Living here in Houston, the summer season is bittersweet for although we receive our fair share of warm weather and sunshine, we also receive plenty of dangerously bad weather.  The warm weather heats up the waters of the Gulf of Mexico making those of us along its borders susceptible to disastrous hurricanes, and all of that warm air tends to spawn numerous tornadoes too.

Having been through many, many of these kinds of storms, I know how important a quality weather radio can be.  Wind & Weather carries a remarkably well-designed weather radio in the Kaito Voyager Solar & Crank Weather Alert Multiband Radio with Cell Phone & mp3/iPod Charger.  My family recently had the opportunity to review this item.  Keep reading to learn more!

The Kaito Voyager Solar & Crank Weather Alert Radio is a small, portable multiband radio which will serve as an essential component to any family's emergency preparedness kit.  We have a large duffel bag stored in our hall closet which we can grab quickly in the event of an emergency.  I highly suggest adding this weather alert radio from Wind & Weather to your family's arsenal of safety products for it has a slew of features which will come to your aid in the event of a hurricane, flood, tornado or other natural disaster.

First, it's designed to work from any possible energy source, including handcrank, solar, AC adapter (not included) or 3 "AA" batteries (not included).  It also includes 11 bands, such as AM/FM, shortwave 1 & 2 and weather bands 1-7, so that you can pick up absolutely any important nearby radio feed.

Not sure if there is an imminent threat in your area?  Never fear, for the NOAA Weather Alert will send an emergency wireless signal to this radio for local weather disasters.  As if that weren't enough, here are the other useful features of the Kaito Voyager Solar & Crank Weather Alert Radio:

• LED Flashlight plus 5-LED Reading Lamp and SOS Emergency Light
• Adjustable Solar Panel captures energy from the sun or natural light
• Built-In USB Port lets you charge USB cell phones, Blackberry, iPod/mp3 and more
• Green & Red LED Lights show high and low battery and tuning/charging strength
• Built-In Dynamic Wide Range Speaker for crystal clear sound
• Built-In Rubberized Carry Strap
• Extra Large Tuning Dial
• Water Resistant Rubberized Body

As much as this weather alert radio is perfect for emergency situations, it is also wonderful to take along anytime you're enjoying the outdoors, such as at the beach or on a camping trip.  Now you can power up your other electronics using the solar energy of the bright sunshine and bop along to your favorite tunes too!

If you are busy enjoying the lazy days of summer, make sure you and your family are also adequately prepared in the event of a bad weather emergency.  I love knowing that now, thanks to the Kaito Voyager Solar & Crank Weather Radio from Wind & Weather, I have everything I need to make my perfect summer season complete!

Disclosure:  I received the Kaito Voyager Solar & Crank Weather Alert Multiband Radio with Cell Phone & mp3/iPod Charger from Plow & Hearth in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. This product review is based on my own personal experiences with this item and is completely honest and objective.