If you don't mind waiting a loooong time for free delivery, and have no moral objection to doing business with a Hong Kong business, this
Outdoor Portable Ultra Mini Stainless Steel Gas Stove with a Case (around $8) is a great deal. It's built well, and performs as well as my $40
LiteMax stoves. Locally, I found isobutane canisters pretty cheap at WalMart. I use the combination on some of my backpacking trips, but they have served me well during two extended power outages over the past Spring and Summer.
If you shop around on eBay, the
Quansheng TG-UV2 multi band transceiver is a pretty good deal, at around $70 ~ $90. FM: 88-108MHz (RX); VHF: 136-174MHz (RX/TX); UHF1: 350-390MHz (RX/TX); UHF2: 400-470MHz (RX/TX); UHF3: 470-520MHz (RX). It's great for listening to local chatter, at the low setting folks can legally TX on MURS without a license, and these have since started replacing the similar
Yaesu radios at one of my job sites, for use on our leased UHF frequency.
If you're thinking of EDC or backup smartphone, and get decent coverage from the Sprint network, Virgin Mobile's
LG Optimus V Android handset is pretty nice. I hear of recent deals around $100 ~ $130 (I paid $140 for mine, back in June). There's no contract required. The phone can be used on wi-fi, even if you haven't activated it on Virgin Mobile. The cheapest service option is $25 for unlimited data, text, and a generous 300 anytime minute package. It's a very capable Android 2.2.1 handset, which I've been using for a few months now. I have my older deactivated Virgin Mobile phones tucked away in my cars, or in my bags, for emergency calls (deactivated phones still dial 9-1-1). I have a pre-paid Virgin Mobile card in my wallet, which I can use to activate any of the phones, should I need it. Since I use Google Voice, it's easy to have my number forward around to different handsets, in the event I need to switch around. There are tons of apps that would come in handy in a pinch, even if phone and internet services were inaccessible.