Crank Radio, Lantern & Survival Guide: These devices run without electricity
If there is no electricity from the socket, you suddenly find yourself sitting in the dark, unable to charge your smartphone and, in the worst case, not being able to see the rest of the world. Unless you are properly prepared. Crank radio, camping lantern and survival guide: we show gadgets that are real saviors in an emergency.
Crank radio: Soundmaster DAB112OR
Power until your hand falls off: the crank radio Soundmaster DAB112OR pocket radio. Image: © Soundmaster 2022
The Soundmaster DAB112OR crank radio is robustly built and ensures stable radio reception even outside of cities. For emergencies, it offers an SOS sound and a flashing light function.
You can use the radio with a crank as a power bank via a USB output, for example for your smartphone – provided the integrated battery (2,500 mAh) is charged. The crank on the device charges an integrated flashlight in addition to the radio. So you can find your way around in the dark. You can also use the small solar panel on the device to charge it.
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Crank radio: Strong ERP 1500
Has a crank, but can also do solar: the Strong ERP 1500 radio. Image: © Strong 2022
Another solid crank radio is the Strong ERP 1500 . It can be charged with a crank and also has a solar cell installed. The 4,000 mAh battery feeds the integrated flashlight, the radio – and also charges your smartphone if necessary. In a way, it is a power bank with a crank.
The practical carrying handle makes the Strong ERP 1500 the perfect device for longer trips. An SOS function with a flashing light is also included.
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How does a crank radio work?
In a crank radio, a hand-powered generator charges a battery. The battery powers the radio and allows it to receive a signal. The generator works exactly like a dynamo: when you crank, a coil of wire inside the device rotates in a magnetic field. This is how mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy.
Crank Lantern: Goal Zero Lighthouse 600
Not an entire lighthouse, but a practical lantern: the Lighthouse 600. Image: © Goal Zero 2022
Camping lanterns are an essential accessory for any outdoor adventure. They are a reliable source of light in tents and in dark and remote areas. You can charge some models by cranking them. So you don't have to worry about the battery not being enough or you don't have enough spare batteries with you.
One such crank lantern is the Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 . If you have cranked for a minute, it lights up for up to 10 minutes. During the day you can also charge the camping lantern via the small solar panel. It also works as a power bank: the 5,200 mAh battery can charge your cell phone, for example.
Best of all, the Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 is lightweight and portable, so you can take it anywhere. So it is also a good substitute for a crank flashlight.
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"Survival Guide": Instructions for starting fires and more
This book is said to save your life. Image: © Dorling Kindersley Verlag 2022
Your life doesn't have to be at stake for Colin Towell's "Survival Guide" to be useful. The author has worked in the past, among other things, as a survival trainer for the British Army. On 320 pages, he explains in an easy-to-understand way how to make a fire, navigate in the wilderness, set up a camp – and much more.
Whether you're without electricity or lost in the woods – you have to do a lot of things old-school, like providing heat and light: A small campfire can boost morale and is pleasantly bright and warm. Would you know right away how to light one? You can read about it in Colin Towell's "Survival Guide".
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Compact Guide: "Survival for Beginners"
A guide with the most important information: Survival for beginners. Image: © Eulogia Verlags GmbH 2022
In "Survival for Beginners" Thomas Gast introduces you to the basics of survival in the wilderness. In the book you will learn on around 200 pages how to treat water, which emergency food makes sense and how to light a campfire. A good read for the camping tent. By the way: Contrary to many opinions, you can still be a beginner in survival even at an advanced age.
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