We first wrote about this handy gadget after Hurricane Irene, but it seems appropriate to run it again, what with the “storm of the century” laying waste to much of the East Coast.
As you saw from our story on the Duracell Rapid Responder Truck, victims of a natural disaster need to be able charge their mobile devices so they can connect with love ones, get updated information on rescue efforts and call for help if need be. So after water and food, you’ll need a dependable emergency radio, one of the new ones that is operated by a hand turbine (and cranking, basically.)
We like the Rover, which is operated by a hand turbine, and is co-licensed with the American Red Cross. This is a 50% more efficient hand turbine than previous models – just one-minute of cranking yields 15 minutes of LED light and/or radio use. No more battery worries. In addition to providing a radio signal with NOAA weather band, the radios in the TurboDyne series can provide an LED light source, clock, AND the ability to charge a cell phone via USB. (NOTE: pack a USB cord in your kit since the Rover doesn’t come with one.) It does everything but stream itunes. It’s the best $50 you ever spent.
What do you think?