Reddit mentions: The best power inverters

FUCK YES to making festivals a larger part of your life. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made :) I don’t know about the best shoes for dancing, but I always wear Vans to shows and festivals and I’ve never had an issue with my feet hurting. I think they’re a great option :) As for things to take the night of or after partying I would recommend a multivitamin, tylenol and a smoothie. The best thing you can really do to help yourself out is to eat lots of fruits and veggies in the days leading up to an event (or all the time!). Also constantly drinking water. I’ve tried a lot of extra supplements and misc. vitamins but they all are kinda extra and not needed to me. Also I constantly eating Cliff bars at festivals even when I’m not hungry. I feel better usually when I really really load up on calories. Healthier ones though!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LCBRQK5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Just bought this air mattress this year so haven’t tested it longterm, only used it for one festival so far. It stayed inflated well for the first 2 days and then we just topped it off with some more air for the remaining days and it worked great for us. Super comfy and it’s nice being higher off the ground. We put the air mattress in the tent before we inflate it, way easier. No air pump needed we use a car plug adapter and an extension cord. Its super easy to run your car for 5 minutes to inflate it. Make sure you pay attention to the number of prongs on your plug so you don’t buy the wrong adapter or extension cord too! For camping without a car nearby this method won’t work obviously but we always have the car by us.

https://www.amazon.com/Foval-Power-Inverter-Converter-Charger/dp/B01H2XD2DY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=QOQ31WLDSSM1&keywords=outlet+car+adapter&qid=1562429828&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&s=gateway&sprefix=outlet+car+a%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Sundome-4-Person-Tent-Green/dp/B004J2GUOU/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=coleman%2Btent%2B4%2Bperson&qid=1562429920&s=gateway&sr=8-3&th=1&psc=1

My boyfriend and I purchased this tent 2 years ago and its made it though a decent amount of festivals. No signs of wear or damage. I know you mentioned a black out tent. I’m assuming to help sleep once the suns up? The heat usually gets me out of the tent before the light, it gets so unbearably hot once the suns up. You said you’re not new at this though so I’m sure you already knew that! :)

For staying cool I would recommend a cooling towel. Get it wet in your cooler ice water and it’s great to keep around your neck. Also small hand fans are a GAME CHANGER for guys and girls. It’s shocking how much they help honestly. Sitting with your feet in a small pool, bucket, or cooler when you’re hanging out at the campsite is super nice too. Just fill with water and some ice cubes and it really helps cool your body down!

https://www.amazon.com/Amajiji-Chinease-Japanese-Nylon-Cloth-Festival/dp/B07FMCF4G1/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=hand+fan&qid=1562431437&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Cooling-Instant-Chill-Athletes-Workout/dp/B00XKLYWFU/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=cooling+towel&qid=1562431333&s=gateway&sr=8-6

Hope this info helped you out!

I know your question was about water, but I'd like to rebut that article in general. I'll make sure to focus on water for you though. (TL;DR: I see The_Prepared is already here, and the article you already found is my suggestion.)

Here, I shall make some useful alternate suggestions:

Article Title: Well, I see the lies have already begun. Hey, I know of an article with almost the same name that's actually useful!

• Pedal power fail socket: Dumb. For that price, buy a solar panel, a decent charge controller, and a battery. Find a nerd if you aren't one, hook them up (safely, standard internet advice disclaimer here), and you get power without needing to pedal, and also storage. If you want to charge your phone, use a 12v adapter, and if you need 120v power for something, you can get an inverter. It's pretty easy to hook it all up, there are a lot of resources, search for "DIY solar generator". Here's one I made for a good friend. This will be about a hundred times as useful to you, at only a slightly higher price.
  
  
• Crappy GMRS radios: You can tell this article is BS because they actually think the "23 mile range" claim has some kind of validity. Emergency comms for preppers generally means a Ham radio license, those walkie talkies are only marginally better than toys. All the same, they're cheap, and can't hurt. I have a pair.
  
  
• Cell phone: It amuses me that the article states "we have a strong suspicion", thus confirming they did no actual journalism or research . In the event of a disaster, 2G will be exactly as non existent as it is now. They also chose the Nokia because of a meme! What's their next memetic indestructible suggestion? A Wiimote? Gamecube? At least you could bludgeon an intruder to death with a Gamecube. My suggestion: Use your regular phone, because it works with the existing infrastructure. Text messages tend to work better in disasters, because high call volume stresses the network, and texts are a tiny amount of data. Also, stay off the phone unless you really need to use it, because someone else might be in a life threatening situation and need to call for help.
  
  
• Ultimate survival kit: I disagree with premade survival kits because they use low quality items, most of them won't actually be useful, and if you build your own, you have more familiarity with the equipment and usage. If you want a pre made kit, look at the contents, buy it in pieces, and test every piece before you put it in your kit. At least then you'll know how it all works, and be familiar with exactly whats in there.
  
