Author Archives: Trenton Walston

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About Trenton Walston

Uniquely-equipped for marketing puppets in Deltona, FL. Was quite successful at testing the market for ice cream in Minneapolis, MN.

Features of a Good Preparedness Radio

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Preparedness radio is one of the important items that should be added in an emergency survival kit. Now, what is an emergency preparedness radio? A preparedness radio is the one that gets signals from National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) stations which are also known as emergency weather stations. There are variety of other features too that are added in a preparedness radio.

Important features of a good preparedness radio

The basic radio we are talking about here is the Kaito Voyager Trek which is an analog radio. The compact size of this radio makes it perfect for an emergency survival kit. The basic features of this radio include:

  • Gets NOAA, FM, and AM stations
  • Alert capabilities
  • Hand crank, solar, battery, and USB powered options
  • Flashlight
  • Earbud jack for private listening

While this radio has been used for quite some time, people now look for certain upgrades. Those upgrades usually include the following.

  1. Digital radio: In the digital radio, it is quite easier to locate radio stations. The advanced tech in this radio tends to have better reception as compared to analog radio.
  2. Memory settings: Searching for the radio stations during an emergency can be a hassle. Memory of the radio can remember the stations you want your radio to remember.
  3. Rechargeable battery with better capacity: The major advantage of a bigger battery is that it can help you to charge your smartphone.
  4. Signaling for help: Whether you are out there hiking or setting up a tent due to emergency situation in your hometown, you are going to need a way to get back to your position if you get lost. This is where certain radio features can be helpful.
  5. Battery life indicator: It can be pretty helpful to know when the battery is about to get emptied. A battery indicator in the radio can be quite helpful.

Midland ER310

If you want a digital preparedness radio, Midland ER310 can be a great choice. The features we have talked about in the above section are present in this radio. The memory feature of this radio is not exactly a memory feature because the radio forgets about the last station when the battery dies. However, a button switches frequencies between NOAA, AM and FM. When you switch from NOAA to FM, getting back to NOAA will bring the same channel you have been listening to before the first witch. There is also a battery life indicator which can help you know about the battery status of the radio. The unique feature of this radio is the dog whistle which you can use to call for help. The flashlight in this radio comes with different settings. One of the settings is SOS.

Tips To Carry Water for 72 Hours

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It can be quite a tougher task to prepare an emergency survival kit when you have to decide about the amount of water that you need to carry. The weight of the kit can slow you down and sap your energy. But the matter of fact is that the positive things of a survival kit outweigh the negative ones. With enough food and water, you will not have to be dependent.

Without water, survival is impossible. Storing enough water for 72 hours is the basic necessity. During emergency situation, it might take time for the authorities to reach at your place for help. You should be able to survive during that time until those services arrive.

According to FEMA’s recommendation, a person needs to drink half a gallon (64 oz.) of water. It means that you are going to have to keep two large water bottles. The bottles used during hiking and emergency usually measure every 4 oz. This way, you will be able to track water consumption during the day.

If water is not available in the area you are heading to, you can keep water pouches that can have 4.225 oz. of water.

Carrying 72hrs of water

The amount of water you need to carry for 72 hours mainly depends upon how much water you can comfortably carry. For this purpose, you have to make sure that you have right water bottles. Although Coast Guard suggests you to keep at least 9 oz. of water to survive for a few days, it’s not the kind of survival we are talking about. Few things that you need to take into consideration in this regard are as under.

  • Weight is an important thing to consider here because water can be the heaviest item to carry. It also depends upon the build and strength of your body. Moreover, the backpack you are carrying should not be more than 15% of your body weight.
  • Bulk is another big obstacle. When you put two water bottles in the bag, it takes up a lot of space leaving very little room for the other essential items. To address this issue, you can try collapsible water bottle, soft water bottle, or water pouches. These bottles and pouches are taller rather than wider. And so, they allow other items to be adjusted well in the backpack.
  • Pouches allow you to save room for the other essential items in the backpack but they are not quite durable. Any puncture on those pouches can lead to the water leaking out of them. Even the bottles can break or crack when they fall down. In this scenario, you have to make sure that the pouches or bottles you are using are durable.
  • Another factor to talk about is the versatility. For instance, you can consider using a metal water bottle which can be used to store, boil and sterilize water. You can even make tea in that bottle.