Let's face it when cell phones first came on the market they were bricks. They weighed a ton and were the kind of phone you can drop from a 4th-floor balcony and it wouldn't break! Yet they didn't have the same technology that we do today which is always why it's a good idea to have a few phones laying around.

 

1. Binoculars
Admittedly a lot of smart phones may not have good zoom in quality. However, if you have a good phone like an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy then you are fortunate. If you can’t afford to buy binoculars for your prepper gear then the camera zoom in functionality can be helpful.
2. File Storage
Now I would recommend putting together a binder of important documents that you can grab when you bug out. In addition to that you can also save digital copies of important documents onto your old smartphone. A lot of new smartphones today hold anywhere from 16gb to 32gb. This digital back up can be great in case you lose the binder.
3. eBooks
There are a lot of great books about survival on Amazon that can help.

4. 911 calls

Even though your phone may be old and disconnected from cell phone service you are still able to make emergency phone calls.
5. Flashlight
It just so happens that there is a flashlight app that you can download on Android and Apple. This can be a great alternative until you can afford to have all the proper flashlights that you need.
6. Navigation
Most navigation apps have offline versions that you can download to your phone. So if you are lost you can use the phone to navigate to specific areas.

Having multiple phones charged and ready to go is always a great idea!

To read about additional ways you can use old smartphones for survival, visit Smart Prepper Gear.