While most people use radios to listen to music, preppers know that they can also be one of the most useful items in a survival kit. (h/t to MyFamilySurvivalPlan.com.)
When SHTF, a radio can help you stay connected. It can keep you updated with the latest news, which you'll definitely need when modern society falls apart. With a reliable radio on hand, you'll be one of the first to know if you need to flee from hostile forces or if you have to prepare for an oncoming natural disaster.
Remember that deciding on a radio for a survival situation is nothing like choosing a radio for regular home use. (Related: Prepping your home with essential survival supplies.)
Don't panic if you're faced with a complex-looking radio. Some models can even pick up certain wavelengths that broadcast the status of natural disasters, support different power sources, charge small devices, or even have a crank system so you can use them when the power is out.
Check out some of the best survival radios that you can buy today:
- American Red Cross FRX3 With Built-in Smartphone Charger -- This radio will keep working even if the power goes out. You can plug in this radio, and its crankshaft ensures that you can still power up its internal NiMH battery. When you get tired of cranking the radio, simply point it towards a strong enough light source so the solar panel can start charging. The American Red Cross FRX3 is a sophisticated radio that can get AM/FM bands and all the National Weather Service (NWS) bands. The radio comes with a flashlight and it has a USB port to charge other devices. The FRX3 is also easy to find because it has a glow-in-the-dark locator and a flashing red beacon.
- Epica Emergency Solar Hand Crank Digital Radio -- This radio is like the model used by the Red Cross, except the Epica radio is a bit bigger. The radio comes with three powerful LED lights. It is powered by internal batteries charged by USB, hand crank, or a solar panel. The hand crank radio's display is easy to read and it picks both AM/FM bands and all seven National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather bands. Most of the radio is encased in a rubber-like housing that acts as a shock absorber and also waterproofs its circuits.
- Grundig S450DLX -- An amazing digital radio device, the Grundig S450DLX is "very strong and reliable." It shines when it comes to shortwave signals, and the radio has a preset channel function that lets you preset several radio channels. The radio has 50 slots for preset channels, with 10 for each band. The LCD display of the radio is large and readable, and the knobs allow for both easy normal tuning and fine-tuning. This model can receive high-quality signal with minimal background noise because of its anti-interference feature. The radio also has an external antenna and it is powered by DC IN (nine volts [V]) or six D batteries.
- Kaito Electronics Inc. KA500BLK Voyager - This radio is "very light, well-built, and comes with many gadgets" that you can use in various scenarios. Its power sources include AC, battery, computer, hand crank, and solar so you can use it no matter where you are. The radio's solar panel can be found on the top of the device and you can adjust it to a 180-degree angle. The KA500BLK Voyager has different lighting options such as a flashlight, red strobe, and five LEDs for a reading light. It can get different wavelengths, such as shortwave broadcasts. The radio is available in black, red, blue, green or yellow.
Should SHTF tomorrow, if you have a sturdy radio you'll have a way of staying connected. If you don't have one yet, pick a model right away so you can be prepared no matter what happens.
Features to consider when selecting a radio
If you're overwhelmed by the many features listed above, keep this short list in mind when choosing a radio for survival situations:
- Built-in flashlight
- Crank/wind-up charging
- Earphone socket
- Smartphone charger outlet
- Solar charging
- USB charger outlet
You can learn more about the proper survival gear and tools at Gear.news.
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