Category "High-Tech"

Rugged Smartphones for Preppers

- - High-Tech

Regular smartphones are kinda tough these days, they can survive being wet for a short while and modest drops. But given the power and usefulness of a phone in a SHTF scenario, it is worth having one that is either just for that purpose or as your regular phone. Simply having it on your person is a good reminder to be alert and aware, and is a good conversation piece as well.

These are all aimed at people who want more ruggedness than what the major phone companies offer. There are trade-offs, of course. Here’s an overview of your choices.

Motorola Defy – a decade ago this was my #1 choice, and now under new ownership (was Google, and now Lenovo) it is back, although without the walkie talkie option. It is a tough phone that looks like a normal phone in a not-too-bulky case. Includes a lanyard slot and headphone jack. It is based on the Moto G9, so look at reviews for that and decide if the price premium is worth it for the ruggedness. Importantly, unlike the other phones listed here, this is from a brand that is sure to be around for a long time.

Drop-proof to 1.8M, and waterproof for 35 minutes.

Nokia also have a pricey, reliable, tough phone, the XR20. And Samsung are releasing a new Galaxy XCover with a removable battery.

Ulefone focus on features. Their variety of phones can have things like 5G, 10,000MAH battery (for multiple days of use), 1TB of storage (more survival ebooks), fast charging, dual SIM, built-in air buds, loud speakers, powerful flashlight… even an endoscope accessory or a thermal imaging FLIR camera.

MIL-STD-810G certification is proof of protection against severe temperatures and drops from up to 1.5 meters.

Blackview are similar to Ulefone, and of course are also Chinese. If you could sum up their differences, Blackview are a little bit better in features you would want in a normal phone (processor speed, screen, camera) and has fewer gee-whiz survival aspects (battery and flashlight not as good, for example). However, the cheap BV7100 has a massive 13,000MAH battery…

If you want walkie-talkie communication, look for a used Blackview BV9500 Pro.

  • Another, similar Chinese brand is Dooge. They are all so similar, don’t be surprised if they are related in some way
  • Cat – the machinery company – makes rugged phones. See CatPhones.com
  • Unihertz make odd phones – tiny ones, or with physical keyboards – and many come in a rugged version. Well worth a look, not expensive.
  • For Australians like me, this store sells most of the above. Or take a gamble buying them from AliExpress

The AtmoTube

- - Detection, High-Tech

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I love this product – it is like the iPod that preceded the iPhone. An attractive, small product (fits in your palm), the AtmoTube however has some major shortcomings that mean I won’t be buying it this year:

  1. Sensitivity  – how close to the bad air do I need to be for the device to warn me? The site doesn’t say.
  2. Usefulness – as they state, “ Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen when you breathe in even small amounts of the gas, causing terrible headaches and dizziness.” And… “VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation as well as headaches, loss of coordination, and nausea.” That says to me I have my own built in detector already.
  3. Battery life – in continuous mode it is good for just 1 day. Otherwise, you need to deliberately turn it on or off to test the air – not an option that would suit most folk.
  4. Range – I want it to detect nuclear bombs, radiation and explosive devices…

In 10 years time every survivalist will be carrying the latest version of this. For now, don’t bother.

 

USB Flash Drives for Survival

- - High-Tech

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One certainty about The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) is that we don’t know what will happen. We can guess, but even if we get the general scenario correct, how it affects could vary greatly.

Digital information is highly portable, and no matter what happens, some computers or smart phones and power supplies should survive (unless an EMP is set off).

With a portable flash drive you can store items like:

  • first aid guides
  • copies of birth certificates, land titles etc
  • backups of anything digital you have created, like that novel you are working on
  • treasured photos and videos

and so on… so why wouldn’t you use an indestructible USB drive that only costs $20?

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Flash Survivor® Stealth 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive

  • anodized, aircraft-grade aluminum housing
  • waterproof to 200 meters
  • vibration-resistant
  • shock-resistant

It is a great idea for local disasters as well, like if your house burns down, you get burgled or you get trapped overseas. Back up your important computer folder onto the flash drive and keep it with you.

If your information needs to be secure, consider paying more and getting an IronKey, Kanguru or a Datashur.

Or the LaCie RuggedKey which seems to have the best overall specs, including being 100-meter drop-resistant.