Emergency preparedness is a recently coined term that refers to an arbitrary checklist of safe steps done before, during, and after a natural disaster. And the only way to genuinely be ready for the worst is owning gadgets for emergency use.
These gadgets put you at an advantage when disaster strikes.
When the hazard is destructive enough to destroy your house and lot or vicinity’s power supply to the point of no electricity, or even worse, prevent you from accessing basic needs like food and water, having gadgets for emergency use will figuratively (and maybe literally) keep you head above water.
The disposition you must have when facing a natural disaster must be similar to a boy scout’s. Their motto is “always ready” and what allows them to face any obstacle is their access and familiarity with certain things.
More importantly, they treat uncertainties as if they will happen.
Even if hazardous risks are classified as an uncertainty, it is actually certain in the sense that it is bound to happen at some point. The uncertainty lies in when it actually occurs. Hence, emergency-preparedness is vital to keeping yourself and your loved ones safe when uncertainty arises.
If you are wondering what are 10 items in an emergency kit to keep you and your family safe in the case of an emergency, this article lists them down for you.
- Cellphones
By cellphone, this article is not talking about smartphones at all. As convenient as they are, they cannot be a gadget for emergency use. Fall damage can break a smartphone and even a minuscule amount of foreign liquid can fry the smartphone’s motherboard.
In lieu of fancy; high-tech smartphones, you must invest in rugged and basic mobile phones like Nokia or other brands that manufacture phones specifically for emergencies.
Due to their sturdiness, you can rely on these kinds of phones to provide you with a reliable source of communication without breaking.
- Power banks
Just because using a smartphone is suboptimal and not as convenient during an emergency does not mean you would want your smartphones completely inaccessible.
Since using your power outlet to charge electronics is inadvisable, it helps to have a power bank. Better if solar-powered.
Also, power banks can be used for other gadgets like laptops. It is up to you what is more important depending on your hierarchy of needs.
- Emergency Crank Radio
During an emergency, once your safety is secured, information becomes one of the necessities you need access to.
Perhaps your TV is down and as aforementioned, you cannot rely on your smartphones during these times. Hence, social media is inaccessible as well.
With this emergency radio, you will regain access to information and current events by a simple cranking of the handle.
- Portable Car Jump Starter
Floods, winds, and cold weather in general, can rain the battery of your car.
If the disaster calls for you to leave the area, you do not want to be in a position where you have no choice but to stay put. Most portable jump starters have enough juice to jumpstart your car when you need to evacuate the area.
As an extra feature, some portable jump starter also comes with a wireless charging surface for you to charge-up any Qi-enabled device with up to 5W of power.
- Portable Generator
Contemporary portable generators are so potent, that in your house and lot, the generators can keep the whole outside lit, or even your 4kTV inside your house running. You might even be able to take warm showers with it.
There is no need for a generator for gadgets. Nevertheless, small appliances may need power, and only a generator is strong enough to keep them running.
The 240Wh (watt hour) battery has two USB ports, a car cigarette lighter, and a full 110v, 200W power outlet.
To make things better, these generators come with solar panels so they can be recharged with the sun.
- Pocket Wi-Fi
Cellular data is one of the best capabilities of a smartphone. Unfortunately, laptops, computers, or other handheld devices do not share the same capabilities. Of course, a smartphone can share cellular data using a personal hotspot, but having a pocket Wi-Fi along with a personal hotspot will be convenient.
It cannot be stressed enough that having access to the internet during an emergency is extremely valuable. Most people will not have access to it, but if you do have this gadget for emergency use, it makes being safe easier.
- TV Antenna
This item is not for staying entertained during an emergency, rather to stay informed and have an extra access to information if the TV is still available.
With an antenna available, you can watch free TV like GMA-7 and TV5 to stay up-to-date to any news happenings. Since this is operated using an antenna, the antenna itself must be kept at a high and anchored spot to receive signal and keep the picture and audio quality high.
If there is no cellular data nor Wi-Fi available, cable TV will provide you with pertinent information in the absence of internet.
- Camp Stove
While being a picky-eater is not an option during a natural calamity, warm meals can be comforting and pleasant in times of uncertainty.
You can survive off of canned cold soup or corned tuna, but if a camp stove is available, use it!
Since a camp stove uses propane, having a good stock of propane gas in your emergency preparedness room will allow you to eat a few hot meals during any kind of emergency. In addition to this, this can keep you warm if it is too cold.
- Lights
Lights are an obvious gadget for emergency use yet it is easy to take for granted having access to lights.
For natural disasters, you are spoiled with choices with an arraignment of emergency lights choices like flashlights or lamps.
Newer flashlights or lamps can run on both solar power and electricity, are bright enough to light a whole room on its own, and can last for hours.
- Extra Batteries
Though now a gadget on its own, this item is necessary for you other gadgets for emergency use to keep them running and reliable during a natural disaster.
Contemporary gadgets like smartphones, laptops, and other handheld devices run on high-tech; rechargeable batteries that do not need traditional plus-minus batteries. However, radios and flashlights requires batteries to keep running.
Make sure to keep a set of AA, AAA, and D batteries around since gadgets require different sizes.
Always ready
Emergency preparedness is a necessary trait to have to keep you and your loved ones safe and secure in the event that a calamity hits you. Perhaps the biggest parameter to determine how prepared you are to deal with a natural calamity is having the equipment to survive the calamity.
If you have the gadgets and equipment around your house and lot, then you can count on everyone in the household to always be ready for any situation.
This article should answer: What are 10 items in an emergency kit? If you have these 10 items in your possession, then you are ready to face any natural calamity.
By: Cholo Hermoso