  
• Glowy keychain thing: I mean, i like glowy things, but the only real use for this is if you want to take a photo and post it on /r/EDC and then get flak from them because it's not even tritium, which incidentally doesn't need charging and would work far better for the purpose the article suggests anyway.
  
  
• Waterbricks: No argument here, but The Prepared has a really awesome article about this and I'm not going to type words that they have already covered in great detail. (I see they've already found this thread, anyway.)
  
  
• Condoms: Pretty fair point there. They expire, so rotate them like any other perishable prep item. I'd say probably stock conventional ones because no one wants a hurricane baby, and some unlubricated ones for assorted other purposes, but don't plan on using them for stuff. If you need something waterproof, do not think "I'll just put a condom on it when I need to!". If you can think of it in advance, figure out a proper solution, and leave the condoms for in a pinch fixes you didn't anticipate.
  
  
• Hand crank radio: Sure I guess? I'd rather have a radio that uses rechargeable batteries, and then use the solar rig from my first bullet point to charge the batteries. Anything with a hand crank will put out a really tiny amount of power and requires you to effort. Once you stop cranking, you're running off of the way-too-tiny battery in the unit, whereas solar is a huge amount of power that requires no effort, which you can then use to charge lots of batteries and then just swap them. Or run the radio off of a 12v adapter directly. For the radio itself, You want AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio at a minimum, and an argument could be made for shortwave, because it can cover huge distances (I'm in central Alberta, Canada, and can easily pick up Radio Havana Cuba on shortwave). Again, a Ham license and some equipment of that sort would also be useful if you want to get into that.
  
  
• MRE's: Sure, though ask a soldier friend what they think of them, and what they do to your guts. I'm personally going to stick with Mountain House or similar. Also, there's an article from The Prepared on this topic, too. (Hey mods, just so you know I'm not paid or coerced in any way to suggest this site. I gain nothing from them, it's just the best information I've found, and it's convenient to link them instead of type a whole lot.)
  
  
• As seen on TV "Tactical" Flashlight: No! Ask nicely in /r/flashlight, or pick something that meets your needs from Here. Thrunite tends to be inexpensive, high quality, nice features, and nice light, if you're looking for a brand suggestion. Fenix and Nitecore are also solid choices.
  
  
• 1911: Limiting this one because too much politics and heated debate. I love 1911s, but .45 is a bit big for an infrequent shooter, but a 9mm clone like an STI Spartan, or perhaps a Jericho (Baby Eagle) in 9mm, or a CZ, would work nicely.
  
  
• Casper Mattress: Wait, that's an ad, never mind. I couldn't really tell the difference.

Multipurpose waterproof match case. I prefer this case because it's not much bigger than other waterproof cases, but has other stuff built into it. I put waterproof matches in it along with the striker strip from the package. The whistle is good for signaling. The other functions are marginal, so I supplement them with the actual things, which consist of a signal mirror, lensatic compass, and emergency fire starter.

A stove and solid fuel. I was pretty impressed with this particular one when I received it. It's stainless steel, well constructed, and you can store four fuel tabs inside of it.

A multitool and a fixed-blade knife. I don't have either of these specific models, but they seem pretty decent.

A folding shovel. These are good for burying waste, helping a car gain traction in the winter, etc.

A self-adhesive bandage. This is a three-pack. The single one cost $4 locally. Buy this one and leave the other two in your medicine cabinet. Wrap the remaining one around a piece of cardboard and put it in your emergency pack.

Disposable antibacterial wipes.

Antimicrobial silver gel. Like Neosporin, but better. Stays on a wound for multiple days without covering, and the colloidal silver is a strong antimicrobial agent. See the oligodynamic effect.

Dust masks. This is for a 50-pack, but for half the price, you only get 10 at a local store. These help prevent you from spreading germs if you're sick, and keep you from inhaling macroscopic particles if you're in a dusty/dirty area.

QuikClot sponge bandage. This helps to stop bleeding from major injuries. Along with an Israeli battle dressing you have two great ways to help stem major bleeding, separately or combined.

Local anesthetic for stings. Good for numbing injuries other than stings, too.

Sterile pads, 4” x 4”.

Sunscreen.

Cigarette-adapter power inverter. Good for charging small electronics.

Hand warmers.

Work gloves and watchcap.

All of the following are probably best bought in stores or scrounged up around the house:

Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, all with obvious uses.

Aspirin, for heart attacks and pain, ibuprofen for pain, anti-histamine for allergic reactions, and Imodium or off-brand equivalent for diarrhea. I can't stress having Imodium enough. Having cramps and shits can render you unable to do anything for long periods of time, even more so than other ailments.

