We’re just a couple of months away from saying good riddance to this year’s hurricane season but it seems like a few more of these dreaded natural disasters are headed our way. As CNN reported, three disturbances that can turn into hurricanes have already been spotted in the Atlantic. More are expected as we’re at the peak of hurricane season. If you haven’t yet, it’s time to prepare your hurricane emergency kit. You will need to pack these survival gadgets to prepare for the coming hurricanes
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Food and Water Supply
Stocking up on food and drinking water is a no-brainer. You need to have enough supply whether it’s hurricane season or not. That’s just what preppers do. They prepare for any eventuality that may result to scarcity of these two basic needs.
That said, it’s still possible to run out of food and water especially if things don’t go back to normal as quickly as you’d want after a disaster. You will need to learn survival skills that’ll help you procure food and water. These skills include hunting, foraging, making traps, fishing, and farming. As for water, you need to learn how to sterilize dirty water.
One way is to use portable water filters. These survival gadgets allow you to drink the water even if it’s dirty. The LifeStraw Personal Water Filter, for example, gets rid of 99.9% of bacteria, parasites and fine particles. It can filter up to 1,000 gallons of water. That’s equivalent to a year of pure drinking water for one person.
The 2015 Time Magazine Invention of the Year is made of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic, which is known for its strong resistance to scratches, heat, and impact. LifeStraw is pretty portable measuring 8.8 inches long and weighing only 2 ounces.
At $20 each, the LifeStraw is pretty affordable considering its value. Get as many of these survival gadgets so each member of the family has one in their bug out bag.
(Related: Hurricane Emergency Tips You Need to Survive the Monster Storm)
Communication Tools
Weather Radio
You need to keep track of hurricanes and looking out the window is not the best way to do so. False hurricane forecasts and sharpie memes aside, every home should have a NOAA weather radio. Despite the recent fiasco, we should expect NOAA and the NWS to continue providing real weather forecasts.
The Kaito KA-208 Pocket Sized Portable Radio is as big as a deck of cards but is enough to keep you updated on the weather, particularly storms and other potential disasters. The AM/FM 2-BAND Receiver weighs only 4 ounces. It’s so light and portable you can to take it anywhere you go making it one of the top survival gadgets you should have in your hurricane emergency kit.
The portable radio also doubles as an alarm clock and has 12 and 24 hour time display functions. It also comes with a pair of earphones and a carrying strap. You do need to stock up on lots of AAA batteries, though.
HAM Radio
Weather radios are not the only ways you can get updates. You can make calls to get some news or to check on friends and loved ones. Your cell phones can only go as far as their batteries and power bank take them.
The top survival gadgets when it comes to communication happen to be something young people would call ancient. These include CB and HAM radios.
The Baofeng Tech BF-F8HP HAM Radio, for example, will still let you communicate during disasters even if the power goes out. Its channel capacity is 128 while frequency ranges from 136 to 174MHz, 400 to 520MHz, and 68 to 108MHz (FM Broadcast). Aside from using it to communicate, you can also listen to the FM radio, which helps keep you sane during trying times.
The Baofeng Tech HAM radio features the Voice Operated Transmit technology, which takes voice commands through a mic and earpiece.
Before you can use a HAM radio, you have to pass a test by the FCC to receive a valid Amateur Licence allowing you to legally operate the radio. Once you’re good to go, you can access the different channels available to HAM radio users and get vital information that could help you survive hurricanes and other emergencies.
(Related: Top Ways to Stay Connected During Emergencies)
Power Bank
As smart as cell phones are today, it won’t be of any use if the battery is drained. You need it fully charged whenever there is an emergency so you can call for help or contact your loved ones to see if they’re alright.
The Easypower Solar Power Bank 2.0 allows you to stay connected wherever you are and even if the power goes out as is usually the case when hurricanes strike. It’s even made easier by the fact that you can recharge the power bank three ways. Leave it under the sun, plug it into a wall socket, or use your computer’s USB port.
The water resistant power bank has a large 6,000 mAh battery capacity, which is almost equivalent to 1.5 times more than what an average cell phone can offer. You can charge two devices at a time using the two output jacks.
Another good thing going for the shock-proof Easypower Solar Bank is that it’s not a one-dimensional survival gadget. It comes with a carabiner, compass, and a flashlight.
Light Source
Every hurricane emergency kit should include a number of survival gadgets that provide light. You should have at least one emergency lantern, flashlight, and headlamp aside from your fire starters.
Rechargeable Lantern
The Pocket Light Collapsible Solar Lantern & USB Charger by Frog & CO is no ordinary camping lantern. It has a built-in solar panel that lets you charge a small USB device and the lantern itself. It utilizes an 800 mAh Li-Ion battery to provide light for around 10 hours on a single charge.
The Pocket Light folds it has multiple light settings including high and low for the camp light. There’s also a flashing light, which is useful in emergency situations.
The portable camping lantern can be folded for easier handling, especially if you’re only charging your phone or any other device. It also comes with a handle so you can hang it somewhere.
