(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best portable radios

I know people who love their Baofeng radios but if you have the budget a slightly higher end handheld is worth it. A Yaesu VX-3R is a great improvement. If you compare the bands they can receive/transmit on you will understand the difference between the two. I own a Yaesu VX-7RB which is an excellent, if pricy, HAM handheld transceiver.

To effectively use a HAM handheld and keep yourself within the law you're going to have to pretty much learn everything that would be required to get your HAM Technician license. It's a pretty easy test and there are practice tests available on QRZ.com. Getting a HAM license is also pretty cheap. I think it cost me $14.

Personally, I separate out my HAM radios from my shortwave/emergency ones. I have a Kaito Voyager KA500 which is ok as far as emergency radios go. I don't expect the crank on it to hold up to long term use. I also have two Grundig Mini GM400 which are in my BOB and GHB inside of pots which are also ok radios. I wouldn't want the GM400 to be the only radio I had but I could live with that if I had to. For home I have a Grundig Globe Traveler G3 which is an excellent all around radio.

This guy. The plans are annoying but not terribly expensive.

The Explorer isn't worth the upgrade money. The yellow one is a good deal.

It does spot weather forecasts which are alright. But the best part is the texting - have someone who can read gribs well watching for you and texting you once per day. If you don't have someone to do that, I'm more than happy to (though I'll be sailing south as well, may or may not conflict).

The alternative is SSB. This is the one that comes recommended, but I haven't gotten it to work well. I also haven't put in much time because my inreach system works great. If you can do it, you can tune into not only daily voice forecasts but weatherfax (works with computer and phone apps).

What's your budget?

A "cheap" radio can be tricky, since if you go too cheap, you're going to have a bad time and not get the most out of the hobby. A lot of the super low-budget radios will yield low-budget results by lacking good (or any) DSP, band filters, good sound, precise tuning, no SSB, etc.

If you can afford around $100 USD, I recommend the Kaito KA1103. This is the radio I started with, and it's a fair price for a great radio, coming with everything you need to get up and listening. I believe there's even a long wire in the box that can string up wherever, but I find the telescopic whip to be pretty decent for what it is. Sound quality is good, with a digital display and keypad, plus a mechanical band display and tuning knob, so you can take your pick about how you want to surf the waves.

Its compact size makes it excellent for travel, but it's weighty enough to be a desk station (I personally like to sit on my balcony with it on a small table next to me), and the external antenna jack allows you to pop in a different antenna if you're not having any luck with the telescopic whip.

It also features SSB, which is always a fun plus, allowing you to hear CW (Morse) and some data transmissions, although you will need to decode them on a different device such as your smart phone. The radio has a line out jack, although I have not really used it, but presumably one could pull off a recording with the right gear.

This radio comes with rechargeable batteries, so it can run off those, normal batteries, or the 120v AC adaptor (which also conveniently charges the batteries). Battery life on the rechargeable batteries is still about 6 - 8 hours of listening time, even after owning the radio for a few years, now.

Video review by todderbert

Have you taken a look at WebSDR? Take a look at that link, you can listen to a lot. I'm not so much about WeFax as it's a DX station, but you could definitely check! There are many WebSDR's in the US as well, but the one I linked is very wide band. Google for "WebSDR' and you'll find a ton.

You could also scour second hand shops for a shortwave radio. Or save up $19 for one of these little pocket shortwave radios on Amazon - not the best radio to listen to morse code on given they receive AM mode only, but you could get WeFax and many shortwave broadcast.

The $20 RTL-SDR would be a good option as well, there are some mods to get it to receive HF, otherwise you can purchase an HF upconverter (or build one).

Best of luck!

>What do you guys recommend for a lantern?

Redundancy:

• Get a good LED lantern and test it out while camping, make sure it is bright enough to let you cook in the dark and also doesn't drain batteries super quick or inconvenient for some reason. If it sucks, try a new one.
  
• Get a headlamp. If you've had to cook in the dark while camping, you'll realize how damn useful it is to have. You've got both hands to work with and you see everything you look at. Test out while camping.
  
• Some non-electric alternative
  
• I love this thing. It can be a NOAA radio, it can charge a USB device, it can be a flashlight. It can be powered by charging through USB, through hand cranking, and through solar. Loved it when I was camping. Don't even have to worry about batteries.
  
