NEWS – The 2022 hurricane season for the US is in full swing right now with all of Florida currently bracing for Tropical Storm Ian. Luckily for me, I live in Indiana and don’t need to worry about hurricanes. But just like other areas in the US and worldwide, we have our fair share of summer and winter storms that can wreak havoc. I think it’s always important to be prepared for problems when it comes to tech or nature, so let’s take a look at 5 gadgets that can help you stay prepared for storms and hurricanes.
1. Power stations
Electricity is one of those necessities that the majority of us do not want to do without. So when a storm takes out your power, you want to be prepared with a large power station. It’s the main reason why I opted for a whole home gas generator from Generac over 10 years ago after we lost everything in our refrigerator 2-3 times due to winter storms.
Today’s power stations are much more portable than the stationary gas generator that I have in my backyard and they can even recharge using the sun when you include solar panels. Here are some popular power stations to consider.
EcoFlow Delta Pro power station
This power station is a beast! It’s so big that it has built-in wheels to help you move it around from location to location. The size isn’t a bad thing though because it has enough juice to power many of your devices at the same time including freezers, TVs, hair dryers, microwaves, etc. Dave Moore who reviewed this one loved it:
EcoFlow’s Delta Pro is one of the most innovative, efficient, well-designed products I have had the pleasure of reviewing. It’s incredibly capable, the design and features are off the charts, and its expandability is nothing short of amazing! Bravo, EcoFlow, Bravo!
Price: $3699.00
Where to buy: EcoFlow
Read: our EcoFlow Delta Pro power station review
BLUETTI AC200P 2000Wh/2000W Portable Power Station
Another very popular power station brand is BLUETTI. Matt Gregersen reviewed the AC200P and thought:
The couple of weeks spent with the Bluetti AC200P 2000Wh/2000W Portable Power Station left me impressed. This power station can do pretty much anything I can throw at it with ease, the build quality seems to be solid. The specs are competitive with other models on the market, and it exceeded my expectations at nearly every step of the way. Two out of two thumbs up!
Price: $1599.00
Where to buy: BLUETTI
Read: our BLUETTI AC200P 2000Wh/2000W Portable Power Station review
We’ve reviewed a LOT of power stations in the last couple of years. So check out all of our power station reviews for more options.
2. Flashlight
A good flashlight is a must-have gadget for storm preparedness. In my opinion, you should not rely on a flashlight that requires USB recharging. You do want a flashlight that uses standard alkaline batteries that are usually very easy to find, or you could go for a crank-style flashlight like the ETON crank flashlight shown above. A crank-style flashlight won’t give you super bright light or a long-lasting light beam, but it will provide light when you have no access to batteries or other methods of recharging a rechargeable flashlight. If you’re interested in the ETON light, the pricing info is shown below. Check out our flashlight reviews for many options.
Price: $12.89
Where to buy: Amazon
3. Power bank
I know that I already recommended that you have a power station, but it should be obvious that you won’t be carrying a power station around with you. For power on the go, you need a smaller power bank that you can carry in a bag or pocket. The one pictured above is the Shargeek Storm2 Slim power bank that Bill Henderson recently reviewed. He loved the clear case and also said:
The Storm2 Slim’s large 20,000mAh capacity can charge a smartphone up to 4 times, a laptop or tablet up to 1.5 times, and DSLR camera up to 12 times. It takes 90 minutes to be fully recharged. Those aren’t life-changing numbers, but it’s enough to get you through a full day should you need that extra oomph—and look good, too!
Check out our power bank reviews for many options.
Price: $199.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Read: our Shargeek Storm2 Slim power bank review
4. Radio
When storms hit, they can take out Internet and cell service. For that reason, I recommend that you have a battery-powered radio so you can tune in to your local stations for important news and info. Just like with flashlights, you don’t want a radio that needs to be recharged. You want a radio that uses standard alkaline batteries or even a radio with a built-in crank that you can use to provide several minutes of power without needing an outlet.
Lex Strickland recently reviewed the Midland ER310 emergency crank weather radio that not only provides an FM/AM radio, but also has a built-in weather radio and flashlight. It even has a built-in solar panel that will recharge its internal rechargeable battery and it can be used as a power bank for your other gadgets.
