X

Emergency tech for disaster preparation

Aside from the obvious indispensables like food, water, pets, and pictures, we've rounded up a list of tech items you may want to include in your emergency kit. The essential techcessories are nondigital, human-powered items like hand-cranked flashlights and radios, but a battery pack for your phone or an all-terrain speaker may come in handy if you have extra room. Read on!

Justin Yu
Justin Yu covered headphones and peripherals for CNET.
Justin Yu
1 of 7 Sarah Tew

Emergency tech for disaster preparation

Booq Boa Squeeze backpack

What bag you choose to set aside for a quick exit in case of emergency depends on the items inside. In many cases, a computer case like the Booq Boa Squeeze backpack actually makes a viable go bag thanks to its organized storage pockets and rugged ballistic nylon outer layer.

A padded laptop compartment inside protects your gear, and the extra elastic pockets on the outside are perfect for storing water bottles and other items.

070611_8cbbc9ef88_o.jpg
2 of 7 Unplggd.com

Joby GorillaTorch

Joby GorillaTorch

If you're having a hard time finding a flashlight in the city, check your local RadioShack for the Joby GorillaTorch.

Just like its flexible tripod cousin, the GorillaTorch features bendable legs that let you attach it to a phone, a bag, or even your head, as shown on the model above.

It's also fully rechargeable by USB or AC adapter, can provide up to 80 hours of continuous illumination, and can flash in six light modes including an emergency strobe.

34139748_OVR_440x330.png
3 of 7 Sarah Tew/CNET

Iomega eGo BlackBelt Mac Edition (1TB)

Iomega eGo BlackBelt Mac Edition (1TB)

Backing up your hard drive onto an external storage device is smart practice in general, but a rugged HDD like the Iomega eGo BlackBelt ensures the safety of the data you store on it.

Iomega also makes a PC-friendly version, and you may even consider doing a redundant backup of your most crucial files onto something like the LaCie IamaKey that stays on your keychain.

Foreman_11913247_2591_FF1.jpg
4 of 7 GoldenShores Technologies

Flashlight app for iOS devices

Flashlight app for iOS devices

The Brightest Flashlight app is free for iOS and Android devices and automatically puts your screen, camera flash LED, and notification LEDs at their maximum settings.

Still not sold? It earned a four-star rating in our Download.com editor's review, with over 80,000 downloads.

Screeny_2011.08.26.15.33.30.jpg
5 of 7 Mophie

Mophie Juice Pack Air

Mophie Juice Pack Air

Now might be a good time to invest $80 in a battery pack like the Mophie Juice Pack Air for the iPhone 4. The case only adds an extra 2.3 ounces to the weight of your phone and effectively doubles the battery life.

If you have a non-iOS phone, there's also the Mugen Power Extended Battery for the HTC Evo.

Grace_Eco_Pod.jpg
6 of 7 Grace Digital Audio

Grace Digital Audio Eco Pod

Grace Digital Audio Eco Pod

If you still have cellular service during Irene or whatever disaster you've packed for, the Grace Digital Eco Pod all-terrain speaker can float and keeps out up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes with no leakage.

The Eco Pod comes with Grace's Sonar Premium Waterproof Headphones, which let you talk on the phone without taking it out the case.

Victorinox_Slim_with_Blades_610x473.jpg
7 of 7 Victorinox

Victorinox Slim with Blades

Victorinox Slim with Blades

The Victorinox Swiss Army Slim was designed with the frequent traveler in mind, but the pocket knife and multitool scissor set is not to be forgotten from your go bag, either.

We specifically endorse the Slim series for their waterproof and shock-resistant housings and the included 256GB USB flash drive with a double USB and eSATA plug interface.

Finally, a small 96x48-pixel monochrome display on the side shows storage details and gives the option to personalize the text.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos