By Ben Blood • Nomad Gearworks • Field Notes
If you've spent any time trying to get an antenna up in the field, you already know the problem. Sometimes there are trees. Sometimes there aren't. Sometimes there are trees, but none of them are in the spot you actually need, the right height, or safe to throw a line into. And if you're backpacking with a scout troop, the tool you'd normally reach for to get a line up into a tree might technically be classified as a weapon.
That last one is what finally pushed me to build something different.
Getting Lines Into Trees — A Brief History of Getting Creative
For years I used the same approach most ham radio operators use for field antennas: find a good tree and get a line over a high branch. The classic method is a throw bag and paracord. Works fine if you're good at throwing and have decent trees available.
I got more serious about it and built a custom air cannon — pressure-rated PVC construction capable of handling 300 PSI, a 12-volt electric solenoid running at 100 PSI, and an integrated battery-powered bike pump for re-pressurization right in the unit. It actually works really well — I've got a full build video on The Hobbyist channel. For car camping and park operating it's a great solution. You can get a line up into trees with no throwing required and it packs down into a compact case.
For backpacking it's a different story. The cannon is too heavy and too bulky to justify carrying. So I switched to a slingshot with a small fishing weight. Compact, effective, gets the line where you need it.
Until I started doing more radio work in Scouting America.
A slingshot, even one used for launching antenna lines, is a weapon in most scouting contexts. Full stop. Not worth the conversation.
So I needed a different approach entirely. One that didn't depend on trees at all.
The Case for a Portable Mast
A portable radio mast solves the tree problem cleanly. You bring your own support structure, you deploy it wherever you need it, and you're not dependent on the environment cooperating. No trees required. No throwing anything. No improvising.
Modern portable masts designed for ham radio and GMRS use are surprisingly capable. Carbon fiber and fiberglass masts can get you 20 to 33 feet in the air, break down into sections that fit in a bag, and weigh very little. The GigaParts Explorer POTA 20 and POTA 33 are good examples. The Lil Dude LD6 from the dam radio dude is another one I use. These are real field tools.
The problem is getting the mast to stand up.
The Ground Spike Problem
Once you have a portable mast you need something to hold the base in the ground. The options that existed when I started looking were mostly either too heavy, too improvised, or not sized for the masts I was actually using.
There are heavy-duty steel spike options out there. They're well built and they work. But they're designed for car camping where weight isn't a cost. Paired with a heavier mast, you're carrying a combined setup that weighs significantly more than my entire Freedom Spike kit. For backpacking activations and scout outings where I'm hiking in, every ounce matters.
I also ran into the sizing problem. Portable masts are hollow tubes and they're not all the same inside diameter at the base. The GigaParts POTA 20 has an inside diameter of around 28mm. The POTA 33 is around 30.75mm. The Lil Dude LD6 is around 35mm. These aren't interchangeable without a mount that accounts for the actual inside diameter of your specific mast tube.
Portable mast sizes vary more than you'd expect. The Freedom Spike collar slides up inside the hollow mast tube — so the size you need is the inside diameter of your mast's bottom section. Measure that before ordering.
So I built my own solution. I called it the Freedom Spike.
What the Freedom Spike Is
The Freedom Spike is a lightweight aluminum ground spike kit designed specifically for portable radio masts. The spike is aluminum — not steel — which is the first big weight savings. The collar and tube are printed in ASA, an outdoor-grade material chosen for its UV resistance, heat resistance, and durability in real field conditions.
The whole thing stores inside its own compact tube, which also protects the collar during transport. When you get to the field it takes about 30 seconds to deploy: drive the spike into the ground, thread the tube base onto the spike, slide the mast down over the collar, done.
Important assembly note
Drive the spike into the ground first, then thread the base tube onto the spike. Do not hammer down on the plastic tube — it will crack. The spike does the work, not the plastic. In hard ground a rubber mallet on the spike itself works well.
Three sizes for three popular masts
The Freedom Spike is available in three sizes. These sizes are the outside diameter of the collar — which slides up inside the hollow mast tube and should match the inside diameter of your mast:
- 28mm — fits GigaParts Explorer POTA 20 and similar masts
- 30.75mm — fits GigaParts Explorer POTA 33
- 35mm — fits the Lil Dude LD6
If you have a different mast it may still work — grab a set of calipers and measure the inside diameter of the bottom section of your mast tube. If it falls close to one of these sizes it will likely fit, though it may not be as snug. The product page has a full compatibility chart.
How It Compares to Heavier Alternatives
The heavy-duty steel spike options are legitimate products built for a different use case. If you're car camping and driving the whole kit in a truck, weight is less of a concern and a beefy steel spike with a rugged mast makes sense. That's not a knock — it's a different tool for different priorities.
The Freedom Spike is built for a different set of priorities: pack weight, fast deployment, and compatibility with the lightweight masts that backpackers and POTA hikers are actually carrying. The combined weight of my GigaParts mast and Freedom Spike kit is roughly half of some heavier alternatives. On a long activation hike that difference is real.
Field Use Notes
A few things worth knowing from field use:
- In soft soil the spike goes in easily by hand or with light mallet taps. Rocky or compacted ground will need more effort — always drive the spike before attaching the tube.
- For taller masts (the 33-foot range) and anything in wind, use guy lines. The spike handles the base load but a tall mast with a heavy antenna in a crosswind needs guying. This applies to any ground spike, not just this one.
- Never deploy a mast where it can contact power lines if it falls. This applies to every portable mast deployment everywhere always.
- The aluminum spike will leave a small hole in the ground. In established parks and campsites this is comparable to a tent stake. Use good judgment about where you're deploying.
Why This Came From Nomad Gearworks
Nomad Gearworks makes small-batch field gear for campers, radio operators, and outdoor DIY people who need practical solutions to real problems. The Freedom Spike came from the same place everything else in the lineup came from: a specific problem I kept running into in the field that nothing available quite solved.
The NomadPort magnetic tent passthrough came from needing a cleaner way to route diesel heater ducting into a tent. The Freedom Spike came from needing a lighter, properly-sized ground mount for the masts I was actually using. Both started as personal builds that turned into products after field testing proved they worked.
Everything is printed in ASA for outdoor durability, assembled in small batches, and iterated based on real field use. If something needs to improve it does.
Get the Freedom Spike
The Freedom Spike is available at nomadgearworks.com in all three sizes. Check the product page for the full compatibility chart, assembly instructions, and sizing guide.
Measure the inside diameter of your mast's bottom section before ordering. The Freedom Spike collar slides up inside the hollow mast tube — the size you order should match that inside diameter. The product page has a chart.
If you have questions about fit or compatibility feel free to reach out through the contact page. And if you want to see the Freedom Spike and other field gear in actual use, The Hobbyist on YouTube covers portable radio setups, POTA activations, camp communications, and the builds behind the products.