Price: 59.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Read: our Midland ER310 emergency crank weather radio review
5. Meal replacement bars and shakes
Ok, I know that this isn’t a gadget but don’t think you will argue that food is a necessity when the going gets rough. I already use meal replacement bars and shakes for my breakfast and lunches just to simplify my life so here are a few of my favorites that don’t require a lot of prep.
Meal replacement bars
The easiest way to grab a quick meal when you’re hiking or without refrigeration due to a major storm is to eat a meal replacement bar like the Greenbelly Meal 2Go bars. These bars are very tasty and each giant bar contains over 25% of your daily value for six core nutrients: Calories, Carbohydrates, Protein, Sodium, Fat, and Fiber. Each bar is 650 – 695 calories, but since they are packaged in ziploc-style bags, you don’t have to eat them all at once.
Price: $40.00 for 5 packs/meals $8.00 per meal (Greenbelly offers discounts for more meals and/or subscriptions)
Where to buy: www.greenbelly.co and Amazon
Read: our Greenbelly Meal 2Go bars review
I eat Slimfast meal replacement bars for breakfast several times a week. They have Keto-friendly bars that are low in carbs and non-Keto bars with more carbs for people who aren’t worried about blood sugar levels like I am. The best part about these bars is that they are pretty easy to find at your local grocery stores.
Price: ~$9.00/box of 5 bars
Where to buy: Walmart, Kroger, Target, and Amazon
Meal replacement shakes
Keto Chow shakes are my absolute favorite meal replacement shakes. Each shake contains 1/3rd of your daily nutrition requirements. The prep requires you to add water to the powered shake and shake. The only caveat is that you need a fat source which can be heavy cream, butter, oil, avocado, etc. You could make a shake without a fat source, but you’ll be missing a lot of calories that way. I think Keto Chow shakes taste amazing. There are quite a few flavors of Keto Chow, but my favorite flavors are chocolate, chocolate toffee, pistachio, and chocolate mint.
Price: $5.50 per packet, cheaper when you subscribe or buy in bags
Where to buy: Ketochow.xyz (save 10% when you use the code: thegadgeteer (no expiration date)), also available on Amazon
Read: our Keto Chow meal replacement shakes review
HLTH Code meal replacement shakes
Another favorite of mine is HLTH Code. Unlike Keto Chow, HLTH Code shakes don’t require a fat source, they just require water. They mix up just like Keto Chow. Put the scoops of the powder mix in the cup, add water, and shake.
There are only 2 flavors available and you can’t buy individual packets. Each bag can make 15 invidual 400 calorie meals.
Price: $59.95 per bag/$4.00 per meal when you don’t subscribe and $49.95 per bag/$3.33 per meal when you do subscribe
Where to buy: gethlth.com and Amazon
Read: our HLTH Code meal replacement shakes review
Those are my picks worth adding to your all-purpose basic storm prep gear kit. What items do you keep in your storm/hurricane preparation kit? Share in the comments below.
Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
FYI — your #2 flashlight is nice, but it isn’t $9.99. As of this morning (9-26-22), it is $12.99.
Harlan, thanks for your message. I may have added the wrong price. I’ve updated it.
Great list and timely article, Julie, as Hurricane Ian is pelting me with rain and wind while I’m typing. I disagree with your not wanting to depend on USB-charged flashlights, though. The lithium batteries I’ve tested with the last few flashlights have lasted for months with basic daily use (taking out the trash, walking the dog, etc.), so they would easily last through the 3-10 days of a storm emergency, especially given you’ve also recommended two different ways to recharge them (power station and power bank). I have a shake-to-charge emergency light, but it doesn’t hold a candle(power) to any of the lithium battery models I’ve tested in the last three years or so!
I love USB rechargeable flashlights, but I wouldn’t want to rely on them in a disaster scenario just because it might be hard to recharge them if you don’t have a power bank or power station.
You forgot THE most important item, a Kelly Kettle, very low tech, very old fashioned but an essential.
Never underestimate the importance of availability of a hot drink 😉
I had to google “kelly kettle” to see what it was. Great idea!