I think I finally have my husband on board in the area of preparedness. This comes courtesy to the nifty gadgets at Bass Pro Shops. Our young pre-teen son has been on board with me regarding this issue, so we all went to Bass Pro Shops as the remnants of Fay approached our area. I was in the camping department of the store while my son and husband roamed around near by. My son came up to me with a hand crank radio and said, "Mom, Daddy likes the gadgets here." I had that cat that ate the canary grin on my face, and I thought of you guys because someone mentioned that the way to get my husband on board might be through gadgets.

It now seems that my husband will tolerate the other stuff that comes with preparedness if he can have a gadget or two.....or ten.

So my question is: What is your favorite gadget that is also very useful?

Thanks for your help!

I went to a Bass Pro Shop for the first time a few months ago. That place is awesome. I love the atmosphere. I've heard Cabela's is the same way, but I haven't found one of those yet.

Anyways, my favorite gadget is my Katadyn Combi water filter. It's amazing how you can pump clear drinking water out of a mud puddle.

My favorite gadget, or perhaps I should say that my most used gadget is my Leatherman Charge Ti. Does that qualify as a gadget?

If we're talking electronics, it would be my Eton Grundig FR200 radio. I use it every day... Which probably assures that in an emergency it will die. While I've not "needed" it in an emergency, we get a lot of power outages in our neighborhood, and it has been nice to turn on some music. During one outage, I fired up the grill, turned on the radio, and my patio became a nice little gathering spot for the neighborhood. LOL

I also have a Freeplay Flashlight that has gotten a lot of use during the frequent blackouts. I charged it up once per month and it lasted about 3 years. Unfortunately, I think it's about to go. I can feel the gear grinding and slipping when I charge it now so it's been relegated to a fifth string backup.

My Fenix L2D CE Flashlight might be my favorite flashlight/gadget. I went camping recently, and it got a lot of good use. It's waiting for the next blackout.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear that your husband is slowly coming to the conclusion that preparedness isn't paranoia so much as good common sense.

My favorite gadget is my Eton FR150 radio. It is smaller than most of their radios, but has a real flashlight to it and its form makes it useable as a flashlight. It also charges from the USB port on my computer (with proper cable) or from sitting in a sunny window. So it is always charged when needed.
A close second is my Doug Ritter PSP, which is actually a small bag of gadgets. But I'm a wilderness survival junkie from way back, so I'm biased.

Congratulations! But you have to remember, those are not "gadgets," those are "tools". At least that is what I always told my ex...

That's fantastic news. BPS has a great little flashlight the SureFire G2...very bright and under $40.

I think my favorite "gadget" is the Garmin GPS. Really great. Runner up would have to be the Katadyn water filter. Nice knowing I won't be without clean water.

CityBoy - Cabelas in KS put Bass Pro to shame. Prices are a tad cheaper and the store is amazing. A great road trip for the family. You can stay at the GreatWolf Lodge, with indoor water park...they share a parking lot.

Oh yes OBG, I know they are tools, but I will let him think they are toys. It's kind of like kids when they find out a toy is educational. They aren't as likely to want to play with it! If I tell him the gadget could be useful in an emergency, he may run!

This is one of my newest and coolest toys

Mike

That's a long way for me to go to the store. LOL

I frequent the Cabelas outside of Omaha even though Kearney is a bit closer. Cabelas has larger stores than Bass Pro with corresponding more variety, but it's a blanket statement to say that they will have cheaper prices.
That said, I'm driving to Kearney tonight as they have Marlins on sale and daddy needs a new rifle

In Phoenix there is Bass Pro and Cabelas. I prefer Cabelas.

I have the Elton Radio as well. Popular item.

You can get the Ritter PSP at Bass Pro.

Great gadgets for someone who is not all bought in on the technical aspects of preparedness like your husband can not complain about getting a set set of bino's, some motorola walkie talkies, safety whistles, GPS, nice compass, even a day pack or such to carry your new items.

The other thing you can do is gauge his process with a gift card for $50, go with him when he uses it and see where his eyes wander.

Cabala’s is bigger and better then Bass Pro Shop (Bass Pro Shop just opened 5-miles down the road from me.)

Here in the Toledo area we have both and a Gander Mountain. I like Gander Mountain the most, it’s the smallest of the three but they seem to have more of the stuff I like. Also a 3-min walk from my home is an Army Navy / camping store that is better then all the big stores. This place takes a lot of my money every year.


The Cabala’s store in Michigan is the biggest tourist attraction in the state of Michigan, it gets 6-million visitors a year to the store.

SuzieQ: Take him back to bass pro shop, Let him deside what gadgets he likes. At this point of the game who cares weather you are going to use it or not, just as long as he starts to get with the program

I recently bought some cheap ($40) Bushnell binoculars at Walmart and I was totally surprised by how good they work. 16X magnification. I stood in my driveway and was able to read a street sign a few hundred yards away.

Get him a low-end Leatherman tool (maybe a LM Kick). Once he's done playing with all it's neat features causually mention that they make much more interesting ones with much more stuff. He'll demand one of the better ones. Buy it. Now you have two quality multitools.

Repeat as necessary.

-Blast

You are a sneeky SO..........! I like that in you.

If I have to pick one item, I love my Leatherman Wave. Out of all my multitools it is the one that I use the most.

VERY TRUE, Blast!! My husband is HOOKED. I got him line and sinker when he played with my old Kick that I had thrown in the glovebox. He now loves his Wave and is regularly browsing the upgrade possibilities. He's a gadget guy, a techie and a gearhead so, honestly, it's not that hard encouraging him wear a ultiility belt.

IF any husband didn't like bass pro, cabelas, sportsman, etc, then you have an even more serious problem.

As far as gadgets.. hmm... I`m a knife guy, but guns are nice too Not sure they are gadgets.

As long as he doesn’t put on a cape and tights with that utility belt…

Your saying that's not normal ????!

I have to say that Bass Pro kicks butt! I took a buddy of mine who's from England, and was shocked at how big the place was! The one in DFW is the size of probably two walmarts (maybe more). There was a shooting range in the store, and he dropped to the floor when he heard the shots (muffled but nevertheless freaked him out)!!!! Not to mention that the stuffed animals all over the place, he nearly crapped his pants (I'll let you figure out the proper words he used!).

I just wish i had a camcorder to record the event... Still laughing.

Thanks once again to all of you. You really come through with answers for me. Now, when I figure out what some of this stuff is that you listed, I can show it to him!