They’re not just pretty, sleek fashion statements of glass and metal to txt friends, play games, and update your Facebook status. Your iPhone and iPad devices are potentially powerful survival tools. Providing that you have the means to keep them powered, dry and free from impact damage, they can perform several vital functions in an emergency.

They can:

• Reach out for help.
• Store your most important information.
• Alert you to important news and warnings.
• Provide details on how to deal with just about every emergency imaginable.

When an emergency strikes, your phone is first and foremost a powerful communication tool. The same functionality that is used to post updates to Facebook or Twitter about your latest shampoo prank on Youtube can be used to give status updates to friends and family.

A personal information packet can be digitized on a Saturday afternoon with a computer and scanner. Then it can be easily stored on your phone and accessed anytime you need it.

Apps like AP and Drudge will push you alerts as significant news happens. HealthMap.org puts out Outbreaks Near Me, an iPhone and iPad app that tells you what’s going on in the world of pandemics and superbugs with location-based push notifications.

With a lifetime of study, you could memorize and master every survival skill for every situation – maybe. The alternative is to learn everything you can, but also to always have information at your fingertips.

The following is a list of “Survival Apps” currently available in the iTunes store:

• wikiHow: How to and DIY Survival Kit – wikiHow, Inc.
• iSurvival – Wilderness Survival Manual – Fishington Studios
• iFirstAid Lite – Survival Emergency Products
• Army Survival for iPad/iPhone – Double Dog Studios
• Survival Guide – SusaSoftX
• SAS Survival Guide – Trellisys.net
• iSurvive – Military Grade Survival Manual – DMBC
• Survive it! – Wilderness Survival Manual – Fishington Studios
• BootPrint – Pocket Survival – Leland J. Roys
• Wild Edibles – Sergei-Boutenko
• Wild Edibles Full – WinterRoot LLC
• Foraging Cards Lite – WinterRoot LLC
• Wild Plant Survival Guide – Double Dog Studios

Of course, you’ll need to keep your phone alive in order for it to be useful to you. There are lots of solar-powered chargers available that will help you do this, and most are inexpensive and very portable. Consider getting one and keeping it in your BOB or emergency kit.