Emergency Kits For Business Traveler

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Two years ago, we watched the underpinnings of modern life washed away from millions of Americans. Hurricane Katrina wiped out huge portions of the Gulf Coast, submerged New Orleans, and served as an ugly reminder that our lives on the road depend on virtually everything going right.

While residents struggled to keep their lives and homes above water, business travelers were stranded in hotels and motels, unable to fly away and in need of the same basics—food, drinking water, communications, and cash—as the locals. In that sense, at least, Katrina didn’t discriminate: If you were there, you suffered.

I was on the road elsewhere in America that awful day. I didn’t suffer. But Katrina ripped away my veneer of invulnerability from afar, so I’ve spent the past two years laboriously compiling the components of a practical emergency kit for business travelers. Lots of companies now sell prepackaged on-the-road emergency kits, but none of them impress me. They are all too big, too cumbersome, or too silly to consider throwing in our luggage.

My kit is far from perfect, and you will certainly have your own twists. (Let me know what you’re taking along these days by leaving a comment.) Before we start, though, keep this crucial point in mind: You’ll have to decide whether to rely on items powered by batteries or by a human-powered crank. If you go with batteries, you’ll have to stock your emergency kit with power cells and keep them fresh. If you go with the hand-cranked gadgets, you’ll have to set aside more room and pay a bit more.

Lighting the Way

Travelers stranded by Katrina—or those stuck in the London Underground during the July 7, 2005, terrorism attacks—learned that something as basic as light can’t be taken for granted. But here’s the good news: The world is now awash in high-powered, microsize flashlights with batteries and bulbs that seem to last forever. Magellan’s sells the Pulsar for about $13, and Jazebra sells the Sapphire Elite for $12. They're smaller than your pinkie finger and are light enough to attach to your key ring or the zipper slider on your briefcase or carry-on bag. Prefer a traditional-size flashlight? Amazon sells the Freedom Flashlight for $18. The 3-ounce device is powered by the energy created when you shake it.

Hearing the News

One of the things we learned from Hurricane Katrina is how important it is to be able to get information. A battery-operated portable radio is the obvious answer, but I’m convinced that crank-powered models are more practical for a business traveler’s emergency kit. The $30 Wind Up Radio  from Battery Savers solves the problem. A minute of cranking gives you 20 minutes of play time. (It can also be powered by two double-A batteries.) The unit is small and light enough to fit in an on-the-road emergency kit and offers AM, FM, and weather-band reception. If you want more coverage, consider Eton’s larger and nearly miraculous hand-crank radios. Besides the AM/FM radio, the 1.5-pound device has a built-in flashlight, an emergency beacon, and a jack to power your cell phone. The model sold by Hammacher Schlemmer retails for $50 and has VHF TV audio and weather channels too. (Eton radios can also run on batteries.)

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