Putting together your emergency preparedness kit? Thinking about what kind of radio you might need in order to hear the latest news and how it will be powered if there’s no electricity?

We know: All About Emergency Radios

There are a variety of emergency radios on the market designed to give you AM/FM reception. They’re powered in a variety of different ways and many have several sources of power.

Features to Look for In an Emergency Radio

Battery Power

You can find lots of small radios that are battery powered. They’re inexpensive and easy to store. But if you don’t have fresh batteries, or if the emergency goes on for too long, you’ll need a radio that can use other sources of power to keep broadcasting.

Hand Crank Power

These radios let you recharge the battery in the radio by cranking a handle on the radio. By cranking for a minute or less, you can get from a few minutes to more than an hour in broadcast time. So, look for a radio that has a crank feature.

Solar Power

Provided you’re in a place where there’s sunlight or room light, you can also recharge the radio battery with solar or power. It may take several hours of sunlight to charge the battery, but it will run for a considerable length of time. Look for both a hand crank and solar power feature, if you want to maximize your options.

Car Charger Power

You can also find emergency radios that can be plugged into the battery charger outlet in your car for recharging. Again, a good option, when you have access to your car and a charged battery.

Some of the companies that make emergency radios are Grundig, Coleman and Freeplay.