  I've discovered camping is the perfect time to test out lots of your preps. You don't know how useful this stuff is until it's pitch black and trying to fry up some burgers and also mix your girlfriend a margarita and multi-tasking. I've found some things awesome (headlamp) and some things just impractical this way. It's made me remove and add stuff to my BOB. I highly recommend taking your BOB and other prep gear camping and trying it out for real.
  
  Going by amazon.com reviews is almost always a good idea in my experience. Whatever battery lantern has 4.5 or 5 stars and 150 reviews is almost always a good pick. Buy spare batteries too!
  
  Q2: Do you have a tub?
  
  I think the main thing here is you want >72 hours of spare water already without doing anything fancy. You should have some water ready without having to filter anything. If your faucet turns off, you're not going to go start filtering ocean water. The sidebar has info about requirements, suggesting 2 gallons of water per person per day, and 5 per if it includes hygienic purposes.
  
  Chances are you'll way more often deal with not having water for a couple of days rather than not having water ever again. If you can't go a few days without water comfortably, you should focus on that. Get something to store water and fill them. Buy a few packs of bottled water and keep it in the closet. Get that waterBOB. Have at least 72 hours worth for your family just directly from stocks. After you've got that done, then maybe consider "long term solutions"... but arguably you've probably got a lot of other stuff you should take care of before that, like extra beans and rice and cans of food.
  
  I don't think there's any easy way to handle ocean => potable. Here's the thing. Let's say you'd benefit from something like that. That means you have no more water? Your city is completely water-free, as in everyone is trying to get water? Shit will get hellish. What are you going to do, go to the ocean, grab a few buckets of water and take it home? Either you've got a stealthy way of getting a lot of salt water to your house (live near the ocean?) or you are going to be noticed and people will start begging you for water for their grandmother, infant, etc. Get ready to have families lining up on your door step, begging for your help, fighting over half cups of water.
  
  My point is, if you're prepping for never having water running again, you've got a lot more to handle and it'd be absolute chaos. It'd be better to make sure you can go 2 weeks safely at home without food and water, and if you've got that covered, then you can maybe consider long term homestead craziness. You prepare for a flat tire before you prepare for lightning striking your car, know what I mean?

Look at the used list from the universal-radio.com site. Try to ignore 1990's-era design--this is a good site that sells enthusiast and professional-grade radios. Go down and explore your options for radios within your price range.

The Grundig G8 Traveler is good, as well are many other older, tried-and-true Grundig models.

Almost anything from Crane is good. I bought one of these as a gift (actually got a lightly-used one through universal-radio.com), and it has reception like you wouldn't believe. FM was perfect, and the AM reception was so good, you wouldn't mind listening to AM music.

Sangean also makes some famous pocketable models.

Oh, and always try and read reviews on radio enthusiast blogs. Check out the comments here for some very useful commentary on pocketable radios.

edit: Here's a nice review of the Sangean DT-400W. I'd go either with it or the DT-200VX if you're looking for something that's pocketable.

Great question! I have not used the Field Kit but really want to try it out. In terms of sheer shortwave reception, I think the Field Kit is a filtered receiver, so you'll get a different kind of noise cancellation than with the RF Nomad and maybe less sounds of drifting. The RF Nomad has a really narrow band reception, which is its own drawback, so maybe the Field Kit has a higher range and less noise. I'm not sure what the difference between 'Search' and 'Tune' are for on the Field Kit (Maybe that's tune and fine tune)

If you're not interested in CV tuning and just want a great noise source, the Tecsun portable shortwave radios are fantastic. I have a few of them and really recommend them for the price: https://www.amazon.com/Tecsun-R-9012-Bands-Shortwave-Receiver/dp/B001HX4D84

Curious about any users of the Field Kit, too.

>Have you considered a small portable radio that has a stereo headphone jack? You could connect the headphone output to the amp's input.

Yes, I have, but would that be the best option? I'd rather have something that looks halfway decent on my shelf, and most portable radios probably don't.

>"Real" component tuners would work fine of course, but would probably be too big where you're trying to use it.

What do you mean by a real component tuner? Can you link me to an example?

>The only issue I see is that the SA-50 only has one input, so you'd need to add an external RCA selector so that you chose which input signal to use with the amp.

Honestly, I'm fine with just switching out the cable. I don't need a radio so often to where I would need the convenience of a switch. It's a cool idea, though, and one I might capitalize on later.

I'm assuming you will be at this camp for a limited amount of time. Consider buying enough batteries to power the radio for the stay.

