, then vertical
antennas become more practical, as long as you can provide
an effective ground system for them. Note that some of the
commercial offerings are (intentionally?) vague on just what
is needed: one cute little antenna suggested you could use
a single radial wire wadded up in your backpack. (No, the
antenna won't even match in that condition.) The truth is,
the radial wires are critical to proper operation of a vertical,
and it may be embarrassing for a manufacturer to admit that
they may radiate more RF than the fancy, expensive part
called the "antenna".
The late W4RNL described the
"Revere Theory of Vacation
Antennas": horizontal if by land, and vertical if by sea.
That's not to say that vertically polarized antennas can't work, but they
will also be dependent on your local soil conditions, which I suspect are
more like the volcanic soils of Oregon (some of which came from Idaho
and Eastern Washington years ago) rather than the higher conductivity
soils of the Great Plains, where vertical polarization works better.
Now, let's look at the other end of the spectrum: 6m.
It is rare that a single antenna will work well for 80m through 6m,
especially something lightweight for portable operation. First, it
makes a big difference whether you are working FM repeaters, or
weak signal modes like SSB or CW, because the former would want
a vertical antenna and the latter probably horizontal. A small beam
for 6m isn't out of the question in the latter case, especially if you
can set it up on a convenient hilltop, although that may require a
sturdier mast than the 7000HDS.
Fortunately it isn't difficult to set up a sectional mast,
even by yourself.
If you can manage a somewhat taller mast, in a longer package,
then some of the 10m / 33' telescoping poles may give enough
performance improvement to be worth considering. I have a
couple that I use with a drive-on mount that goes under one
tire on my van.
But western Oregon is well-blessed with Douglas Fir and other
tall trees, so I don't use my masts that often, except for Field Day.
There are lots of other considerations that go into choosing a
portable antenna that meets your needs, because there are
many variations of "
portable operation" with different
requirements.
If you only have an hour or two to operate, then a quick
mediocre antenna may still make enough contacts. In more
marginal conditions (and particularly when operating QRP),
taking some extra time to improve the antenna may often
result in more contacts, even with less operating time.
So there is no perfect answer.
The most important thing, however, is to remember that, just
because an advertising brochure says an antenna is "perfect for
portable operation", that might not be true, especially not for
your particular operating style, preferences, and circumstances.
My backpack dipole kit has traveled half way around the world
with me, weighs a couple pounds, fits in a belt pouch, and
probably can be duplicated for $20 or less with a bit of scrounging
at hamfests. It's adaptable to a wide range of situations: I've
hung it from trees, masts, rocks, fence posts, etc. You probably
don't need it that small if you plan to operate from a vehicle, in
which case I have a larger one with longer coax.
That's not to say that it would be the right antenna for you, since
I don't know all your preferences. But it probably out-performs many
of the fancy commercial kits. Simplicity is often an important
criterion!