A disposable razor can be used to shave to keep up appearances, or to shave the area around a wound for better bandaging.

Maxi pads and tampons can be used as intended as well as to prevent bleeding from wounds.

Toilet paper. Wrap it around a piece of cardboard to save space.

Bandanas or an old shirt can be used to make a sling, protect yourself from the sun, filter macroscopic particles out of water, filter dirty/dusty air, etc.

Hot chocolate with caffeine added can be used to help stay alert.

Lighters are a must-have to start a fire.

I also have a Ziploc bag containing about ten cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly. They're great firestarters.

Cash. Keep various bills and coins in an amount that you think is suitable for emergencies.

Maps. Carry folding maps of your area, state, and surrounding states.

I think that covers everything that I have. There's a lot of redundancy, but it all fits in my bag, so I'm happy with it. I'm definitely interested in hearing thoughts as to what can be added or changed.

I used to puncture (not open) cans of veggies, like corn, drain 1/3 the liquid, and heat them in the engine compartment of my car while driving. Think I moved beyond that.

Hard pretzels are consistently the one snack that's with low/no oil. Still would check ingredients. Not quite WFPB, but widespread, vegan and low fat. Still, I find snacks like these don't give good satiety and I keep reaching for them. Easy energy.

Taco Bell is vegan with modifications. Enough oil in it though but food on the go. The two easiest and cheapest things to order is thus:

• Bean Burrito. Make it fresco (means replace dairy/cheese with pico de gallo).
  
  
• Crunchy or Soft Taco. Make it fresco. Remove Beef. Add black beans.
  
  Grande meals composed of this are huge and cheap. Check your orders before leaving. Some locations really are bad at screwing it up.
  
  Some equipment I recommend in your situation:
  
  
• A good chef's knife for chopping and prep work and a short knife (2-3") for peeling and other work.
  
  
• a foldable mat to do chopping on. These are cheap and much easier to clean and portable than wooden blocks.
  
  
• A collapsible silicon colander. Portable. To clean greens. I don't use a salad spinner much anymore, takes up a lot of room and I don't want my greens that dry.
  
  
• Like before, a collapsible silicon bowl for salads and other prep plus to microwave and eat direct from. Easier than constantly tossing paper plates.
  
  
• small glass jar (from marmalade or anything used) to mix dressing with.
  
  For much of your cooking, a microwave will actually be enough. Oatmeal, potatoes, rice, beans. Sure spaghetti and the rest will work too with practice.
  
  Panfrying and searing isn't a major requirement in the WFPB kitchen and much could also be done in a conventional oven. You can get a toaster-oven for around $50 if you stay in the same room consistently although I don't think it's necessary. You can get yourself an countertop cooktop for $50-100, but the room will unlikely have ventilation or an outdoor, so this or toasteroven can backfire if smoke occurs.
  
  There is one product I don't necessarily recommend for the hotel with the microwave, but if you are out on the road with a car a lot, and that's a HotLogic Mini Oven:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/HotLogic-Mini-Personal-Portable-Black/dp/B00EC7XJ00/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1550340406&sr=8-3&keywords=portable+oven
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Foval-Power-Inverter-Converter-Charger/dp/B01H2XD2DY/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1550340598&sr=1-6&keywords=car+inverter
  
  Consider this not for cooking but for reheating. It's a glorified hot plate that won't burn anything. I recommend the 12v with an good inverter in the car over a 12v version for the simple reason that you can use it in hotel rooms without modification. If you buy a 12v version and buy an adapter for outlets, you are much more likely to forget the adapter in hotel rooms.
  
  If it's in the running due to extra people, 2 mini size is better than one family size imo.
  
  The pyrex 6 cup they sometimes bundle with it is not spillproof so it was useless for soups and other wet stuff, but I got a 46 or 54oz glass glasslock-style spill-proof container at a local Marshalls that was perfect.
  
  There is also those Indian Heat n Eat meals. Kohinoor and the like. Many have butter but there were some vegan varieties.
  
  Also, up raw food eating. Fruits, salads, etc.

>Hi, thanks for the reply! Dealing with AC power seems a bit scary for a completely unexperienced person like me. I was trying to stay away from inverters, but I may not have a choice with my laptop. How much efficiency is lost from going from 12v to 110 to 19?

Each step is >90% efficient. So you don't lose much energy.

A little inverter like this will do the trick. If you get one with 2 terminals on the back, you can easily hook up a Powerpole cable to it.

>On a separate note, have you had any experience with wiring 5v usb charger ports to the battery? Could I just use dc to dc converters with heatsinks?

For my USB charging of my phone, I got one of these and use my car USB charger in it. That gives me 2 USB charging outlets, with QuickCharge 3.0 which is what you want for really fast cell phone charging.