I recommend the Tecsun PL-310 or the RADIWOW R-108 for people new to shortwave who want to hear shortwave broadcast stations without spending $200 on better portables. I have given the 310 to family and friends who liked hearing shortwave from my radios. The newer RADIWOW looks just as good. The small reel-up antennas work well with these radios.

I am experienced with shortwave listening and would take one of my best portable radios on this trip because they can make use of random wire / long wire antennas of any length without overloading. First choice would be the Sangean ATS-909X. Performance, sound quality and reliability are the qualities of this radio. If I wanted a smaller and lighter radio I'd sacrifice the built-in speaker sound of the 909X and take the Eton Grundig Edition Satellit. Here is the current version of this Satellit. I'd use my 300 foot spooled random wire / long wire antenna with either of these radios.

hey, that might have been me, RS 2, Row B. I just got a new radio for these last games, i generally would bring another one, but it's now held together by duct tape and has been relegated to camping radio.

Picked mine up from amazon, a $25 sony AM/FM. My dad would always bring one to the game to listen and he's been going since the dodgers were playing at the coliseum (he was at roy campanella night), so I try to carry on the tradition. I'm hoping they play Vinny for all 9 all weekend, and I hope everyone has their radios out like they used to.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081IKTN6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The tried and true Sony Walkman.

I did you one better and found the "weather radio" version. If there's a tornado or earthquake or something else, you can automatically turn into the National Weather Service frequencies and listen to updates for your area. Emergency news is usually broadcast on AM radio as well, so this particular Walkman has you covered. Best of all, it runs on a single battery, so you can listen for a long time on a pack.

EDIT:

But if you want a more portable version that also has a hand crank, antenna and a built-in flashlight, I recommend this model.

I already have a nice camping shortwave and another small multiband receiver, but I wanted another, so I picked this up.

http://www.amazon.com/Kaito-KA321-Pocket-size-Shortwave-Processing/dp/B008MPKAPK

I misspoke. It only has SW 1-8.

It is a cheapy radio, but I have found that some of the cheap chinese radios work nicely for just fun listening

Unlike a lot of people, I'm not that big into the idea that communications will break down and the only news will be shortwave and ham. Ham radio has it's place, and if I can find a nice receiver I might buy it, but I don't go that much into it.

There are some very small radios that use 2xAAA. Hand crank doesn't save you anything.

The FM radio built into your phone is handy in a pinch but can't pick up weatherband and that is what you really want. Coincidentally I have been looking into radios lately.

The Retekess PR15 is the lightest option I could find at 68 grams.

Everything else comes in around 115 grams but there are some more trustworthy big names here:

• C Crane Pocket
  
• Sangean DT-400W
  
• Midland HH50
  
• Radioddity FS-T1 also a walkie talkie.
  
• Oregon Scientific WR601N
  
• La Crosse 810-163Twr
  
  Some of the more expensive models have automatic alerts. This will be a constant drain on the battery but could be pretty important if you are in an area with a flash flood risk.

If have a fairly niche solution that, depending on what you are doing, might help. I have a TV at the gym that is always playing a movie or TV show or something. Because the number of people who want to listen to the movie can vary dramatically, and because the exercise equipment can be loud (rowing machines), and because not everyone wants to listen to what the TV has on, I have come up with this solution that works pretty well.

My TV has a 3.5mm audio out port that you can plug headphones into. I hook up an FM broadcasting antenna to that port and mute the TV's speakers. Everyone who wants to listen to the audio from the TV tunes their portable radio/mp3 player/cell phone to the FM station that the TV audio is being broadcast over.

This gives a variable amount of people individual control of volume, muting, etc. without other people's experience being disturbed.

Antenna: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D826PU6/
MP3 player I use: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002MAPT7U/


It's a fairly unique situation that this solves, but it might help you get on the right track.

Also note that most gaming systems have a wireless headphones option and Many TVs support bluetooth audio.

I wanted a radio for my walks. It needed a belt clip, great reception, good build and easy to change stations. What I found isn't retro, but it's a great little radio. Cheap, too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006HOKR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can but have to wear one of these and be scoring the game so random strangers don't take this as an invitation to become your new best friend

You seem utterly convinced of your own bullshit, so I'm going to explain a little about science and critical thinking, before somebody else reads your comments and becomes dumber for doing so.

