Stock up on Black Friday Emergency Preparedness Gear

Hurricanes. Wildfires. Bomb cyclones. Blizzards. The natural disasters just keep on coming. If you’re thinking you should upgrade your emergency kit, you’re right. And Black Friday, has consistently has the best deals of the year, is the time to do it. Outdoor Life editors and contributors have put essential parts of any emergency kit to the test, from emergency radios, to water filters, to solar generators. Here are the best deals you can find, on the gear you’ll actually want. 

Solar Generators

A solar generator not only provides power to your home and family when the grid goes out, it can keep on providing power as long as there is daylight (yes, even through the clouds). Here are the top deals going on right now. 

Read the Story: The Best Solar Generators 

Emergency Radios

There is no guarantee that the grid will keep working during an emergency, which makes having an emergency radio a must. In his roundup of the Best Emergency Radios, Alex Murphy named this one the best option for preppers. 

Satellite Messengers

This is a must for your car, as there is no guarantee that you’ll have reception in the event of a breakdown or other emergency. Go for a satellite messenger on the Iridium network, as our testing has shown it is more reliable than Globalstar’s (which Apple is using for their iPhone satellite messenger).

Read the Story: The Best Satellite Messengers

Water Filters

It’s tempting to buy a cheap Lifestraw or similar to round an emergency kit, but those aren’t what you want. During an emergency, the available water could be contaminated with all kinds of things: norovirus, agricultural runoff, chemicals, heavy metals. Choose a water filter for your emergency kit that can deal with as many of these contaminants as possible and you’ll be in much better shape for the long haul. 

Read the Story: The Best Backpacking Water Filter

Camping Lanterns

If the power goes out, you’re going to one a few camping lanterns around so that you aren’t fumbling as you go from room to room. Here are the best Black Friday deals on camping lanterns I’ve tested so far.

Flashlight

You’re going to need a number of these, ideally scattered around your house and car, so they need to be cost effective. This two-pack from GearLight is what you want

Hand Warmers

These are great to have on hand anytime you head out for extended time in the outdoors, and to keep in your car, just in case. 

Emergency Blankets

You need at least one of these for each of your cars — they pack down small to fit into the glovebox.