>Also, I'm a bit confused about the fuses. Right now I'm planning on hooking up the battery to 3 switches (master, 12v cig outlets, and usb), two 12v cig outlets, and two usb ports (usb on one connection). Between those things, I was thinking of setting up a fuse box with one of these with a 3a fuse for the usb ports and possibly 5a for the car chargers? I don't know if it would be better to use 3a since I'm just going to have a dew heater and maybe (if I can find an adapter) a charger for my laptop.

One fuse coming off that battery is plenty. These things RARELY short out.

You don't need switches, just unplug stuff you don't need.

>If I were to use the kind of fuse setup you mentioned, how would that work? It says it includes 40a fuses, would I just replace those with 10/15a? Also, if I were to use those wire fuses for each connection rather than a box like that, is there any downside to using different gauge wires? The website mostly says those wire fuses are 10 or 12 gauge while I was planning on using 16. I'm honestly not sure if I even need 16 for the setup or if I should just go with a thicker wire like 12 gauge for the entire setup.

Stick that fuse thing mentioned earlier on the battery. Yes I would swap the 40A fuses for 15A fuses. (Charging your laptop will take about 7A at 12V, so you need more than 3A for all the rest. That fuse thing is 10ga which is fine. 16ga is fine for all the wiring you add.

>I'm very interested in those powerpole connections.Do you have an example on your setup on how they are connected to the different components both inside the battery container and outside? Did you use the powerpoles on the inside or just normal wiring with insulated terminal connections?

I will take some pics. There is nothing in my battery box except a fuse holder that terminates in a Powerpole connector. That goes to an 8 position distribution block. Everything plugs into that block.

>Edit: For external use of those powerpoles, would you remove the 12v adapter male end from the wires on the device, connect the wires to their associated powerpole connection, and then plug that into the powerpole box?

I bought a number of 6' long cables from Digikey with a 2.1mm x 5.5mm connector on one end. I cut the bared end to length, and crimped on a Powerpole. Like in this pic. That was a 6' cord, but I only need 6" so it was tidier to chop it off. Note those are 18ga - thick enough for any one device. I like the red&black look.

>Thanks!

You are welcome.

One more thing. I do recommend buying the crimp tool. I have NEVER had a problem with reliability of connections using this. You might get away with crimping with pliers, but an intermittent connection in the dark will drive you nuts.

Hey I'm not the OP, for more info please go to the original post to congratulate them. :)



Personally I DO live in a van, it's a 1992 Chevy G20 Gladiator. I have a memory foam mattress on top of a wooden platform, totes and cardboard boxes for storage (food, clothing, etc.) underneath. having the mattress off the floor gives space for storage, and also insulates the mattress from the heat or cold of the ground.

For privacy I have tinted windows, non-adhesive window film, collapsible foil sunshade for the front window, and black bug screen mesh like this for the side windows.

For water I use sturdy Arizona tea jugs. I have a basic Coleman camping toilet for nighttime and emergency uses - some people simply use pee bottles or five gallon buckets.

If it's cold at night I have a [12V electric blanket](https://www.walmart.com/ip/TREKSAFE-12-Volt-Heated-Travel-Blanket-White/54609929] and/or a 12V "car seat" warmer that I put under the mattress. I also have a propane Little Buddy heater which I have not yet used.

My main luxury item is an Alpicool C15 refrigerator powered by two 35AH "house batteries" (in parallel) which are charged using a Battery Doctor isolator. The Battery Doctor is run by my alternator when I drive-it only starts charging the house batteries after my van battery is full. The fridge uses 5.8AH per day. I used a cooler for a year, but the drawbacks are constantly buying or procuring ice (like from soda fountains), and food spoilage from it getting waterlogged, plus having to drain it frequently.

For hot meals, I use a 12 volt "lunchbox cooker" (works similar to a crock pot) which is powered in my cigarette lighter while I drive (or I can run it with the house batteries through a 12v splitter - the Alpicool is plugged into the other side. I also have a propane camping stove which I have never used.

I have a USB mini fan to run at night, or I can run my small regular fan through the 300W power inventor where I can also charge my laptop and/or phone (I usually charge the phone in the cigarette lighter).

I don't make any money if you buy from any of these links, but I only used them for illustrative purposes - I encourage you to shop around on Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, Walmart, check yard sales, etc. find the best priced similar item that works best for you. You don't have to get everything all at once - I didn't. But if you can get a basic minivan or van (seats removed), a mattress (or sleeping bag even) on a frame, and some jugs of water, it's a start.