First, the source you link to isn't credible. It's a company trying to sell GPS trackers. Basically, you're saying that if a company produces a product and sells it on the internet, it must work. Going by that logic, it must really possible to speak with the dead, because they sell this on Amazon, therefore it must work, right? I mean, just read the reviews!

https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Box-P-SB7-Ghost-Hunting/dp/B0036F9LUQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1550068721&sr=8-7&keywords=spirit+box

In all seriousness though, even tin foil can block GPS signals, there's no way for them to penetrate a metal safe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-block-a-cell-phone-gps-signal-with-foil

https://www.quora.com/Which-materials-can-be-used-to-block-GPS-signals

https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/331273/can-gps-signals-penetrate-steel-in-the-thickness-of-few-centimeters

Even the metal case on newer smartphones will block radio waves and GPS signals, which is why they have external antennas, or they wouldn't function.

That said, I suppose you could create safes that have an external antenna embedded in the structure like on a smartphone casing, but the safe would have to be special made for this purpose. You wouldn't be able to simply "stick a GPS in the safe" like you're saying.

I live on the coast of New Jersey and ever since Hurricane Sandy I realized I really need to be more prepared for emergencies so I would love this solar powered flashlight that is also a radio and cellphone charger. Or anything at all from my survival wish list would be amazing. Thank you for running these contests!

Speaking of a crank radio: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QTXKBA/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00

I just bought this for my get home BOB (admittedly, it's a "travel 300 miles home" BOB, but still), and it works wonderfully. AM/FM radio, weather radio, and solar/hand crank USB charging, all in a small package. I know you've got a solar charger already, but you can't go wrong with a handcrank, and you might want some form of radio as well.

I bought this one. I like it a lot. It's my camping/backpacking radio. During the day you don't even have to touch it. I wish I got a little more time out if the cranks at night but it isn't bad at all. It was great when we had a 14 hour city wide blackout too and my roommate and I only had booze,snacks and this little guy to pass the time (who am I kidding, it was awesome).

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QTXKBA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2G3GR4EQQPR74&coliid=I9HKU2Z69EFH2&psc=1

whole wishlist

I'm entering both and might I saw both of you look as nice as rain in a desolate desert :)

Dreaming Big with this is the want/need

C'mon...gimme


You are amazing

Hm, thats interesting. My experience with bluetooth hardware has generally been pretty spotty. I strongly prefer wireless bluetooth headphones, and have for nearly a decade bought basically the same pair of cheap headphones everytime I've lost or broken mine (like this https://www.amazon.com/SoundBot-SB240-Bluetooth-Streaming-HandsFree/dp/B00LJP9JRK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492299084&sr=8-1&keywords=bluetooth+headphone+behind+neck) I nver get the same exact company but they're all basically the same. Some have been better than others, but I pretty much have to stick to the cheapest generics because as far as I can tell there aren't a whole lot of competitors. Recently there's been a view more competing form factors coming online (what with Apple doing the air buds etc) but I still haven't seen all that much outside of these generic designs. I think Bose and a couple of other companies have some bluetooth head phones that have a little transmitter and stuff, but they're massively more expensive.

But to me it seems like wireless just makes sense! I thought it had to be some kind of limitation of the format that kept people from really embracing it. I figured it was probably something that audiophiles could tell that I couldn't hear, like lag or bad compression or something, and that once something better than bluetooth came around we'd see improvements.

Sounds like a little crank up shortwave would have done his morale a lot of good. Heck, if it was me I would finish my chores for the day then put a log in my wood stove and crank up my satellite internet to chat with you guys while my squirrel was cooking..

Actually, now that I think about it, wish one of these guys would do this. For me a survival challenge is making sure I have enough layers for snowshoeing so I don't freeze my ass off. Last week I stayed out too late, took a shitty flashlight so I couldn't see the blaze plates on the trees, and the wind covered my tracks with snow. Had to navigate back in the dark with dying batteries in my GPS and howling snow-blowing wind in my face. That's like 1% of what those guys do.

Portable radio is such a mature product and technology I think you'll be fine as long as you choose a decent brand. I've seen battered, paint and dust covered 30-year old Sony radios still keeping tradesmen entertained on building sites. Models that looked similar to this one for around $89. I would even hazard a guess that you could go cheaper:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016OEV7C/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

I would say sticking to manual dial and buttons is also going to help with durability and reliability as opposed to a LED/LCD screen with station-seeking features.

