All your eggs in one basket

My father hated radio and could not wait for television to be invented so he could hate that too. - Peter De Vries

This not a product endorsement but I did want to point out a product with an amazing name: American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger which sells for $30 on amazon.com.

During an emergency technology can be a blessing and a curse. I love gadgets that do multiple things - less for me to pack. But if the gadget above breaks, then I don't have a radio, flash light or cell phone charger. The wisest course is to plan on backups.

Bottom Line
When packing go-kits for a family, each individual's kit should be self-sufficient. If you pack just one radio for the family in Johnny's kit and that kit is lost or left behind, you're out of luck.

Here are two opposing points to consider when packing multiple kits:

1. Pack different products for the same equipment in each kit. This way if you find that one radio is really cheap and won't work, another kit will have a radio of a different manufacturer that might work better.

2. Pack the same or compatible equipment in each kit. It may be cheaper to buy in bulk, you can share batteries, and you won't have to learn how to use many different products.

Here's how I would resolve these opposing points of view...

1. Buy the same equipment for each individual kit. But be sure to test it and try it out before you need it.

2. Pack one extra kit - the family kit. This contains more expensive items that you can not afford to put in each individual kit. This is kit contains items that are not necessary but make life more pleasant like a butane stove, collapsible water buckets, a fancy combo-radio, extra fishing gear, etc.