Honest comparisons

Buying Guides

When you're ready to buy, these are the comparisons that matter: emergency radios, water filters, power stations. What we'd pick for our own family, and why.

Best Emergency Water Filters and Purification Tablets

A filter and a tablet do different jobs. Here is what the CDC and EPA say each one removes, plus four picks for a home emergency kit and how they compare.

10 min read

Best NOAA Weather Radios for Storm Warnings

What to look for in a NOAA weather radio, using the National Weather Service's own guidance, plus three models compared on county alerts, power and phone charging.

9 min read

Several worn two-way radios lined up with a first aid kit, compass, and flashlight by a rainy window

Best Two-Way Radios for Emergencies: 6 Picks for Families

Six two-way radios for your family, compared on listed range, channels, weather alerts, battery and license, with notes on which ones need an FCC license.

7 min read

Shelves of canned tuna, beans, and emergency ration tins stacked in a dim storage room, with supply crates on the floor in front

Best Canned Food for Emergencies: 16 Picks for Your Pantry

Sixteen canned meats, fish, beans, soups and fruits for your emergency pantry, labelled by job, with a table comparing protein, shelf life and what you can eat cold.

11 min read

A row of black and silver hand-crank and solar flashlights of different sizes, some standing upright and some lying on a table

Best Emergency Flashlights: 24 Battery-Free and Rechargeable Picks

Twenty-four emergency flashlights, crank radios and lanterns for a power outage, grouped by type, with a table comparing brightness, runtime and water rating.

9 min read

A blue LifeStraw personal water filter with its neck cord, on a white background

LifeStraw vs. Water Purification Tablets: Which Is Better?

A LifeStraw is instant and light but a portable filter will not remove viruses. Tablets take time but work differently. Here is how the two compare and when to carry which.

8 min read

A stack of paperback and hardcover reference books on a dark reflective surface

The 20 Best Books for Medical Emergencies

A field guide for the car or camping kit, and a clinical reference for the shelf at home. Here's how to tell which books do which job.

10 min read

Six folding pocket knives with wood and carbon-fiber handles lined up on a leather pouch

6 Best Pocket Knives Under $50

Six dependable pocket knives under $50, picked for everyday carry, with the blade, size, and lock details that matter.

6 min read

A red fire extinguisher with an intact tamper seal resting on a concrete floor

Is it Safe to Keep a Fire Extinguisher in a Car?

Whether an extinguisher is right for your car depends on the model. Check its label, secure it so it can't become a projectile, and check it once a year.

11 min read