Power Solutions for Camping and Bugging-Out
By Adelia Ladson
When you're living off-grid, whether long-term or short-term, unless you're going completely primitive, you need a reliable source of electricity. As tied as we are to our smart phones, they're the first things that we need to stay powered-up and, even in the event of SHTF, they could still be a valuable survival tool for a little while afterwards. Also, having a bright artificial light to chase away the darkness at night is always more comforting than just relying on a campfire. To keep you informed of important weather updates and news updates that may affect you, keeping a good radio powered-up is also a necessity. There are some different ways that you can go with electricity sources but most of them will be using solar power.
Solar Panels
As long as the sun is shining, you can pull all of the power that you need from solar panels and if the panels are attached to a power bank, you can store and collect the electricity you need to keep your devices powered-up.
Portable Folding Solar Panel Set
The high-quality Portable Folding Solar Panel Set gives you five good-sized solar panels in an easy-to-carry format. The panels are mounted in a tough folding nylon case that has a TPR and nylon webbing carrying handle and features two metal grommets for hanging it. Each of the 6 1/4"x 10", high-quality solar panels is made of monocrystalline, putting out 40 watts of power. The case has two USB ports and a DC jack so that you can power all of your essential electronics wherever you are.
12,000 mAh Folding Solar Charger and Power Bank
For something a little more compact, the 12,000 mAh Folding Solar Charger and Power Bank fits easily in a backpack or bug-out bag. It has a heavy-duty construction with six crystalline silicon solar panels and bright LED emergency lights. The powerful Li-polymer battery that can also be charged via the included USB cable, will store the power you need for after the sun goes down. There are three USB ports including a micro-USB port.
Power Stations
Power stations bank a lot of power once they're fully charged, allowing you to charge multiple electronic devices more times. This makes them perfect for camping or bugging-out but also as a back-up during a power failure or when you're driving cross country.
22,500 mAh Ultra-Compact Portable Power Station
What I like about the Ultra-Compact Portable Power Station is that it packs lots of power into a compact package and, as an emergency option, it can also be charged with the built-in hand crank for power anywhere. It gives you up to 22,500 mAh of power with its high power density lithium-ion battery that can be charged via a micoUSB input port and the USB C PD, up to 18W input/output port. The power station has two USB Qualcomm QuickCharge 18w output ports and is safe with its short circuit and overload protection. The Ultra-Compact Portable Power Station also has a built-in, ultra-bright 86-lumen LED light panel that offers three levels of brightness, and a built-in, ultra-bright 37-lumen LED flashlight that offers three levels of brightness including SOS mode when the button is held down. The power station has a tough, ABS case with a handle and it is lightweight to carry, weigh-in at just under 2 lbs.
42,000 mAh Portable Power Station
The heavy-duty Portable Power Station gives you up to 42,000 mAh of power in a tough and durable package that's easy-to-transport anywhere. It's a little larger then the power station above but you're getting about double the electricity storage. Also, like the power station above, it has a built-in, ultra-bright 37-lumen LED flashlight that offers three levels of light including flashing and SOS mode when the button is held down. It has two USB ports, a USB Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 port, a DC input jack, two DC output jacks and two AC outlets. The Portable Power Station has a heavy-duty, ABS case with a handle that folds down, and the power station has short circuit and overload protection. Included with the power station are a USB cord, power adapter, a car charger and a cigarette lighter adapter.
