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Communication is key in an emergency situation and we've seen time after time that cell phones are not always reliable in these situations. The Geeks recommend a long range radio like this 20-mile model.

In addition, this radio includes 10 NOAA channels for full coverage of all government operated NOAA weather broadcasts. The Cobra Li6500-2WXVP radios provide seven GMRS/FRS, seven FRS and eight GMRS channels for a total of 22 channels, all of which are easily accessed via the front panel's push buttons. You can be talking with family within 20 miles while everyone else around you struggles to obtain a cell.

“Always two there are; a master and an apprentice”. What a load of Bantha Fodder that is. Because in the case of Star Wars Chubbies there are three. These cartoony figures open up, Russian nesting doll styley, to reveal earlier incarnations (or sidekicks) of the outer character.

After a disaster where flooding occurs, water is commonly contaminated with various bacteria and waterborne microbes which could really ruin your day with the best case scenario being a horribly upset stomach and the worst case scenario being death.

To counteract these waterborne microbes, the SteriPen uses ultraviolet (UV) light disinfects water making it safe to drink. If you live in a coastal or other flood-prone region, you should consider owning a Steripen.

Putting the funk into functional, this jolly gardening set consists of trowel, fork and secateurs, all with a colourful floral finish. Licensed by the V&A, it's an ideal pressie for style-conscious gardeners who have yet to succumb to Titchmarsh levels of tedium.

They could have called this brilliant gizmo the 'torch/distress-alarm/smoke-detector' but that wouldn't be very snazzy. It would, however, be true because the FlareSafe is all of the above, making it an essential travelling companion.

In partnership with the American Red Cross, this always-ready AM/FM Shortwave Emergency Radio by Etón® ensures instant cell-phone power and light when you need it most. Keep informed with both local and international radio stations on the AM/FM and eight shortwave bands.

No batteries needed! The radio can be powered four different ways: hand-powered generator, internal NiMH rechargeable battery pack, included AC adapter or 3 AA batteries (order separately). Just 90 seconds of cranking generates enough juice for about an hour of power. Recharge your cell phone simultaneously with a cell phone adapter tip — free with purchase available through Eton (please follow instruction card in box once you receive the item to order cell phone adapter tip through Eton).

Light and information are two items you really want when in an emergency situation, but sometimes power is out or you forgot that you sniped your batteries from the flashlight and radio. This 5-in-1 Emergency Radio and Spotlight allows you to harness the power of the sun with a solar cell collection panel or you can hand crank the gadget to give it some juice.

In addition to the power features this item also provides an AM/FM radio, spotlight, flashing light, siren and a digital LCD alarm clock with snooze. Provided information is being delivered via a radio station, stay tuned even without power with the 5-In-1 Emergency Radio and Spotlight.

Over the past two days the Geeks have featured a couple tools that can help you prepare for a disaster. First we featured the Dell Multifunction Laser Printer 1815dn followed by two USB drives: Corsair Ultra Rugged and a Imation Clip Flash Drive.

You can use these tools together to prepare for disaster recovery by using the scanning feature of the Dell Multifunction Laser Printer to scan various documents to PDF. The reason we chose this printer is because you do not even have to plug the device into a printer to scan, but you can scan directly to e-mail. Most other multifunction printer/scanner/fax/copiers require special software and a machine with Outlook running, especially in the class and price range of this Dell.

Once you scan all your important documents you can save a copy on Gmail if you have a Gmail account, but you'll also want to download to a USB drive that you can grab in a hurry. We found a couple USB drives that can resist water, mud and other elements.

In addition to storing the data on Gmail and the USB flash drive, you can additionally store documents using Xdrive or some other online storage place. The Geeks definitely recommend storing your important documents using encryption.

Depending on the size of the scanned documents and USB, you should be able to store all of your documents on the drive and have some room left over. For ideas on what you can use that additional space on the flash drive, check out Lifehacker's Carry your life on a thumb drive article.

In addition to the Corsair USB drive, this Imation Clip Flash Drive provides a tough exterior for your important disaster recovery information stored on the drive. With a rubberized shell and a durable clip to quickly attach to a backpack or belt loop, the drive provides some water-proofing (not up to 200m like the Corsair, but enough to survive heavy rain).

In addition to the tips about what needs to be stored we gave, the Geeks also recommend another backup of your data perhaps using an online service like Xdrive.