I spent the whole weekend building this... Err... "Portable" directional 2m #hamradio antenna with @Jen Blight, and it was pretty great.

(It's portable in the sense that it only weighs about 2lbs, and can be taken apart to fit in a backpack. I hope to make substantially more portable ones in the future).

The elements are made from 0.5" PEX irrigation tubing (think hula hoop material), wrapped in copper-coated fabric and copper tape, with a layer of clear "repair" tape to prevent tarnishing, while preserving the mad wizard staff vibes.

Each tube is connected to itself using Anderson powerpole connectors, so they can be easily unplugged, and twisted into a smaller footprint for travel.

The boom is a fiberglass driveway marker, and the mast is a telescoping fiberglass pole.

I don't yet know how well the antenna performs, and as you might be able to see from the VNA, it needs a little tuning. But my radio didn't emit any smoke when I transmitted using it! And the signal made it clearly to its intended target (who was about 30ft away).