Why a radio and not your phone
- Radio stations have generators and keep broadcasting when everything else fails.
- Receiving radio uses very little power: batteries last for days.
- It's the channel authorities use to announce evacuations, road closures and relief points.
Which bands you need
| Band | What for | Essential? |
|---|---|---|
| FM | Local and regional stations, with good sound. | Yes |
| AM (medium wave) | Reaches much farther, especially at night. Useful if nearby stations go off the air. | Yes |
| NOAA Weather Band | Automatic weather alerts. | Yes in the US and Canada; useless elsewhere |
| Shortwave (SW) | International stations thousands of miles away. | Nice to have |
How it's powered
- Regular batteries (AA or AAA): the most reliable option. Ideally the same size as your flashlight.
- A built-in battery rechargeable by USB.
- Hand crank: a minute of cranking gives a few minutes of radio. It's a backup, not the main source.
- Solar panel: small and slow, useful to keep it topped up on a windowsill.
Ideally, choose a radio that combines regular batteries with at least one of the other methods.
Useful features and pointless ones
- Useful: a built-in flashlight, a USB output to give your phone a little charge in a pinch, and splash resistance.
- With caveats: charging your phone with the crank is very slow. It's enough for one urgent message, not to charge the phone.
- Pointless: sirens, compasses and other extras that add cost without value.
A good option
- Hand-crank and solar emergency radio (AM/FM/SW)View on Amazon ↗ (affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Choose one with AM and FM (and NOAA if you're in North America), that takes regular batteries and has good reviews for reception. Test it at home, write the frequencies of your public broadcaster and local stations on a card, and keep it with your kit.
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