Winter is awesome; it brings fresh powder听补苍诲 ice climbing听补苍诲 backcountry skiing and the chance to wear your favorite winter layers. But winter also means frozen tree limbs, high winds, and聽inevitable power outages. We鈥檝e put together an emergency kit that will help you survive the next blackout. Plus, most of this gear doubles as upgrades to your car-camping kit.
Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Radio ($60)
You have three different power options with the 鈥攔echargeable batteries, solar power, or hand crank鈥攕o you鈥檒l be able to get weather alerts, NOAA broadcasts, and even AM/FM stations no matter how long the power outage lasts. It has a built-in flashlight with SOS and strobe functions in case things go south and you need to signal for help.
Reliance Aqua-Tainer ($19)
聽holds seven gallons of fresh water, so you can stay hydrated or even take a quick wash if your water supply gets compromised. The spigot cap makes it easy to dispense the water, and you can stack these containers on top of each other to store as much water聽as you think you鈥檒l need.
Pendleton Yakima Blanket ($140)
You could go with one of those lightweight聽,聽but there鈥檚 nothing like the feel and . That鈥檚 true whether you鈥檙e camping in Yosemite or huddled in your living room by the fireplace during a power outage.
Goal Zero Yeti 150 Portable Generator聽($200)
Keep 聽charged in your garage and you鈥檒l have 150 watts of power at your disposal, even after the neighborhood lights go dark. A variety of ports (USB, AC, 12-volt) will keep your phone, laptop, lights, and blender running and charged when you need them.
Camp Chef Everest ($100)
Your power might be out (and your stove with it), but if you have a two-burner stove and a can of propane, you can still whip up a stew, cook oatmeal, or heat a tin聽of beans. 聽pumps out 20,000 BTUs on two burners in a suitcase package that stores easily. It聽has a聽push-button ignition听补苍诲 works on聽industry-standard聽propane canisters.
Ultimate Survival Technologies 30-Day Duro Lantern ($50)
If your power is out for more than a few hours, you鈥檙e gonna need a lantern that lasts. 聽can run for 30 days continuously on the low setting (140 lumens)听补苍诲聽up to 22 hours continuously when on high (700 lumens). A recessed hook on the bottom lets you hang the lantern as a downlight, and there鈥檚 an SOS flashing feature, too.