If you're just going to throw it in a box and get it out in case of emergency, you may as well not bother getting it in the first place. Get your amateur licen

If you're just going to throw it in a box and get it out in case of emergency, you may as well not bother getting it in the first place. Get your amateur license (studying for the test will help you with the basic theory and operations of the radio), but more importantly, join your local ham club, or at least participate in their monthly nets -- but it's better to join them in emergency drills and other activities. This will give you experience on how to operate your radios under real world conditions. Modern radios have so many features that it's easy to inadvertently turn on some setting that makes it unusable, especially if you're the "throw it in a box and get it out if I need it" type of user who doesn't understand all the features on the radio. If you do that today you can search the web or go to a local club meeting for help. If you do it in a disaster, you may not be able to use your radio when you need it most. The same holds true for all of your “I only need it in case of disaster” supplies. I’ve had a small tent in my earthquake kit for over a decade. Last year I figured I’d put it up to make sure it was still usable and discovered that I didn’t have the tent poles so it was pretty much useless.