Memberships at truck stops don't really get you anything except a couple perks like free coffee after you spend so much money etc. If you fill on diesel, they give you a free shower but no go on regular fuel. I got a commercial card from pilot just by walking thru the 'trucker' door on the side and asking for a shower and telling them i didnt have a card. She gave me a commercial driver card (never asked for cdl) and put a free shower on for me.

Every time since then ive gone in and asked for a shower (prepared to pay) and given them my card they have given me a free one as a courtesy (not at the same one). Sometimes they ask if i filled up my truck today which i honestly reply no, i haven't filled up a truck today.

I pretty much lived at a pilot for a year, it was the kind that had a restaurant attached to it. I wouldn't advise abusing it like that, but i became close with the people who managed it from its opening day. But you can stay at any of them a night or two and they wont say anything. Of course as with staying at walmart, the right thing to do is buy supplies or food there if you stay. I bought a giant refillable mug and got a soda with it each time for $1.39.

You do not have to be a member to use the wifi, power or even sit and watch tv in some. They don't care. Some smaller truck stops do but not pilot or flying J. I heard loves is similar but i dont go there usually.

As someone who was in a similar situation as you, id advise scraping or begging/credit carding whatever to get 100 watts of solar ($164 kit + $90 29DC walmart battery + $20inverter) and a cooking setup in your rig asap. Your cost of living will plummet like a meteor after you can store and eat actual groceries.

I spent a week in an RV “off grid” with the following solar setup to charge electronics and power electric blankets at night for warmth while sleeping:

Battery with three prong outlet plus USB charging ports:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MA4YVNP/

NOTE: I paid $350 for that battery, but it looks like it is no longer sold. This one looks even better for $175: https://www.amazon.com/CHAFON-Upgraded-Generator-Rechargeable-Emergency/dp/B07142Z1XL/

Solar panel to recharge battery:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N1FLGQO/

I paid $120 for the solar panel.

I don’t know if it is the cheapest solution, but it worked wonderfully and didn’t require ANY complicated integration, just plug together and done! If the solar panels did not keep up the charge, my backup plan was to run the generator built into the RV to charge up this battery, but it was never necessary!

This particular battery pack comes with an LED light, kind of a flashlight with a gigantic battery. I originally thought that was silly, but I ended up liking the feature for off grid living -> if you get up in the night and need a bit of light, toss the light switch and you can see what you are doing.

After my “off grid” camping trip, I turned the setup into a UPS for my computer, and it works great for that also. Plug the battery into a wall outlet, and computer into the battery, and when the power goes out, the computer still runs off of the battery for a few hours. I even used the solar panels to charge it back up during a 20 hour residential power outage a couple of weeks ago.

What I learned: normal computer UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) batteries are lead based which is heavy and clunky, and this battery pack is lithium ion so smaller and lighter. But lithium ion costs more for the weight savings.

1. The output voltage depends on the transformer's primary:secondary ratio. They are unidirectional, so a transformer wound to supply 6V from a 120V source can be used to supply 120V from a 6V source.
   
   
2. The transformer design depends on your power requirements and voltages. The output has a centre tap to easily reverse the polarity through the windings (and thus create a basic AC input) without the use of an H-Bridge.
   
3. If you're looking to keep total costs down to under $15 per unit, something like this or this may be helpful.
   
   
   To answer your final question, it may prove safer, more efficient, and less expensive to use a commercially available inverter and inexpensive car battery to power all 20-30 bulbs from a common source.
   
   The linked inverter circuit is not terribly efficient, and the lower your input voltage, the more current drawn due to the conservation of energy. 3W at 6V means a 500mA draw from your cells, under ideal conditions. Increasing the input voltage decreases the current consumption, and extends the life of the batteries.
   
   If you like doing this kind of thing, making one to test would be fun! That being said, if you're planning to host an event, there may be plenty of other things on your mind that day, and taking 'home made high voltage supply' off that list might help.

This is basically what I have. I bought a different battery and inverter because I have an account at batteries Plus but this is a widely accepted quality battery and a decent inverter. I would recommend buying at least the battery local as shipping them is expensive.

NOTE I did not include fuses/breakers in this list but you definitely should build these into your design.

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Polycrystalline-Starter/dp/B00DCEKKQ0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487256044&sr=8-2&keywords=renogy+100w+starter+kit

https://www.amazon.com/Trojan-T27-AGM-Group-Purpose-Battery/dp/B00NY0RAW4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487256242&sr=8-1&keywords=trojan+12volt

https://www.amazon.com/34-97-2-15-17-ENERGIZER-Inverter-charging/dp/B01N5LUMDF/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1487256346&sr=8-16&keywords=500w+inverter

Depending on what you really want to power this may be way more than you need. You really should start by figuring out the load you want to power and then design your system around that number. This is a great little tool for figuring out how much power the devices you want to power will use and it's certainly cheaper than buying too much system and finding out you could have done what you wanted with half as much as you bought.

https://www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electricity-Usage-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487256555&sr=8-1&keywords=killawatt

I'm certainly not an expert at solar but am learning so feel free to PM any other questions.

