Weather Channel star Jim Cantore: What does he bring when he covers a storm or hurricane?

Jennifer Sangalang, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·6 min read
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When Weather Channel star Jim Cantore rolls into town, what does he bring with him? We have a few guesses. Fan photos of the celebrity meteorologist often show him at an airport hauling around a pretty full backpack.

Some things we do know:

What we don't know:

  • Exactly what equipment does Jim Cantore bring with him to cover a storm?

  • What is in Jim Cantore's "go bag" in 2023 and beyond?

Here's information about Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel and what we think he never leaves home without in the event he's covering a major storm.

What does Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore travel with when he's covering a hurricane?

In a Weather Channel video posted Aug. 23, 2011, meteorologist Jim Cantore shows viewers what he brings with him and how he packs a bag. He referred to his backpack as "my office" since he typically reports about a storm in the field, specifically when it's dangerous weather. Here's what he brings with him:

  • jackets

  • several pairs of shoes

  • waterproof pants

  • Bolle clear safety goggles

  • computer

  • mobile phone with charger

  • an extra phone charger and battery pack charger

  • a converter

  • a mobile dry case that has a vacuum seal option

  • flashlights and neon light sticks (like the kind you see kids wearing while trick-or-treating at Halloween)

  • a drysuit and/or a wetsuit: "You're going to get wet when the wind is blowing horizontal," Cantore says in the video. "So if you're going to get warm in the rain because believe it or not, even in 80 degrees and you're wet, you can still go hypothermic − wetsuit."

  • a notepad that works even if it's soaking wet

  • a pencil that writes even if it's soaking wet

  • a bathing suit, just in case. Cantore explains, "It's probably the only chance to get a bath out there."

What's in Weather Channel star Jim Cantore's closet and what he'll never bring in his go bag

In an Aug. 6, 2013, Weather Channel video, Jim Cantore brings viewers into his closet, or what he called his "clothes bunker for field coverage no matter what season." The closet, er, clothes bunker was neatly organized with weather gear. In the video, viewers see Cantore's:

  • winter coats and winter jackets from LL Bean

  • a drysuit

  • shirts with collars

  • T-shirts, but never cotton. "No cotton touches my bag in the summer time," Cantore says on camera, visibly making a face. "Cotton, tropical climates. No."

  • polyester shirts

  • a fuzzy hat that he wore when covering the viral weather phenomenon "thundersnow"

  • plenty of gloves because "when these get wet, you're done. You're toast," Cantore says.

  • black T-shirts − and apparently there's meaning to the color: "Black means that there is a death threat. Whenever I'm wearing a black T-shirt that means stuff's going down," the Weather Channel star explained.

The most famous piece or prized possession in the closet, according to Cantore, was the exact jacket and hat he wore while covering Hurricane Katrina. In the 2011 Weather Channel video, Cantore shows viewers a pair of sandals that he wore during Katrina coverage. He said he wears them once on every storm.

The Weather Channel has tweeted photos and video of Cantore sporting a helmet and what looks like a weighted vest when he's covering a hurricane, but it is not known if he packs those in his "go bag."

How much does Jim Cantore bring with him when he reports on a storm for Weather Channel?

In the Weather Channel videos, Cantore lists these factors for packing during a storm chase:

"How long am I going to be out? Can I make this a carry-on trip, or is this going to be five days, seven days or more? If that's the case, we bring the big mama," he says, pointing to a boxy camping bag with large straps and lots of pockets.

How many pair of shoes will I need? "The key is keeping your feet dry," he says in the video. "Once your feet get wet and they stay wet, you just have a miserable trip." Also, he adds: "You can never have enough shoes."

"But here's the deal. No matter what storm I'm going on, and I've packed this bag over a 100 times,I always, always wind up forgetting something. We give it our best shot, though."

Does Weather Channel star Jim Cantore bring food in his go bag?

In the 2013 Popular Mechanics article, Jim Cantore discusses food options during a stormchase. The weather expert said he carries "survival staples such as a powdered drink mix in a pouch that filters water." In the article, he explains the science behind the staple: reverse osmosis. "You can literally stick it in muddy water and it sucks up the moisture out of it and mixes it with the powder inside," he says.

For a hot meal in the field, Cantore gave a shoutout to Chef 5 Minute Meals in Popular Mechanics and on TV in a 2013 appearance with Food Network star Rachael Ray. Interestingly, Rachael Ray became a breakout star for her hit Food Network show, "30-Minute Meals." In the "Rachael Ray" demo, Cantore used a little bit of science to make a hot meal out of a box.

He explained it further in the Popular Mechanics story: Take the packaged meal out of the box, add water to a magnesium oxide strip − that creates a chemical action that heats. Then "place the meal upside-down on the sheet, put it back in the box, and it steams for five minutes. In five minutes you've got a hot meal."

In the "Rachael Ray" demo, the former "30-Minute Meals" host on Food Network taste-tested the Chef 5 Minute Meals dinner. She called the beef stroganoff "delicious."

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: How Jim Cantore preps for a hurricane & what's his storm survival gear