15 Emergency Essentials You Don’t Want to Be Without

Weather Radio

The American Red Cross sells a specialized hand-crank weather radio plus flashlight and smartphone charger for $40, but consumers can make do with a cheaper battery-powered device.

(Also, battery-powered objects are far more convenient than hand-cranked ones.) Any emergency device should pick up weather radio frequencies from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in addition to the more common AM/FM stations.

People who find sleeping easier with “white noise” in the background can turn the radio to a static station.