I got a new iPod as an early Christmas present and have had it for a few weeks. I really like it.

Here's some thoughts on how it could be useful from a survival / emergency point of view.

• Backup of data files from computer.
  
• Photos of family members & pets in case you get separated and need a picture to help others look for them.
  
• Impromptu flashlight (this thing is bright for a non-flashlight.)
  
• Impromptu mirror (the back is shiny)
  
• Entertainment to pass the time.
  
• Storage of memos of emergency information (e.g. phone numbers, emergency how-to instructions for stuff, medical info like dosage sizes for infants, etc.)
  
• Stopwatch function (not sure how a stopwatch would be used, but I'm sure someone else knows.)
  
• Listen to ETS podcasts?
  

If I had known that I'd like my iPod so much, I would have gotten the bigger one.

-Kuovonne

Don't forget you could start a fire with the iPod's battery and some steel wool. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

-Blast

I would not depend too much on the iPod. It is only good while its batteries are charged. Photos and emergency phone numbers don't show up with a dead battery.

I just got an MP3 player and I really like it. I didn't think I would so much, if I'd have known I'd have held off and gotten a MUCH bigger one.

If you like your Ipod so much there are some post market accessories you can buy for it... I think besides typical junk you can buy a small flashlight and laser attachment that fits into a headphone jack...

http://www.engadget.com/entry/3486151959436816/

I got a player recently too, a used Archos Jukebox (10 GB) for $50 from someone on CPF. I'd been skeptical of them before but I find I really like it. It's a lot nicer than an old-fashioned cassette or cd walkman with a huge pile of tapes or discs. The Archos is nowhere near as slick as an iPod and it's about 2x or 3x the size, but it uses four AA NiMH cells instead of a non-removable proprietary lithium ion pack, and has a normal 2.5" laptop hard disk inside, so I can upgrade it to 120GB if I want. I don't mind the bigger player since I hate earbuds and I use full-sized over-the-ear headphones instead, which are bigger than the tiny player. So the Archos is the size of a small cassette walkman instead of a cig pack, no big deal. My unit is an old one which just has USB 1.1 which is pretty slow. There was a later model that had USB 2.0 and those go for around $80 on ebay. I might get one of those.