Has a much bigger battery, has an AC inverter. Only issue is the inverter is rated up to 120w. This mean you can run a laptop and other small devices but don't expect to get to run things throughout the weekend. Much better than what op linked. However w/ the panel it's almost 4x the price.

It sucks that the solar panels cost extra but if you were to buy now, the 25w panels are on sale. I would get two and hopefully get up to 50w (under optimal conditions).

It would be nice for car camping or a camper. If it's a permanent or even semi permanent installation, It would be better to purchase a larger panel, solar controller/charger, deep cycle large capacity battery and an inverter.

100w panel ($120) - https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Solar/dp/B009Z6CW7O/

Simple Charger/Controller ($15) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074WZB5XY/

AC inverter ($35) - https://www.amazon.com/POTEK-Inverter-Converter-Charging-Smartphones/dp/B01B3ZQG4O/

100Ah SLA Battery (Apprx $100) - Autoparts/Big Box Stores

Ends up being a $270-$300 investment. That's not bad. If you were to buy the monoprice system w/ larger solar panel, it would be close to $300 and it wouldn't anywhere as efficient as if you were to make your own system. Only thing are sacrificing is portability and weight. A 8Ah battery will be much smaller and lighter than a 100Ah+ SLAB but won't last anywhere as long. If you have a rainy/cloudy week, good luck.

you probably want to use leds for the lighting as you can very cheaply aquire and run some 12v leds straight off the battery without needing an inverter.

Same goes for a cell phone charger. Use a 12v car charger.

If those are the only 2 things you need to power you'll have plenty of juice in that battery.

Why that battery in particular?

If you're getting a solar panel you'll need a charge controller, and neither of those will be super portable anyway.

Consider a 12v 7ah sealed lead acid battery.

They are super cheap for their capacity.


As far as the solar panel, something like this would work.


it includes a charge controller.



here's a couple images of one of the solar power kits ive put together.

http://i.imgur.com/nfA1GnO.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rQKQ1uD.jpg

4 x 12v 7ah SLA batteries
1 10 watt solar panel

1 charge controller (much better than the ones that are often included with inexpensive panels

1 200w inverter


I can run just about anything with this setup.

12v devices and wires can be connected straight to the "Load" terminals on the charge controller.
Anything 110v can be plugged into the inverter.

The thing I REALLY like about that inverter is is has 4 usb charging ports that are on even when the inverter is off.

2 x 2 amp usb.

2 x 1 amp usb.

so a UPS

yes. you can buy units like that. I have a 344wh unit that I love using. $349

they make cheaper lower watt hour models.

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Battery-Generator-Rechargeable-Inverter/dp/B01MA4YVNP/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1527307482&sr=8-6&keywords=lithium+ups

that is the one I use 500w AC limit

here is a cheaper model (200wh) $169 300w AC limit

https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Igoeshopping-Uninterruptible-Power-Supply/dp/B06XFR7PCV/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1527307482&sr=8-19&keywords=lithium+ups

and here is a really cheap one if you do NOT need UPS function (the other 2 you can hot plug ac devices while its plugged in while this one you charge up then use not UPS function)

https://www.amazon.com/COOLIS-Portable-Inverter-Generator-40800mAh/dp/B01N4H2P2T/ref=sr_1_40?ie=UTF8&qid=1527307482&sr=8-40&keywords=lithium+ups

I also have that one. it works fine but I really want the UPS function $133 100w AC limit

if you want to help me out goto todays3dprint.com and use an amazon link (I don't want to use AFLINKS here I suspect they would be frowned upon for good reason)

then click these non AF links. it helps me out. once you click an AF link for amazon I get the credit for whatever you end up buying after you click that (you don't have to buy what is linked to via the AFLINK)

If you look on your power adapter, it should tell you the watts, if not, to calculate watts, multiply volts x amps. So, for my laptop, it was 65 watts, and the Samsung fast charger is 10 watts for a total of 75 watts, so I could have gotten away with like a 100 watt inverter, but I was looking into getting a portable printer and wanted extra capacity.


I bought one like this off of amazon, worked good, but after a while, the USB port died (probably an internal fuse). But since it had "household" 110v outlets as well, it was just as easy to use the standard plugs that came with my laptop and Samsung wall charger.

https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-300W-Power-Inverter-Adapter/dp/B004MDXS0U?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1

This one is the same price (29.99), but 400W (400 watts):

https://www.amazon.com/Ampeak-400W-Power-Inverter-Converter/dp/B0714B231X?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_4

At the time, I didn't have much money, but I would have liked to have bought a higher wattage one, like 2000 watts, so that I could use a hot pot to heat water for tea/coffee/soup, etc. The hot pot that I currently have draws 1500 watts, for example.