Head Lamp
Head lamps are the light source of choice when you need both of your hands free. This is especially true during emergency situations such as a hurricane.
The Biolite Ultra-Thin Headlamp 330 provides a maximum of 330 lumens of white flood and white spot lights, as its name implies, while the least is 5 lumens for the white flood light. At maximum lumens, the flood and spot lights can last for up to 3 1/2 hours while it can go for as long as 40 hours if you only use minimum lumens for the flood light. It also has white strobe and red night vision flood light modes.
The flood light can reach up to 16 meters while the spot light’s beam distance can go as far as 75 meters. It utilizes a 900 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion while the battery capacity is 220 mAh.
The BioLite head lamp measures 3.74” x 1.38” x 2.36” and weighs only 2.42 ounces. The ultra-thin front balances the weight and makes you feel comfortable wearing the head lamp. The electronics are integrated into the moisture-wicking smart fabric adding to the comfort.
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Fire Starters
When it comes to survival skills, building a fire is somewhere at the top of the list. You need fire to cook food, boil water, keep warm, provide light, keep insects and wild animals away, and signal for help, among other things.
When hurricanes strike, you need to brace for loss of electricity. That means no light, no electric stoves or microwave ovens, and no heater. That’s where fire comes in.
Of course, you have to consider your safety whenever you need to build a fire. I’m sure you already know this but don’t make a bonfire in your home. Ideally, you should have a gas or butane stove. If you don’t, cook your food outside.
(Related: Top Fire Starters for Every Survival Situation)
The Elements Magnesium Fire Starter Fire Rod by Frog & CO is one of the survival gadgets you need in your emergency kit. It’s windproof and weather resistant so you can do your cooking and boiling outside even if there are still a bit of rain and wind.
The 4.75-inch long fire starter has a lifespan of 15,000 strikes, which is a lot compared to other fire starters. It weighs only 1.7 ounces so it shouldn’t take so much space in your emergency kit.
The easy-to-use Magnesium Fire Starter is a multi-purpose survival tool. Aside from magnesium rod, it also has a built-in compass, a 150-decibel emergency whistle, and a large scraper. Such multi-use survival gadgets will prove pretty handy when you’re lost in the wild.
Camping Stove
A better alternative to bonfires is to use a camping stove. You’ll still be using fire but it will be more controlled so you don’t have to add a burnt house to all your worries. Of course, you still need to keep a close eye on your camping stove to avoid accidents.
A common characteristic of popular survival gadgets is its versatility. Most preppers, survivalists and outdoor enthusiasts prefer equipment that serves more than just one purpose.
The BioLite CampStove 2 is no different. Aside from being a wood burning stove, it is also a charger for small devices such as your phone.
The stove set includes the BioLite Portable Grill with cover and the BPA-free KettlePot with Stuff Sack, which lets you grill and boil, respectively. The BioLite FlexLight, meanwhile, can be attached to the stove to produce 100 lumens of light so you can do some cooking outdoors or when the power is out. There’s also a USB Cord for your charging needs.
The BioLite Camping Stove 2 turns the heat from the fire into electricity allowing it to charge electrical devices. You just have to build a small fire using twigs and sticks and you’re good to go.
Power Tools
During a hurricane, it’s not advised to leave your home unless the local government orders an evacuation. When this happens, you should have your bug out bags all packed up and ready to go.
If you’re told to stay at home, though, you still need to take the necessary precautions. Before the hurricane hits, you need to secure your home and protect it from strong winds and flood. You’ll need the right power tools for this.
Cordless Drill/Driver
One way to protect your home from a hurricane is to block the windows with wood planks or plywood panels. You’ll need a drill/driver to do the job as fast as possible. These cordless drills not only make holes, they also drive screws. This is the fastest way to fasten your boards to the window frames or to the concrete around the windows.
The DeWalt 20V MAX Li-Ion Compact Drill/Impact Driver Combo Kit are power tools that every woodworker or handyman should have in his or her arsenal. If you live in a hurricane-prone area, these tools also serve as survival gadgets.
Because they’re cordless, you can easily take your driver outside to secure your home. Just make sure you keep the battery charged so you can use it when the need arises.
(Related: Essential Power Tools For Your Homestead)
Brad Nailer
A brad nailer will do though it’s not as effective as a drill/driver or impact driver. Screws fasten better but brad nails can hold their own if the winds are not that strong.
The Makita XNB01Z 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 18-Gauge 2” Brad Nailer drives 18 gauge brad nails up to 2 inches long. Ideally, you’d want longer nails but these should be enough to secure plywood. Each magazine carries up to 110 nails. This means you can attach a couple of more wood panels each time out, depending on how many nails you want to use.
These ten survival gadgets are just a few that you’ll need to make it through a hurricane and other emergency situations. They’re also useful when you just want to spend some time outdoors or if you have some repairs to do in the case of the power tools.
The Gentleman Pirate Club is all about sharing knowledge on how to deal with disasters and emergencies aside from our love for anything pirate. Check us out to learn more about surviving hurricanes, especially now that hurricane season is still going.
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