I got one like this off Amazon and it works great! Has about a 2 block radius from my apt :)

Scrolled through the replies, so I won't repeat what everybody else has said as they are all correct. But I didn't see anybody mention getting a Weather Radio. Here's the one I have (non-affiliate link, and not promoting anything):


https://www.amazon.com/Midland-WR300-MIDLAND-Weather-Radio/dp/B00009V2YV


You can set the alerts to cover not only your county, but those near you. I have mine set to alert on the counties to the southwest, west, and northwest of my county so that as storms develop I know what's coming. (Storms always track from West to East. And NORMALLY track Southwest to Northeast, but sometimes track from Northwest to Southeast.) When the radio alerts on a county that is west of us, I flip on the TV and start monitoring radar. The radio has a LOUD alarm so it will wake you up in the middle of the night if there is sever weather when you're sleeping.

TV channels to watch, 4, 5, or 9. Each one has pros and cons, so pick the person who is the least annoying to you. I flip between all three as their storm trackers are scattered all over the state during severe weather.

Also, if your the technical kind of person, get a scanner and monitor the Amateur (Ham) Radio repeaters. The storm chasers will use ham radio to report back to the National Weather Center in Norman. These folks are on the ground and will know what's going on before anybody else. You can normally find out about a tornado on the ground about 90 seconds earlier than they report on the news channels. Here's a good handheld scanner:


https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC75XLT-300-Channel-Handheld-Emergency/dp/B00A1VSO9M/ref=zg_bs_172530_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4X5AMGKE7X3W7Z5NRNE3


The frequency to monitor with your scanner is 145.41. This is the WX5OKC repeater and is connected to a network of radio towers all over the state. This is the repeater that the Weather Center in Norman will monitor for updates from storm chasers, so it's usually pretty quiet except during severe weather. As an added bonus, the scanner will also pick up the different weather radio frequencies (pre-programmed), which can give you an update on warnings and watches.

Invest in a good radio (assuming you're in the Bay Area)! I picked this one up at my local Fry's, and it's been great. I just pull it up on my desk, plug in my ear buds, and listen away.

Without knowing what gear your dad has or needs - it's going to be a crap shoot getting a winning gift.

There are items that we all like, but your dad may already have one he likes more.

Regardless... here are a few basic ideas from Amazon (hopefully available in the Canadian version too):

• Radio ($20): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K33JX5G
  
• Buff ($25): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BJ3GF4M
  
• Mug ($25): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0773SN3GX
  
• Headlamp ($35): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077Z3LNX9
  
• Tarp ($85): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FKN766M
  
• Saw ($100): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBVGU5O

I've got the Midland ER310 and think it's a great radio with lots of neat features (like recording broadcasts so you don't have to be listening 24/7)

These are both quality products, but I think you're going to be hardpressed to find one that acts as a CB Radio as well, you're better off getting something separate for that.

https://www.amazon.com/RunningSnail-Weather-Emergency-2000mAh-Flashlight/dp/B01DVXDXQU/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1498753723&sr=1-3&keywords=solar%2Fcrank+radio
/// https://www.amazon.com/Epica-Emergency-Flashlight-Smartphone-Certified/dp/B00CZDT30S/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1498753723&sr=1-4&keywords=solar%2Fcrank+radio

It's a bit special, but uses an 18650 and could be made to run on any 18650 pretty easily.

http://midlandusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/ER310-Battery-Installation-Instructions.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/Midland-Consumer-ER310-Emergency-Digital/dp/B015QIC1PW

This guy says he's 18650 but I haven't heard of the company before (they sell them at Sears though): http://kaitoradio.com/ka500lyellow.html

For a full-featured radio, the Tecsun shortwave runs on 1x18650, no NOAA specifically, but it'll do am/fm.

https://www.amazon.com/Tecsun-PL880-Conversion-Shortwave-Reception/dp/B00GJ51NVA/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_469_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=A7EMVJ2CJB5E3FR452D0

Some ideas and comments that come to mind:

For your clothing you might check out this video which gives useful info on folding your clothes down to very compact, self-retaining rolls/balls.

Mountain house is good stuff, but you have to expend water to prepare it - not a bad thing exactly, but I don't see a water filter in your kit.

Next item refers to previous item: water filtration. Usually a fairly important component. Yes, I see the iodine tablets, but it would still suck to have to use dirty water, even if you know you've killed all the bacteria and parasites, dirty is still not fun (and often unsafe) to drink.

General backpacking tip: you always want the weight as close to your core as possible (and also the heaviest items as high as possible, see below video) - the more of the weight that sticks further out from your back, the more strain on your body due to leverage effects. I see from the pic of the full bag that it protrudes out pretty far - you might consider a taller/wider bag that isn't as thick when packed.

