Top Gadgets Every EP Agent Wants for Christmas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: gadget time!

A lot of exciting and cool tech has popped up this year and I want to share my personal favorites. There are lots of great options out there this holiday season so I will be sharing the 14 that I am most excited about. I hope you’ll find something you love in the bunch.

Let’s get started!

Blue Force medical kit

https://www.blueforcegear.com/micro-trauma-kit

What it is: A portable, on-your-belt med kit that never gets in the way and allows you to carry most—if not all—the essential lifesaving tools you might need.

Why you need it: Why wouldn’t you need a medical kit that’s affordable and has a great design? Granted, you’ll still want to keep a bigger kit in your car—just in case. But the Blueforce bag is so lightweight and practical you’ll barely notice it dangling from your belt.

Why I like it: This is the best design I've seen so far on a small, on-body med kit. It’s the first one I've found that has both customizable (and removable) indicators so you’ll know what to reach for at a glance, and lets you access whatever you need one-handed. It really is fantastic.

Beartooth phone

https://www.beartooth.com/

What it is: A cool gizmo that turns your phone into an off-the-grid device for voice communication (push to talk up to 5 miles) and texting (up to 10 miles). Beartooth only works with other Beartooths, so you’ll need at least 2 to tango.

Why you need it: You need to keep in touch with members of your team at any time, whether you’re indoors or in the middle of nowhere. The last thing you want is to hope that your phone is getting proper reception. Beartooth entirely negates that worry: it communicates via the 900 MHz band – not cellular nets or Wi-Fi.

Why I like it:  Encrypted messages, one-on-one or group comms, and mesh networking to extend your range. The Beartooth even displays topo maps and charges your phone!

Skyroam

https://www.skyroam.com/

What it is: A stuff-in-your-pocket Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 5 devices that works anywhere in the world using local cellular nets. Well, almost anywhere: over a hundred countries are covered.

Why you need it: Because you want to stay connected wherever you go. And even if you’re the kind of nerd who collects foreign SIM cards as a hobby, Skyroam is an excellent backup for emergencies. Plus, it’s cheap: $8 will guarantee you a day of unlimited Wi-Fi coverage. Business plans are even cheaper.

Why I like it: This is yet another device you can “set and forget”. Drop it in your bag and you’ll know you’re covered. No SIM cards to worry about, no exorbitant roaming charges. It connects to multiple devices and has a solid battery life. With Skyroam, you have one less chance to miss an important message or call at a critical time.

Arlo Go

https://www.arlo.com/en-us/products/arlo-go/default.aspx

What it is: A high-definition, wire-free camera you can use essentially anywhere to keep an eye on locations of your choice.

Why you need it: Did I mention wire-free? No more pesky cables, clunky batteries—it’s got a rechargeable one—or having to use a cloud service, since it has decent on-board storage.

Why I like it: It’s tough to find a cam that’s portable, easy to set up, and supports LTE networks—but the Arlo Go does it all. It doesn’t hurt that picture quality is great and it has a night vision mode. It’s even weatherproof in case you need it outdoors. Tape it to a wall, a branch, or whatever—and you’re good to go.

SFD-Responder Ankle Pouch by FROG.PRO

https://www.frogpro.it/product/sfd-responder/

What it is: A pouch big enough to carry a first aid kit (or other must-carry essentials) yet small enough to conceal on your ankle.

Why you need it: First aid kits aren’t much help if they’re in the trunk of a car far away from a trauma scene. With the SFD-Responder, you can keep some essentials with you no matter where the job takes you and still keep your hands free.

Why I like it: The SFD-Responder is elastic, lightweight (110 g), super-compact and comfortable. You can pack a tourniquet, bandages, gloves, a penlight and a Sharpie – all out of sight. Yes, you can get way more into a belt pack or a backpack. But do you always want to be recognizable as the guy with extra gear? With one or two of these strapped on, you can actually carry a decent amount of stuff, completely concealed, so you’ve got it when and where you need it.

Skysaver backpacks

https://skysaver.com/

What it is: A rescue backpack with plenty of cable, carabiners and an anchor point to get you out of a multi-story building when needed.

Why you need it: Granted, this one’s a bit of a niche item, given that no one —not even EP professionals—needs to rappel down the side of a building very often. Still, when you need it, you really need it. It’s one of those tools you might want to keep in an office or apartment just in case quick self-evacuation (or the evacuation of your principal) is desperately needed, right now, and all your other exit points are blocked.

Why I like it: The tech is, simply put, incredible. Fireproof, easy-to-use, reliable, and 50-meter cables? Allows you to escape out of a burning building on a moment’s notice? There’s no better way to feel like James Bond.

Roost Smart 9V Battery

https://www.getroost.com/product-battery

What it is: A 9-V battery that actually lets you know—wherever you are—how it’s doing.

Why you need it: It’s happened to all of us at some point: smoke alarms and other lifesaving devices running out of juice without us noticing. Even worse, an alarm might go off when we’re not on-site to handle the situation.

The smart Roost battery connects to your Wi-Fi network (seriously) and will send a notification to your phone whenever it needs to, say if the alarm gets triggered, or the battery itself needs to be replaced (again: seriously.)

Why I like it: I like it because I don’t like surprises (unless they’re Christmas gifts like this one), it allows me to be aware at all times of what’s happening with a particular alarm at a given location—even if I'm miles away—for less than fifty bucks.

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Okay- you might want to look more into these products on your own so I'll stop for now and share the 2nd half of my list with you tomorrow.

Happy Holidays everyone!

-CW