How about selecting what he will eat off of the healthy list and have a contingency plan for hot food? I think I can help you out here. There are several devices to heat food even on the go. The Mini Crockpot Lunch Warmer is about $15-$20 (depending on color choice) and is great for soups, stews, (turkey?) chili, and pasta with sauce. There is also the Hot Logic Mini Oven ($30-$40 watch for sales!), which is a hot plate inside an insulated, zippered bag. You can put a frozen dinner still in the box, cooked leftovers or raw chicken or fish and it cooks/reheats slowly at a low heat. Plug either of them into the car's lighter with an AC Car Converter ($17) in the morning/beginning of his work day and it will slowly come to temperature and hold it until he's ready to eat!
They took away our microwave at work and I've had to adapt. I love them both!

I love my Spectra -- well as much as one can love a machine that sucks your nipples. I started pumping in the hospital with a Medela Symphony, and I get so much more milk with the Spectra.

I exclusively pumped for several weeks while LO was getting the hang of latching, so here are some tips:

I'd recommend getting a power invertor so you can pump in the car if you ever need to. I have this one from Amazon and it works great.

Prepare a "pump bag" to hold all your supplies -- hands-free bra (I have the Simple Wishes bra), pump, storage bags and bottles, permanent marker to label storage bags, a little container of olive oil to lube up my flanges (helps to prevent rubbing), small kitchen rags to wipe up milk, extra pump parts, etc. I use an LL Bean tote bag to transport everything.

In between pumps, I store all my pump parts in a gallon ziploc bag and stick it in the fridge so I don't have to wash them after every pump.

It'll require a little bit of custom work but you can definitely power it off of a battery.

A pre-packaged battery will give you the easiest installation / charging options. Make sure it offers 12v DC outputs like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3S00H0/

Then you'll want to convert the 12v DC to 24v DC (the lightstrip plus runs on 24v) using a regulator like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085T97PW/

Aside from that, all you'll need are a couple of barrel plugs to connect the regulator between the battery and Hue controller. I'm not 100% sure of the barrel plug sizes, I expect the 12v side (battery output) to use a 5.5mm X 2.1mm barrel plug but I'm not sure which size the Hue controller requires as input.

-- If you email them they can answer your questions about the inverter, and that might be a good idea because it can vary from what's pictured, but the pic looks like it has one USB port and one plug port for European plugs. I brought my own inverter, this one which has 4 USB ports and 3 US outlets. The red version has better USB ports (4x 2.1a instead of 2x 2.1 and 2x 1a). With this I never needed to look for an outlet to charge any of my gear.

-- The stoves are usually butane fuel and come with one bottle. On my trip fuel was readily available at gas stations and some campgrounds. They may have supplies from previous renters you can pick through as well.

-- I bought all my food there (my van had a fridge) so I'm no help on this one.


Enjoy your trip!

I ordered this one from deal extreme that should work. It seems, to have the right specs, but has not yet arrived. I expect to have it this week.

http://s.dealextreme.com/search/146751

This ships from Hong Kong, so be patient if you order, but I have made dozens of orders through DX over the years and they are great.

Alternatively, you can buy a small inverter and plug your wall charger into it. This is what I did on a week long road trip last week and it worked great even though it is a little hokey to convert DC to AC and then back to DC.

Mine is about 7 years old, but this one from Amazon has a 2.1 amp USB port as well as the AC outlet. Shop around, but this is the popular one that showed up in an Amazon search.

http://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-inverter-motolora-blackberry-notebook/dp/B003Q54V88/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1345467162&sr=1-1&keywords=inverter

Aux batteries are nice because you can feel confident to run them down, and when charged they allow you to jump start yourself with jumper cables if you accidentally run your car battery down.

Yes, the aux batteries need to wire into something to charge them. Either solar, grid/generator power, or the car. Mine can be charged through all 3. Charging from the car is the most practical.

You want the aux to be charged while your car is running. If you're feeling mechanical you'd want a battery isolator like this, but that install is a pain.

Instead, I use an inverter plus a charger; very safe and non-technical. I hook my inverter up to my starter battery, and simply wedge it next to the starter battery under the hood. Then I run a normal "3-prong" home extension cord from under the hood into my SUV cab. In the cab I plug into a battery charger which is connected to the aux batteries to charge them. These links aren't the actual ones I use, just to show you examples.

In my setup, I have to pop the hood and switch on the inverter after I start the car, and before I stop the car, pop the hood again and turn it off. So it doesn't drain the stater battery while the car is off. Some people might agree with my build but in my opinion it's the simplest and cheapest way.

