A Cell Phone is a Prepper’s Best Ally
Here’s the scenario. Disaster strikes or an unexpected emergency arises. You had to leave the comforts of your home.
Perhaps you’ve evacuated and it’s just you and your bugout bag running for survival. You’re feeling alone, vulnerable, and desperate. But wait, you have a lifeline in your pocket, your cell phone.
The cell phone that everyone teases you for never putting down could help you immensely during a crisis and potentially save your life.
Importance of Cell Phone Apps
Whatever the serious scenario that you’re facing, your cell phone makes an important tool. Each app that you use on a daily basis can add something to your survival efforts, especially during a power loss as a result of a natural disaster like hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, and flooding. The same holds true for any type of bugout or evacuation, a pandemic, terror threat, and even an economic collapse.
Besides the obvious communication aspects that your cell phone offers during emergencies like making and receiving phone calls, taking voice messages, and texting, your phone also provides a camera, a flashlight, navigation, and many more survivor tools.
With some prepping and practicing now, you and your cell phone can be ready to handle unexpected emergencies and disaster situations.
Your Cell Phone is a Comprehensive Survivor’s Guide Right in Your Hands
When you think of all that a cell phone can do, consider the endless supply of prepper resources, help, advice, books, guides, and support it can offer. Whether you simply do a search on the internet for information or use the Kindle app, Audible app, or Nook App to download prepper e-books to your phone, you actually have an unlimited prepper survivor guide. Should you experience an inability to access the internet, any downloaded materials will still be readily available.
Critical Source of Lighting
Most cell phones offer a flashlight feature, one that oftentimes you switch on by mistake. It’s a very bright light that will come in handy during indoor power outages or outdoors at night when you’re forced to evacuate or bugout. Note that flashlight apps can drain a cell phone battery so use it sparingly and remember to shut the flashlight off when not in use.
There are also many apps that can provide alternate forms of light. Explore and download apps that can transform your cell phone into a lantern or provide emergency flashes or strobe lights.
Real Time Weather Monitoring
Sometimes, a prepper’s only source of weather monitoring is on the cell phone. Perhaps a hurricane is heading your way, or a tornado has been spotted in your area, your cell phone can provide a constant source of weather updates, real-time weather alerts, and most importantly weather radar to track imminent danger. There are many free weather apps available these days that allow you to sign up to receive daily and severe weather warnings in your area. Weather warnings can save your life.
Cell Phone Communication During an Emergency
While your cell phone can be used during an emergency to make phone calls, dial 911, get help from friends in your community, or stay in touch with loved ones, often times, cell service is spotty or non-existent. However, you can download special communication apps that are designed to be an alternative communication. Some apps help you communicate via direct messaging that works whether internet is accessible or not.
As much as social media gets a bad rap at times, apps like Facebook and Instagram can be your only source of communication to reach a mass audience of friends and relatives at the same time. For instance, you can post that your “marked safe” or that you need assistance.
Remember, if you’re in imminent danger or stranded and need a way to attract attention or get help, most cell phones offer S.O.S. buttons that make a loud, piercing sound. You can also download apps that provide emergency help methods.
Real-Time Source of Breaking News
Your cell phone is a constant source of breaking news that takes on a new meaning when you are faced with an uncertain disaster. There are many news media apps that you can download on your cell phone, but you’ll want to find local news stations, so you get pertinent information regarding your immediate vicinity.
Local news can be heard through AM/FM or HAM radio apps that you can download on your cell phone. The police and fire scanner apps are also popular among preppers as each can provide a continuous, real-time source of emergencies in your location.
While getting notified by news alerts daily may seem annoying, one critical news alert could make the difference between life and death.
Step-By-Step Navigation and a Compass For Direction
By now you’re probably well-familiar with your cell phone’s navigation apps that provide driving, walking directions plus public transportation options. This can help you reach a specific location with detailed instructions and provide you with a map, distance, and arrival time. Well, don’t forget that you also have a valuable compass that can point you in directions of north, south, east, and west should you be lost in unfamiliar locations.
Note, if there is no cell service and online Google maps is unavailable, your phone can still be a source of navigation through Google’s offline maps.
Having your cell phone to lead you during a bugout situation can provide a sense of comfort and reliability, especially if you’re unexpectedly evacuating and need to find safe ground to build shelter. Always have a few alternate prepper apps that can be a backup to offer assistance during navigational challenges.
Cell Phone to Get First Aid Advice
During or after a disaster, professional medical help like hospitals, EMS, and local medical clinics may be unavailable. If called upon, you may need to treat wounds, burns, broken bones, allergic reactions, stings and bug bites, and a slew of illnesses. There are many first aid apps, but you must download the app of your choice ahead of time. If the internet is down, you can still access the downloaded first aid material for detailed, step by step first aid instructions.
Taking Notes Before, During, and After Prepping
The notes app on your cell phone may be one that you currently use often for shopping or to-do lists, but that same app is a great place to store prepper information ahead of a disaster scenario. As opposed to paper documents, a notes app can safely display your prepper checklist or list of prepper gear and supplies. You can also include special prepper notes that you’ll need to look at for pertinent information when a threat is lurking.
The notes app on your phone may be the only way for you to write down anything during a bugout situation, when you have no pen or paper to write on.
Camera Photos and Videos
Your phone’s camera and video recorder features are important assets in prepping. Plan ahead by taking photos of important documents, medical insurance cards, house deeds, prescription information, and other critical records that you most likely would leave behind during a bugout situation. Having those documents readily available on your cell phone is a prepper must-have when facing unexpected emergencies.
The same is true for taking videos on your cell phone. Perhaps ahead of a disaster, you video your prepper practices like building a shelter or creating a water filtration system. Should disaster strike, you can refer to those videos to help expedite your prepper tasks efficiently when nerves get the better of you. A how-to video that you made of your prepper efforts could be a huge comfort during uncertainty.
Calculator, Calendar, and Clock
It’s hard to imagine now how a calculator or calendar could assist during an emergency, but it can. Perhaps you need to calculate food or water supply, so you don’t run out of critical prepper essentials too fast. Maybe you’ll need to calculate measurements of the tent shelter that you’re attempting to build out of tarps, rope, and sticks. During a financial collapse, a calculator may be the most important tool when evaluating money issues.
If you’re forced to bugout, after a few days, you may have no idea of the time, the day of the week, or the actual date. The calendar and clock apps on your cell phone can be of real help and keep you aware of time frames and how many days have gone by.
Entertainment and Games
It may sound silly to discuss entertainment when you’re facing the most serious disaster situation of your life, when survival is your main priority. Well, in a less dangerous atmosphere where you are safe but still bugging out, you may reap the benefits of having some sort of entertainment provided on your cell phone.
Whether you have a favorite game app or you just want to let music soothe your soul, your cell phone can provide games, music, movies, television shows, and books. Just be sure to download those apps ahead of time so with no internet access, you can still get a little time to entertain yourself when you have time and the opportunity to rest.
Cell Phone Preparation is a Must
Be sure to purchase a heavy duty, unbreakable cell phone case. A broken cell phone is not what you want to deal with during an emergency. You should also get a waterproof pouch for your cell phone, the kind that is recommended for beach or pool use. You never know what inclement weather or bodies of water that you’ll need to navigate through, during a bugout situation.
A good prepper recognizes the importance of planning ahead by downloading apps, e-books, maps, and resources that one can foresee needing during a disaster situation. As with all other prepper supplies, it is suggested that you practice using any prepper apps on your cell phone that may be new to you. You want to fluently know how to navigate all great features of each app, so you’ll know exactly which app to use for which prepper need.
Plus,, look into purchasing numerous solar battery chargers or a solar generator. You want to keep your cell phone charged for as long as possible.
Your Cell Phone Can Become A Digital Swiss Army Knife. Make Sure You’re Ready.
Your cell phone can be quite useful throughout a fight for survival. There many apps, tools, and you’re your phone can have that could become helpful prepper resources. Whether you might need to communicate, navigate, apply first aid, or light a path to safety, don’t overlook the helpful prepper tool that you already carry around everywhere.
