Storm Chasing Support Kit
A vehicle-based support kit for weather enthusiasts and spotters: communications, navigation, power, and roadside self-reliance for long days in remote country near severe weather.
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- Items
- 18 required · 9 optional
- Est. cost
- $250–$700
- Est. weight
- 20–35 lb
- Skill level
- Advanced
- Budget
- Moderate
- Container
- Gear duffel
About this kit
Keep a chase or spotting vehicle powered, connected, and navigable through long remote days, and self-sufficient if it breaks down far from help.
You’re following a developing supercell down gravel section roads with no cell coverage, a dozen tabs of radar draining the phone, and a tire that just picked up a nail. You need power, a way to communicate, and the ability to fix the tire and keep moving — safely, at a distance.
Kit contents 18 required · 9 optional
- USB power bank×2
High-capacity — radar and streaming drain phones fast.
Why: Navigation and data are the whole job; a dead phone ends the day.
required - Charging cables×1 set
Why: Keep every device topped up on the move.
required - Two-way radio (FRS/GMRS)×2
Coordinate a multi-vehicle group.
Why: Teams need to talk where cell service fails.
required - Portable ham radio×1
Spotter nets run on amateur radio; license required.
Why: Amateur radio is the backbone of storm-spotting communication.
required - Handheld GPS×1
Backup navigation when the phone dies or loses signal.
Why: Section roads are easy to get lost on with no data.
required - Topographic map×1
Paper backup — county road maps of the chase area.
Why: A map never loses signal or battery.
required - Field notebook×1
Log times, locations, and observations.
Why: Reports are only as good as the notes behind them.
required - Rain shell×1
You will be out in it, briefly and at a distance.
Why: Even careful chasing means stepping into wind and rain.
required - Headlamp×1
Why: Night ops and roadside work after storms move through.
required - Flashlight (handheld LED)×1
Why: A brighter beam for spotting hazards and signaling.
required - First aid pouch×1
Stocked for road hazards.
Why: The real danger of chasing is the driving, not the storm.
required - required
- Tire inflator (12V)×1
Why: Re-seat pressure after a plug or a top-up.
required - required
- Work gloves×1 pair
Why: Roadside and recovery work.
required - Water bottle (1L)×2
Why: Long days without a store in sight.
required - Energy bars & snacks×1 box
Why: Meals are whatever you brought on a 12-hour chase.
required - Emergency whistle×1
Why: Signaling if separated or stranded.
required - Portable antenna & mast×1
A better antenna vastly improves radio range at a stop.
optional - Coax feedline×1
Feedline for the external antenna.
optional - Jumper cables×1 set
Idling for power drains a battery.
optional - Duct tape×1 roll
Hold a cracked mirror or trim from hail.
optional - Safety glasses×1
Wind-driven debris protection.
optional - Hand sanitizer×1
Gas-station-food hygiene on the road.
optional - Polarized sunglasses×1
Glare and blowing debris on the drive.
optional - Wool socks×1 pair
Dry feet after a rained-on roadside stop.
optional - Pain reliever (OTC)×1 card
Long-haul driving headaches.
optional
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Maintenance schedule
A kit you don’t maintain is a box of expired hope. Suggested cadence:
| Interval | Task |
|---|---|
| Before each season | Update maps and radio programming; test all comms and charge power banks. |
| Before each chase | Top up fuel, water, and snacks; confirm the tire kit and inflator work. |
| After any use | Recharge everything and replace used tire plugs. |
Variations
Solo spotter
Radio, power, navigation, and roadside basics — report from a safe fixed vantage, not a chase.
Photographer
Add camera protection, lens cloths, and a way to shoot safely from distance.
Team lead
Add repeater-capable radio, a mapping tablet, and redundant power.
Safety notes
- This kit supports observation from a safe distance. Storm chasing and spotting are hazardous; the leading dangers are traffic, fatigue, flooded roads, and hail — not just the storm. Never drive into flooded crossings.
- This page is not training. Take a trained spotter course (e.g. NWS SKYWARN) and follow the safety practices of experienced spotters and local emergency management.
- Transmitting on amateur bands requires a license. Keep a large distance from any storm and always have an escape route.
Sources
This starter kit draws on:
Page history & editing
Editor-reviewed2026-07-01 Last edited 2026-07-01 by human editor