Another general backpacking tip: even though you have your weight down to a reasonable 23lbs, it will still be even less strain to carry if you have a pack with a frame & waist strap to let your hips hold the weight. WAY better and easier for you. Here is a useful video on load distribution inside your backpack.

Let's see, what else? Others have already mentioned toilet paper, good. Having a small pack or two of baby wipes or wet ones for cleaning is usually a handy thing to have.

Small medical kit: a few various size band-aids, alcohol prep pads, antibiotic ointment, cortisone ointment (anti-itch), a few doses each of aspirin, ibuprofen, tylenol, benadryl, pepto-bismol (pill form), loperamide (anti-diarrheal), antacids, a bit of medical tape, one or two triangle bandages, tick/splinter-tweezers, small freznel magnifying lens, mini-bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. All of this can fit into a very small bag and is worth far more than the weight and volume taken up.

Pick of the options available for a solar/crank powered radio/flashlight. Gives you weather alerts, AM/FM radio for emergency broadcasts and music to stave off boredom. Worth the weight (and they don't weigh much, and they're cheap).

Sunscreen? Insect repellent?

Signalling: signal mirror (useful to have a mirror anyway), loud whistle?

Self-defense? Firearm/chemical spray/taser?

I see the rain poncho, so OK for rain. Now let's say you fall into (or your pack gets dropped into) a creek, is the stuff in your pack that you need to stay dry still dry? Consider ziplocks or a dry bag perhaps?

Emergency document? A sheet of paper with photocopies of your IDs, emergency contact #s, medical info for yourself (blood type, meds, allergies), etc...

Small sewing repair kit?

Tis is a great deal! Ordered one myself.

https://www.amazon.com/Eton-Executive-Aircraft-Shortwave-Leather/dp/B000NOSCN0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26VE4B562TW7R&keywords=eton+elite+executive+am%2Ffm%2Faircraft+band%2Fssb%2Fshortwave+radio&qid=1574952931&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sprefix=eton+e%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1

Budget: Below 30

Source: Mainly cell phone, might use on PC

Requirements for Isolation: Not needed, in an office job I should be able to hear if someone needs my help, but still not listen to every beep around me.

Preferred type of headphone: over the ear

Preferred tonal balance: balanced

Past headphones: I've always used the default that come with my phone and some random brands from the store on my PC.

What I want: I'd prefer a bluetooth set, since cables tend to get in the way and they seem overall more convenient. I'm currently looking at SB270 and SB240 but I'm not sure which one is better for my needs. Picture an 8 hour office job wearing them that might transition into a couple hours at home (although at home I want to get a proper headset for chatting and such, but that would need to wait a couple months).

The is the Midland emergency weather radio. It has a decent flashlight, radio, hand crank, solar panel, and the ability to charge a cell phone. It has a 18650 battery that should last years. About the flashlight I have many better lights but this would due in a long power outage but it is not the best. It's also highly focused so it goes a long way.

I've had the Sony SRF-59 pocket radio for years and years and I love it. Single AA battery lasts forever.

It sounds like you should just get something like https://www.amazon.com/iRonsnow-Emergency-Powered-Weather-Flashlight/dp/B00WIF2T7C if your concern is around camping.

Maybe find a water proof one if you're frequently at the river or lake.

For emergency rescue use this seems to be a good option although it does not include a weather radio. Satellite



I think an crank radio with a weather band will fill your other criteria: Radio

Yo lo compre en best buy (o walmart no recuerdo bien, ya fue hace varios años) en eua.

Este es el que tengo:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009V2YV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_4u9Tzb0BXTS0J

(Por lo que vi tambien esta en amazon mexico un poco mas caro y hay otros modelos mas nuevos).

Lo unico que tienes que hacer es poner la frecuencia 162.450 (creo) que tiene musiquita clasica y emite la alarma sismica cuando ésta es activada.

I would skip the pairing with a blue tooth and buy a standalone AM/FM radio instead. Radios like this come to mind, depending on sound you need/ price.