As far as sizing. For simple, just get one battery. Look at the Amp Hours (Ah) rating. IMO get an AGM battery (a type of SLA), other types are finicky. Watts is Amps Volts. Batteries are 12 volts so a 12 volt battery with 100 Amp Hours (Ah) can provide 12100=1200 watts. Divide by 2 since you only want to drain it to 50%. So a 100 Ah battery gives you 600 watts. If you run a 25 watt blanket, that means the battery can run it for 24 hours. It's best to underestimate here since the battery will rarely be fully charged except after a long drive.

If you had a 100 Ah AGM battery, you'd want probably a 10-amp charger (for reasons) and a 400+ watt inverter.

I know it's a lot :p Hope it makes sense.

Heres a couple things I like having on my bike when I travel:

AC inverter: gives you a 110v outlet in case you need to power something like a phone charger and you don't have a 12v usb connector.

Water purifying tablet: They take up about a cubic inch of space and may save your life.

Large wet wipes: For giving yourself an on the go shower in case you meet your future wife and there is no shower access.

Small mess kit: I have a serbian mess kit and I love it. The knife included has a can opener and a bottle opener and is serrated and well made.

Head lamp: Because holding a flashlight while its cold and you are trying to do something sucks. I prefer ones that have single large diodes instead of lots of little ones as they are brighter and have better color. Also I try and get ones that use 18650 batteries so I can share a charger and batteries.

Wow that's something I never would have come to on my own. Thanks so much for the great response!

So any recommendations on the inverter?
This seems to fit the bill? It mentions that AC connections need hard wire though - not sure what that means. I'm connecting it to the battery via the included battery clips right now - is this different?

https://www.amazon.com/Power-PWRIX120012S-Inverter-Transfer-Switch/dp/B00TI1D5JK

Hey so my setup is a bit cheaper than the one below, but same concept:

I have an inverter with alligator clips on it that has at least 300 watts (you can gather things you think you would use and add up the watts to see your needs):
https://www.amazon.com/POTEK-Inverter-Adapter-Charging-Smartphone/dp/B01FEUD9OO/ref=sr_1_9?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1504464365&sr=1-9&refinements=p_72%3A1248861011


Then I have a marine deep cycle battery (I actually have two because I use them for other stuff also):
I can't find the exact one, but it is just Deep Cycle marine battery 12 volts and about 100 amp hours rated, they are about $75-100 at Costco or Walmart.

If you search for 24DC or the larger 27DC Marine battery you will find them.


Then of course you need a charger, I love this one, but there are others:
https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-BC15BD-Battery-Charger/dp/B00KNMKRU8/ref=pd_bxgy_263_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00KNMKRU8&pd_rd_r=KVPBC0ZVG9ZQGWAPD6HS&pd_rd_w=4Xk7X&pd_rd_wg=SRKI5&psc=1&refRID=KVPBC0ZVG9ZQGWAPD6HS


You just clamp on the inverter and you are all set, instant power supply :)


Edit: you could also get one of these and use your car charger with it, it might extend the life of the big deep cycle battery since you don't have to run the inverter

The least expensive useful solar power generator is probably this [$228.99 128 wH Monerator Gusto 10 Eco Kit with a 10W solar panel ] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HUMZV6Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HUMZV6Y&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20).

You can plug it in and recharge it before you take it out into the field.

The batteries are li-ion, so it's not a huge lead acid brick.

I have a couple of lead acid power packs ([this one] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EIAADG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004EIAADG&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) and [this one] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005RHQQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005RHQQ&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)), but they are so heavy I don't take them anywhere.

It would be a challenge to build anything less expensive than this.

Hope this is helpful and best of the holidays!

Dryers are 240. Many a/c systems are also 240. You may have other 240 outlets near your garage. Here is one for $220 or so: https://amzn.to/2IewHsz. With this one, you can change the plug and use the same one for 110 and 240 charging! Get one with multiple tips and you can keep it in the car for flexible charging everywhere. If you do this, sell the charger that came with your car on eBay. Don't need it.

Also, get at least a 1000 watt inverter like this one https://amzn.to/2rFVPNB. With this your car becomes your backup power. A fridge uses 75 watts or so an hour. Your car most likely stores 24,000 watt hours or running that fridge for 320 hours. Plus it makes for an awesome camping source of electricity.

I am amazed no one really mentions these two items as core to EV ownership that actually adds a ton of value.

I once sold an EVSE charger that came with my car for less than it cost for one that had dual charging and came with three different 240V AC plugs! Crazy to think people hire electricians to have a Level 2 charger installed for over a grand.

Good questions.

I lost my small four panels system last year, so I'm starting over with a low-budget and evolving edutainment system, beginning with some off-hand components. