Category: Solar / Power / Energy
Cooking Without Power
The flicker of a dying light bulb. The hum of the refrigerator grinding to a halt. The sudden plunge into darkness confirms it – a power outage. While the inconvenience of a dark living room is easily manageable, the question of food quickly becomes a concern. Don’t worry, even without electricity, you can still create…
Super Disappointed! Power Bank Lies?
I possess more than a few character flaws, one of which is that I’m a rather trusting person. That is, I tend to believe what I’m told until I find out I’ve been lied to or I realize that the facts have been grossly misrepresented. Then I’ll never trust that person or source again or,…
Better Than a Solar Generator (for small electronics)
Sometimes people write me to ask my opinion on solar generators. That is, which one should they purchase. My response is usually that I’m not a fan of solar generators and that they should consider other options. I say this for three primary reasons: The first problem is relatively easy to fix. Just search for…
DIY Solar Generator Build (Harbor Freight)
I’ve never been much of a fan of solar generators, mostly because they’re expensive for what you get in return when compared to DIY setups, I’m slowly changing my view. That said, it’s always nice to see a DIY build that reminds me that I’m right sometimes, too. 🙂 Now, this is a long video,…
5 Challenges of Powering Your Off-Grid Lifestyle and How to Overcome Them
Many people dream of the independence and self-reliance that comes from living off the grid. They picture a relaxed lifestyle free of energy bills, power outages and water use restrictions. Indeed, supplying your own water, electricity and heat has its perks, but it also comes with a few challenges. Here’s how to navigate five of…
18 Power Outage Tips for Disasters
Everyone depends on electricity for work, cooking, heating and air. So what happens when power is unavailable because of a hurricane or thunderstorm? There are three parts to power outages. You should know what to do before, during and after an outage to protect yourself and your family. But it’s always best to start with…
Converting Electronics to Run Straight Off DC Power
I watched the following video over the weekend and, although it took a while for him to get to the examples, I was quite impressed once he did. Basically, he shows several examples of how he uses step down converters and other devices to run electronics that typically require AC power straight from DC power.…
DIY Solar Water, Air Heater Builds
Sometimes I wonder if we forget just how powerful (and useful) the sun can be. Sure, we take it for granted most of the time, complain when we get a sunburn, and fear a coronal mass ejection event (CME), but we need to remember that the sun can do so much for us as preppers.…
Best Solar Generator for 2023
Occasionally, someone emails me asking what’s the best solar generator? Or, should I buy a solar generator? Personally, I’m not a huge fan of them because, although useful in some cases, I prefer a DIY approach to save money and, well, I just like to tinker. That said, I understand if you just want a…