[Radio 1] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FK0AEG0/ref=sxbs_sxwds-rbp3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=2898770402&pd_rd_wg=JY2Jq&pf_rd_r=DDAS85NN2EA5HEXTQTNW&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B00FK0AEG0&pd_rd_w=1QDtl&pf_rd_i=sony+am+fm+radio&pd_rd_r=ZMRGZZP3NDZRRKF9CBM0&ie=UTF8&qid=1491362907&sr=3)
[Radio 2] (https://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICF-F10-Portable-Battery-Transistor/dp/B0081IKTN6/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491368308&sr=1-6&keywords=am+fm)
[Radio 3] (https://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICFP26-Portable-Radio-Black/dp/B012F0DGYE/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491368308&sr=1-4&keywords=am+fm)
[Radio 3] (https://www.amazon.com/RadioShack-AM-FM-Pocket-Radio/dp/B005MUXNPM/ref=sr_1_21?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491368308&sr=1-21&keywords=am+fm)

I would go that route rather than having to haul a radio, a transmitter and Bluetooth speaker. Just my thoughts Though.

All of this is stored in the trunk of my Jeep strapped down in the black tote pictured. I didn't get all of these things at Amazon, but tried to find a link to purchase everything.

Not pictured is a rollbar mounted fire extinguisher

This isn't specifically for camping, just what I have on me at all times.

Starting at the top right:

• Three pack of road triangles
  
  
• Solar power bank
  
  
• Leatherman Super Tool 300 in black oxide
  
  
• Cyber Power inverter
  
  
• Bungee cords
  
  
  
• Ratchet and random sockets
  
  
  
• Ratchet strap
  
  
  
• Jumper cables
  
  
  
• 30,000 tow strap
  
  
  
• Target brand first aid kit
  
  
  
• Coast px20 with red beam
  
  
  
• Coghlans right angle flashlight
  
  
  
• Eton solar/ crank radio and light
  
  
  
• Tire pressure gauge
  
  
  
• Digital tire pressure gauge
  
  
  
• Military issue folding shovel
  
  
  
• 7 ton shackle permanently borrowed from my ship
  
  
  
• 75ft of paracord
  
  
• Harbor Freight wrench set
  
  
• Harbor Freight torque wrench
  
  
• 20'x20' blue tarp
  
  
  

I like the Morakniv and firesteel ideas, and also:

• Wood/tablet/alcohol stove, $19
  
• AccuSharp knife sharpener, around $12
  
• Stainless steel cup that fits perfectly on bottom of Nalgene bottle (can be used for cooking), $9, an Equinox Bottle Bag, $11, a Survivor HK-106 knife w/ fire starter (clip point), $10, and a Nalgene bottle, $10 (pick 2-3 to stay under $30) are the start of a Nalgene bottle kit. That's not an ideal knife and may need sharpening but it is full-tang and I can confirm it fits inside a Nalgene bottle, which the Morakniv for example will not.
  
• The book Where There Is No Doctor, $25
  
• Perhaps a keyring for EDC featuring such things as a Streamlight Nano ($7), firesteel ($10), something like a [Kingston SE9 USB drive](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00URLZTNU/ ($7), a universal handcuff key ($5), and a whistle ($8).
  
• A Leatherman Squirt PS4 (with pliers) for EDC, $30
  
• WaterBOB, $23
  
• Emergency hand-crank radio, $20+

This and this are both good options to start with.

soundbot

i have been using the soundbots for a good 3 years now

this is the one I like
https://www.amazon.com/Midland-WR300-MIDLAND-Weather-Radio/dp/B00009V2YV/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=DFU0SYNLE7NN&keywords=noaa+weather+radio&qid=1558652689&s=gateway&sprefix=noaa%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&smid=A33O82Y9CWW4GL

So I am currently thinking of something like this then: http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-RST-63012-Hearing-Protector-Digital/dp/B00H27E6NQ/ref=pd_cp_267_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=10AR1G5TPRMZS39FS65E

Something like this I think

I use this weather radio http://www.amazon.com/Midland-WR-300-MIDLAND-WR300-Weather/dp/B00009V2YV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321723550&sr=8-1

I set it up so that only my county and the county next to mine gets alerts. I also can set which alerts I want, yes for Tornado Watch and Warning but no for Flooding or Freeze Warning. So far it's worked out great.

I hate ear buds so I use Soundbot SB-240 over the ear BT headphones. I use them every day for hours and I charge them once a week at most. Plus they're under $20! I post this in every thread where this comes up because they've been so amazing in the 1.5 years I've had them!

https://www.amazon.com/SoundBot%C2%AE-SB240-Bluetooth-Streaming-HandsFree/dp/B00LJP9JRK

The best.

