Reddit mentions of BESTEK 400W Car Power Inverter DC 12V to AC 110V Car Adapter with 5A 4 USB Charging Ports

Something that can push about 400 watts clean.

something like this will work fine: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UFERZKO/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687622&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B003R7GQT2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=GCXNRR0ZNKG4BMW4R9YB

Blue Sea Systems 12 Volt Dash Socket - $8.99

Blue Sea Systems m-Series Battery Switch - $34.62

Smartlive LED String lights DC 12V 10m 33feet 100 LEDS,Warm White - $9.99

DROK Digital Multimeter DC 6.5-100V 100A Voltage Amperage Power Energy Meter - $17.89

ISWEES Dual USB Car Cigarette Lighter Socket Splitter 12V Car Charger - $11.89

Blue Sea Systems ST Blade Fuse Block - 12 Circuits with Negative Bus & Cover - $37.24

BEP Digital Voltage Sensing Relay (DVSR) 12/24V - $78.46

BESTEK 400W Power Inverter DC 12V to AC 110V Car Adapter with 5A 4 USB Charging Ports -$35.99

UB121000 12V AGM Battery 100AH - $125.21 + $34.69 Shipping = $159.90

It was a 1000W Power Inverter I went overkill for most on this, but I wanted to power a chainsaw if needed, otherwise you would only need to put in $37 for something 400W

Most of what I got was from Amazon.

Sure, this is the exact one I got

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UFERZKO/

And as /u/FormerGaveDev said, it just let's you plug in things like you would to a regular outlet. I don't have a portable screen yet (looking at cheap portable dvd players that can take AV and HDMI) so I can still get burned on a broken software system, but at least I know they power on which I feel like saves me from 90% of issues.

I'm going to try to make this easy for you. Here is a setup that will provide you with some basic solar power. Don't expect to run your laptop 24/7 , but this will give you plenty of juice to get a few creature comforts in place and you'd probably be able to keep a business class laptop going all day with it.

• 100w Solar panel, charge controller $167: https://www.amazon.com/HQST-Polycrystalline-Display-Charge-Controller/dp/B01GVVE2WI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496765420&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=solar+panel+kit&psc=1
  
• small battery box $13: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000B12YQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• 35AH sealed battery to fit in box $64: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K8E0WAG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Power inverter with USB ports $37: https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-Power-Inverter-Adapter-Charging/dp/B00UFERZKO/ref=pd_sim_86_2?
  
• solar cable connectors $8: https://www.amazon.com/Sun-YOBA-Pairs-Female-Connectors/dp/B00A8TRKJW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1496763777&sr=8-3&keywords=mc4+connector
  
• 100ft of cable to use as needed $30: https://www.amazon.com/Paradise-GL22132-landscape-lighting-protected/dp/B00378K8XG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1496763822&sr=8-6&keywords=low%2Bvoltage%2Bcable&th=1
  
  Total cost is under $400
  
  
• Find a conveniently hidden and inconspicuous place to hide the battery and charge controller. Mount them both securely. Make sure you still have access to this space as needed to monitor power.
  
• Run a line from the battery terminals to the battery ports on the charge controller.
  
• Mount the solar panel to the roof using the provided brackets. Make sure you seal that shit up to avoid springing leaks. Run the power from the solar panel to your inverter and hook up the cable to the solar ports on the charge controller. Seal that shit too.
  
• Mount the power inverter wherever you find it convenient. Run a line to the charge controller and mount it to the load ports.
  
  Try to avoid leaving exposed metal wiring at your connections and make sure you have all the positives and negatives matched up and you now have solar power.
  
  When putting this together, I opted for decent starter solar panel, charge controller, and battery. I skipped details such as multiple outlets, custom lighting, and vent fans because that will add more complication as you're wiring multiple things. You could always upgrade to those later.
  
  Down the road, depending on your needs you may want to upgrade to a 100AH battery (it's much larger and heavier so keep that in mind), add a 2-3 more of the 100W solar panels, and add a vent fan and LED lighting.
  
  Keep in mind that heating, cooling, and refrigeration will not be viable with this setup. To run a good fridge/freezer setup like this one, you'd need probably 200AH of storage and 300W of solar panels to be safe.
  

