Emergency Kits For Business Traveler

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How to Phone Home

Another ugly reality of Katrina—not to mention the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York—was the lesson that cell phones are less reliable than landlines. You can’t control the availability of mobile service, of course, but you can make sure that you won’t be out of touch because your battery has gone dead. Electronics shops and websites sell Cellboost, single-use disposable power packs for cellular devices, PDAs, and even video cameras. Cellboost retails for as little as $5 and supplies about an hour of talk time. But I’ve purchased the hand-cranked IST Sidewinder ($25). Cranking the device for two minutes will give six minutes of talk time. Both options are small enough and light enough to toss in your carry-on.

Staying Hydrated

Americans never thought they’d see the day when other Americans were begging for water, but Katrina showed how easily our supply lines can be disrupted. The cheapest, lightest solution for business travelers is water-purification tablets. A package of 50 costs $4 from Quake Kare. Throw a packet in your carry-on bag. Tablets are a worst-case (not to mention worst-tasting) scenario, however. Technology has a better solution: Katadyn’s purifying water bottle ($45). Its built-in filtering cartridge will process up to 100 liters of fresh water in 26-ounce increments.

The Fine Print

Stop throwing away those amenity kits that the airlines distribute to international first- and business-class passengers. They hold useful and appropriately sized emergency supplies—toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, shampoo, mouthwash, razors, and shaving cream—that will come in handy in an emergency. … Finally, a reminder: Credit-card processing systems and A.T.M. machines are powered by electricity. When the power goes out, our entire way of doing business on the road grinds to a halt. The solution: a copious supply of small bills. You know—cash. Stick a stash of small bills in a zippered plastic bag and store it in a convenient pocket of your carry-on bag.

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