Reddit reviews Kaito KA500 5-way Powered Solar Power,Dynamo Crank, Wind Up Emergency AM/FM/SW/NOAA Weather Alert Radio with Flashlight,Reading Lamp and Cellphone Charger, Yellow

Hi, I run a business called ShakeproofLA and what I do is set people up to get ready for The Big One.

To set the stage, you have to understand that Los Angeles has, historically, had a major earthquake every 100 years, but right now we haven't a big one since 1857 when a 7.9 struck Fort Tejon.
So, add that extra 60 years to the amount of tectonic pressure that will be released when it finally does happen.

Now, what I'm going to say will scare the shit out of people, but here it is: When the next major quake hits LA it will be a major, major catastrophe. Thousands of people will die and the damage will be counted in the tens, if not hundreds of billions of dollars.

The water mains will break. The highways will crumble. The gas lines will erupt and fires will break out all over the place. It's estimated, worst case scenario, that 1/3 of the city will burn down, partially due to the broken water mains. If the earthquake is during a heatwave, those problems will be compounded.

The dust and smoke and pollutants (asbestos, etc) thrown up by the quake will cause further health problems down the line as well.

Downtown, all the glass in the buildings will break and fall. Except glass doesn't fall straight down, it floats down like a leaf, meaning that it will be thousands of razor blades slicing across the street. The fire department thinks there will be up to 10 feet of broken glass in the streets afterwards. Moreover, some 1/3 of the buildings in downtown could collapse, including many of the skyscrapers which were build using flawed construction techniques, during the 60's and 70's and 80's. Many of those same buildings are packed with asbestos, much like the World Trade center.

Scary AF, right? Well, I have a motto: "It's absolutely going to happen, so don't worry." All you can do it get prepared.

As the freeways will be out, there's basically going to be no leaving town. More likely than not, you will have to shelter in place. That being the case, you will need supplies.

Here's a list of ABSOLUTE NECESSITIES for you to have on hand. It's only a few hundred bucks and it very well could be the difference between life and death.

What I have listed are only suggestions and I'm not endorsing any particular brand over another. If you find something that does the same job for cheaper, great.

Food
Have at least 2 weeks supply of food above and beyond what is kept in the freezer and/or pantry. Below are some options, but feel free to search around and find the best price/amount for you and your family

Food Option 1
Food Option 2
Food Option 3

Radios
Emergency Radios are a must-have and the wind-up type, with a flashlight cover multiple bases at once.
Radio Option 1
Radio Option 2


Water
These jugs are available at any local Home Depot and will last for 5 years in storage. Do not store on concrete floors at it will leech, instead store on wood, cardboard or carpet only. You want one jug per person per week. Additionally, if you have a hot water heater, wait until it cools and use that. Be aware that the first water that comes out will be mostly mineral silt, so be sure to run it through a coffee filter.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/5-Gal-Water-No-Exchange-Initial-Purchase-5GALIP2/205227468

The Lifestraw allows you to drink any gross water you find.
Lifestraw

If you have an outdoor grill, great. That's your cooking platform. Make sure you have extra propane. If not, get a camp stove.
Camp Stove 1

Propane -
To be sourced locally.

Honey Buckets
You're going to need a place to poop, right? Get a honey bucket, or get hepatitis. Your choice.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079GFLVLM/ref=twister_B079C4GN4M?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/LEAKTITE-B5GSKD-5GAL-Black-Plastic/dp/B000VBW17S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1529963064&sr=8-3&keywords=5+gallon+bucket

https://www.amazon.com/Besli-Gallon-DrawString-Strong-Garbage/dp/B075ST2KJ9/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1529963592&sr=1-4&keywords=5%2Bgallon%2Bgarbage%2Bbags&th=1

First Aid Kit

DUST MASKS
I can't emphasize enough for people to buy these. N95 is the standard you want, as it will filter most pollutants. Buy these and don't get mesothelioma later in life.

Towelettes

Power Station

And the list continues. Have a car kit ready, consisting of water (I like VOSS water, as it's in glass, a couple Clif bars, a hat, sunblock, and old pair of walking sneakers and a space blanket. And dust masks. Don't forget those.

Fill out a FEMA Emergency Plan. and you'll really know where to go and who to contact in an emergency.

And that's the basics. Two weeks of survival supplies and FEMA will be on the scene, hopefully and roads will be open enough to get out of dodge.

Another good idea is to strap your furniture and TV to the walls, into the studs. I'd provide a guide, but that's my job, y'all.

I just bought one of these the other day for the same reason:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003A21DQA/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_E6a5CbC1YMNAT

It would fit more into the mobile/portable category. It feels kind of cheap but works well. It has LED lights, AM/FM + NOAA + SW radio. You can also charge your phone off it, but the battery capacity isn't great for that. It can be charged via USB though, so if you had one of these plus a couple portable battery packs you'd probably be set for awhile.

A more stationary option would be one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Midland-WR120B-WR120EZ-Certified-Trilingual/dp/B00176T9OY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=weather+radio&qid=1558450236&s=gateway&sr=8-3

We have several scattered around my office and they can be programmed to only alert for certain counties or at certain thresholds - severe weather warnings only vs watches. That type of thing. They're loud af.

I like these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003A21DQA

This is the one I was thinking about getting...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003A21DQA/

Good?

Kaito KA500 5-Way Radio You can power it via Micro USB and Adapter as well as the usual Solar, Crank, and AA batteries. This radio also gives you access to the Shortwave bands so you can listen to.

If you want to go small, I recommend any portable radio that allows you to power it via external batteries AND internal rechargeable batteries while having an auxiliary jack for speakers and headphones. There are not that many portable radios that have all those features in a small package so it may be hard to find. The closest I got is this RunningSnail and it is in a similar size like the Kaito, but it managed to be a perfect fit in the side pocket of my daypack.

I also recommend using analog for emergencies if you plan to store it for months on end without checking the batteries. I have a Midland ER200 that died on me after the LED screen drained itself, however, the other RunningSnail that I keep in the car still had plenty of power even after six months.

That is assuming you are planning on receiving signals. Refer to others if you are looking into portable HAM radios.