BESTEK MRI4011IU Black-Red 400Watt 400W Power Inverter DC 12V to AC 110V Car Adapter with 5A 4 USB Charging Ports https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UFERZKO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_lOJPCb8GBP072

I have this one, only 400w. It provides all the power I need.

I am going to echo others who suggested that it might be a good idea to prepare a way (or several ways!) to heat food without fire. No point in storing all that rice if you have no plans to cook it. For a bug-in grid-down situation, my plan involves a set of 12 volt deep cycle batteries (which will become part of my battery bank when I eventually save enough money to go solar) and a 400 watt inverter as a power source for a small slow cooker (90 watt) or a small rice cooker (300 watt). What I like about this system is:

It's very effective for boiling water, cooking stored grain, canned food, etc.
It is very quiet, just a little bit of a hum from the inverter fan, unlike a noisy generator, which could attract uninvited guests.
Can safely be used indoors without risk of CO fumes, although you do want to be very careful with any sort of lead acid battery - keep it in a protective container.

Only drawback I see is you do need access to clean drinking water (for cooking and/or clean-up afterwards) and you need to keep lead acid batteries charged or they lose power over time. Stored and maintained properly, this could be a good prep for folks in apartments.

I've got a different one, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UFERZKO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, but it will charge from the lighter without blowing the fuse though it's really pushing the limit. Only gets enough power if the engine is running though.

You'll want an inverter. They also make ones that plug into the cigarette lighter, but they run the risk of draining your battery if you're using it when the car isn't running.

I snuck in a car battery and power inverter to plug in items for Coachella last year and it worked great. I would assume it's a prohibited item but, not on the list. What do you think?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UFERZKO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_IXy1AbWAMYGVS

Sorry forgot about the charger, all in all my power set up cost $172. Don't be skeptical about the knock off camera power adapters either, I've used it heavily for months and haven't had a single problem. That marine battery can run my laptop, camera, and mount easily several nights straight without recharging.

$80 12v 75ah marine deep cycle: https://www.batteriesplus.com/battery/marine-and-boat/deep-cycle/bci-group-24m/sli24mdc

$37 power inverter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00UFERZKO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473370956&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=bestek+inverter&dpPl=1&dpID=51rYuFpkLFL&ref=plSrch

$15 camera AC adapter: http://www.bestbatt.com/Canon-ACK-E8-AC-Adapter-p/bbacke8.htm?vfsku=BBACKE8&vfsku=BBACKE8&gpla=pla&gclid=CjwKEAjwmMS-BRCm5dn51JLbp1wSJACc61tFZV4wbcXwH7YIsFDieQocfHHnbz9wVggTZZPFKLmzQRoCVOfw_wcB

$40 12v marine battery charger: https://www.batteriesplus.com/charger/marine/schumacher-electric/schsc=600a

This is what I bought for my setup. The costs have gone up, but that one panel can fill a couple of batteries without any problems.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPSCET2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2D22KZJD14Y8Y

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JH1PABW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2D22KZJD14Y8Y

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0060YHLJS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RCJB62/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UFERZKO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AWZ3LXPHZK09

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DDZE33E/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A24WV2YRRJEBAG

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B8L6EFA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A05654602L3XUQ70M87BV

A 300-400w would be best. Something with terminals to attache your own wires to. like this
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UFERZKO

The battery should be VRLA AGM deep cycle for safety if you are going to be carrying it around and into your house.
Would be best to keep the battery in a battery box to prevent contact with the exposed unfused terminals so you don't have an arc flash accident as well.

I know I need fuses but I don't know how big, and I know the battery is small but its what I can afford right now I'll get a bigger one later. If someone could just tell me what else I need and draw me a schematic, that would be a big help.

BESTEK 400W Power Inverter DC 12V to AC 110V Car Adapter with 5A 4 USB Charging Ports https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UFERZKO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_W1gqnxKEimW27

35AH 12V DC DEEPCYCLE SLA SOLAR ENERGY STORAGE BATTERY https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008D5YG3G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_RYM9yc9uIJBdu

Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit with 20A Rover MPPT Charge Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WGW485F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_EuTJwlC55xZgQ