Most sets with integrated radios are like this and are probably not good for exercise. Something in the Sony SRF line (SRFH4, SRFHM33, etc) would work if you can find it

Some other important points:

• Communication Plan: Develop one with the family in case you're separated. Know where to go and who to contact (ideally a contact that is out of the province) if and when power and cell service goes out.
  
  
• Take a first aid course.
  
  
• Solar powered/Hand-cranked Radio and flashlight. We have Midland ER210

Tornado sirens are largely considered antiquated and you shouldn't rely on them as your sole source of information in the first place. If you live in a storm prone area, you should have a NOAA weather radio in your home. They often have a loud alert tone built in that sounds when warnings are issued. Also with the expansion of the Wireless Emergency Alerts system important weather alerts should be sent to the phones in your area as well.

I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EUG3II/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i02

just got back from a 12 day camp and it did really well. I did not do much iPhone charging, but the radio and flashlights worked fine. It played and charged during the day in the screen tent, and provided music and news and light all evening. I don't think the plastic bag would be a problem.

You could get yourself a weather radio and keep it next to your bed. That's what we do. I believe we have this model.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015QIC1PW/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CZDT30S/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It works fabulously!

Solar powered/hand crank AM/FM/NOAA radio, LED flashlight, USB cell phone charger

https://www.amazon.com/Version-iRonsnow-Emergency-Weather-Flashlight/dp/B00WIF2T7C?crid=3SDMK85Q53XMS&keywords=hand+crank+radio+flashlight+cell+phone+charger&qid=1537472677&sprefix=hand+crank+radio&sr=8-4&ref=mp_s_a_1_4

I'd think just a small am/fm/weather radio with batteries would last a week, especially if using headphone:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K33JX5G

https://www.amazon.com/Kaito-KA1103-Worldband-Radio-Silver/dp/B0006OCEFY

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/coverage/station_listing.html

Not GPS, but still transmitted.

A walkman radio, from the looks of it.

Something from Tecsun, for example:

https://www.amazon.ca/Tecsun-R-9012-Bands-Shortwave-Receiver/dp/B001HX4D84/ref=sr_1_18_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1537447785&sr=8-18-spons&keywords=tecsun&psc=1

Cheap over-the-ear headphones achieve a similar effect. I find that more sound leaks in through those than through my earbuds, and the headphones actually reduce wind noise (more aerodynamic than all the folds and bumps in my ears).

My "cans": https://www.amazon.com/SoundBot-SB240-Bluetooth-Streaming-HandsFree/dp/B00LJP9JRK/

Time to take out this:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00WIF2T7C/ref=psdc_6893245011_t2_B007T13E2O

https://www.amazon.com/Kaito-KA321-Pocket-size-Shortwave-Processing/dp/B008MPKAPK

I have (and am currently listening to) this one and it takes 2 D cells.

I have this:
http://www.amazon.com/NFR160WXR-Microlink-Self-Powered-Weather-Flashlight/dp/B001QTXKC4/

I'd like something with shortwave and an MP3 / aux input but haven't found one I like yet. Having the crank handle and flashlight is handy. You can charge your phone with it over the USB, though the charger is a bit weak so you have to crank continuously to charge. Still nice to have in a pinch.

You have you work? There's always the radio. I miss driving around doing my errands in the evening whilst listening to 1090AM. Also, I bought a brand new radio to take to the pool this summer so I'm excited about that too. My 30 year old Realistic finally crapped out.

As others have said, don't rely on the sirens. They're primarily for people who are outdoors and sometimes malfunction. There was a notable incident in the last few years where some didn't sound during a tornado, and, in any case, if the rain is really pouring or the wind blowing you might not be able to hear them inside. A weather radio is your best bet. You can find them everywhere here. I think even Kroger and drug stores carry them.

I usually recommend this model, primarily because you can disable most alarms except tornado. I have most turned off because the tornado one is the only one I really want to wake me up. Too many alerts and you become desensitized to it. The severe thunderstorm one is especially annoying because we get tagged with that one a lot in the spring. This is Alabama, every thunderstorm is severe. :P

How about a goodie bag of some emergency stuff? A big flashlight, a mini first aid kit, and one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Epica-Emergency-Flashlight-Smartphone-Certified/dp/B00CZDT30S

just picked up one of these.

def wont fit in your pocket but the thing is loud as hell. uses 4 AA batteries or you can plug it in and use it at home. gets the job done.

had this one before but volume really sucked and could barely hear it at dodger stadium.