Drones have a rather negative reputation these days, and for good reason. They bring to mind government surveillance and extrajudicial killings in foreign countries. And in the civilian world they are at best a nuisance, and at worst they can be used by hobbyists to spy on their neighbors. And among the more paranoid members of our society (though in all fairness, being paranoid doesn’t mean you’re wrong) drones bring to mind the possibility of automated killing machines taking over the human race in the near future.

But truth be told, drones aren’t all bad. And for those of you reading this who are drone hobbyists, I should add that the vast majority of private drone users are responsible people who respect the privacy and safety of their neighbors. Drones are just like any other technology. They are neither good or evil, nor are they positive or negative for society. Drones are only as good as the people who wield them, and when used ethically, they have the potential to enrich our lives.

As for preppers, drones are a highly underrated tool for surviving the potential collapse of our society. Having one of these machines would give any survivor an edge over anyone who would take advantage of the chaos brought on by such an event. Drones have all of the advantages of a security camera, such as the ability to watch your surroundings in real-time without exposing yourself, without the disadvantage of that camera being stuck to a fixed location.

If you live in a rural area with wide open spaces, you could easily provide perimeter security for a large property, and spot any bad guys in your neighborhood without ever stepping outside of your home. And if you live in a city, a drone could help you safely navigate a chaotic and barricaded urban environment, filled with obstacles. Or if you live near a major roadway, which is a situation that most preppers would agree is not ideal for protecting your home from looters, a drone could help you spot threats long before they reach you.

And due to their popularity, there is a wide variety of drones on the market today. No matter what your situation or budget requires, there is probably a perfect drone for you. The larger and more expensive drones are better suited for situations where you are hunkering down in your home, and you need a bird’s eye view of your neighborhood.  In some cases, these models can fly more than a mile away from their users, though video quality may suffer or be nonexistent at those ranges. However, being able to capture real-time video from several hundred yards away is not uncommon with a high quality drone.

But for bug out situations, some of the smaller and cheaper drones are more suitable. They’re portable, lightweight, and use very little energy. The cheapest models have a range of about 20 yards, which is ideal for looking around corners in urban environments or over vegetation in rural and suburban areas.

For the most part, it seems like the prepper community has overlooked drone technology, which we can’t afford to do any longer. As time goes on these devices are becoming very cheap and common, which means that the bad eggs in our society will likely have access to them if the grid goes down. With that said, it would be wise for preppers to reconsider this technology. It could be just the thing we need to even the odds against people who would do us harm after the collapse.