Gadgets put trendy spin on preparedness

AP Photo/John Raoux

Hardware supervisor Dwayne Shope, demonstrates features on a floor model generator at a Home Depot store in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, May 17, 2007.

A swirling storm is bearing down, so you recheck the supplies in your hurricane kit. Candles. Flashlights. Batteries. Tarps. Cans of SPAM. Jugs of water.

It’s all there. But let’s face it, your kit is looking a bit, well ... primitive.

In this age of high-flying technology, do you really want to be riding out the big one on a bare-bones budget, huddled around a dripping candle like your ancestors might have done? Or do you want to survive in style, equipped with the latest gadgets aimed at making your hurricane experience a pleasant one?

The market for hurricane gear has surged in recent years, taking full advantage of our ulcer-producing obsession with these fearsome tropical storms. Products range from the utilitarian to the odd and innovative, from simple solutions to costly comforts.

Take generators, for example. For about $174 you can pick up a 1,200-watt generator at Wal-Mart that will keep your refrigerator and television running during a power blackout. Or you could plunk down around $4,600 for a 15,000-watt Winco, a portable, industrial workhorse that looks like it’s capable of lighting up half a city block.

Hardware experts will tell you that the average homeowner would be just fine with the cheaper model or maybe a mid-range generator, something in the 2,500-watt range. They also urge people to keep in mind that the bigger the model, the more gas it consumes. That could be a problem if electric-powered gas pumps stop working in a blackout.

There are a number of products designed to keep us plugged into the outside world, even if the power does go out. Several area stores carry flashlights that can be recharged with a simple shake or by tossing them out in the sun for a spell. A variety of emergency radios and lanterns also feature hand cranks to generate their power.

With these products, the trend is toward multipurpose gadgets with a variety of doodads and features. A flashlight, for instance, doesn’t seem to be enough anymore unless it can also pick up Doppler forecasts and cook you an omelet at the same time.

Along this line, Black & Decker has come out with “Storm Station,” an all-in-one contraption that has a multifunction weather radio, a detachable flashlight, a 25-watt power source that can provide enough juice for small appliances and a 12-volt recharging port for cell phones. It usually sells for, at most, about $100.

If you’re looking for a little less bulk, The Sharper Image carries a solar-charging spotlight equipped with a radio, siren and alarm clock, and an emergency lantern with a built-in, eight-piece tool kit. Or if you’d rather look than listen, you can to turn to Innovage, Coleman or Spectra, which market emergency lanterns with built-in televisions. These usually sell for $89 or less.

A number of stores carry Eton’s American Red Cross emergency radio, which can pick up local and international stations on AM/FM and shortwave radio bands. The radio can be recharged with a hand crank (90 seconds of cranking provides an hour of power) and includes an LED flashlight, a flashing beacon, a rescue siren and a cell phone charger. The price is around $60.

Robert Royall, a salesman at Royall Ace Hardware in Mount Pleasant, said these types of products serve as a security blanket of sorts for folks who just can’t seem to function without their creature comforts. In other words, a lot of us.

Many people don’t know the first thing about roughing it, or even changing a tire on the side of the road, Royall said. They would do well to think about how prepared they really are to deal with the aftermath of a crippling hurricane and the demands of survival, he said. “If you had to kill something and cook it over a fire to eat it, could you do it?” he asked pointedly.

Uh, maybe.

Or perhaps you would prefer some prepackaged rations, vacuum-sealed for your dining pleasure. North Carolina-based Home Guard Inc. sells a hurricane-readiness kit that includes a three-day supply of food and water, a water-resistant radio, a 30-piece first-aid kit, biohazard waste bags and a host of other survivalist trinkets. Each kit is good for one person and retails for $59. Competitors’ offerings include The Ark III, which is stocked with food, water, a blanket and other gear.

In the event that you are stuck outdoors, California-based Paha Que Wilderness Inc. has come out with a portable teepee outhouse/shower stall designed to offer a bit of privacy and keep the bugs out. It sells online for around $160. If you’re looking to stay dry, The Sharper Image’s Windefyer umbrella has a Teflon-coated, 4-foot, 8-inch canopy that can supposedly withstand 60 mph gusts. The cost is around $35. The company also sells “flameless” wax candles. The flicker comes from an LED device that runs for as long as 350 hours on 2 C-cell batteries. At nearly $50 for a set of three, that’s some mighty expensive wax.

Zane Wilson, a sales associate at East Bay True Value Hardware in Charleston, said cutting-edge gadgets don’t seem to hold that edge for long before something new comes along to replace them. In the end, most folks gravitate toward the tried and true. You guessed it — candles, flashlights, batteries, tarps, cans of SPAM and jugs of water.

“A lot of stuff is sort of trendy, and if you have the money to spend on it, that’s fine,” Wilson said. “But some of the best solutions are the traditional items.”