#18,407
A month ago 3.2 million Floridians were without power - many for days - following our second hurricane (first Helene, then Milton) in just two weeks. Helene spread similar damage and disruption well into Georgia and the Carolina's in late September.
For the 3rd time in 7 years, I was forced to evacuate to a friend's house (see With Milton, Evacuation Is The Better Part Of Valor). Luckily, unlike so many others, I had a (largely) intact home to return to.
Among the possessions I squeezed into my car were many of my preps, including the solar panels and batteries I've discussed previously in this blog (see How Not To Swelter In Place).
While the solar equipment didn't get much of a workout, we did use the USB battery banks a good deal, and while they `worked', several of them delivered far less power than advertised. Not every manufacturer is completely honest about the storage capacity of their devices.
Although pre-built power stations (e.g. Jackery, EcoFlow, Bluetti, etc.) are an option, they can be pricey, and if one breaks, you don't have many options beyond sending it back for repair.
So, over the past 3 weeks, I've endeavored to improve my existing setup. It isn't perfect, and it focuses primarily on delivering 12v and USB charging capacity, but it has the advantages of low cost, portability, and the ability to replace components yourself.
Weighing in at less than 15 lbs, this 50 amp/hr (600 watt/hour) setup is self contained, with storage for cables, a wall charger, and a small 110v inverter. All you need to add is a solar panel (100 watt or better).
The plastic carrying case was $12 at Harbor Freight, the 50 amp/hr battery was $109 on Amazon, and the rest of the build (solar charge controller, cables, lighted output panel, inverter) added about $60.
All in, including taxes, this can be assembled in a couple of hours for less than $200. I built a second, lighter weight and smaller version using a 20 amp/hr LiFePo4 battery (240 watt/hours) for less than $140. Something to keep on the bedside table during a blackout, while the larger unit is used elsewhere.
There are improvements I could have made. Instead of a 3 amp wall charger, I could have gone for a 5 or even 10 amp charger. I could have added one or more USB C fast charging ports, a more efficient MPPT solar charge controller, and a more powerful 110 volt inverter.
But I can easily add those later if I decide I need them. That's the beauty of building your own system, you can generally upgrade or repair it yourself. For now, I wanted a workhorse that would provide the basics, for the least cost.
And for me, the basics during a prolonged grid-down situation are LED lights, fans, phone charging, radio and/or MP3 players, and a DVD Video player. And with my 2 solar panels I can realistically provide enough power to run those things (in moderation) indefinitely.
Even without adding the solar option, having a fully charged 600 watt/hr battery bank when the lights go out could provide you with several days of power for charging USB devices. In many cases that will suffice.
Even though I have added a 120 volt inverter to my system, I'm not a big fan of trying to run A/C devices off of a 12 volt battery. While it can be done for short periods of time, it drains the battery quickly.
Most disasters boil down to unscheduled camping - for days, or sometimes weeks - in your home, in a community shelter, or possibly even in your backyard. Preparedness can not only make that process possible, it can make it less miserable as well.Realistically, if you want to be able to run refrigerators, freezers, heaters, or air conditioners for any useful length of time (24 hrs+) in a grid down scenario, you're going to need to invest thousands of dollars. And of course, if you are forced to evacuate, you'll have to leave it behind.
Whether you buy a pre-built system, or build your own, having a reliable source of power during an extended power outage can provide both comfort and safety. As always, if you are not comfortable working with batteries, and basic wiring, get help from someone who is.
In my zeal, I've now built 2 of the 50 amp units (by cannibalizing my old setup), and 1 20 amp system. This way, I can draw power off one, while the other two are charging.
I've provided the parts list for my project below (prices approximate), but feel free to adapt it to suit your own needs. While it requires minimal skills and tools, a cordless drill (and step drill bit), and a decent crimping tool will make the project go faster.
As always, the advantage during any emergency goes to those who seek to prepare in advance.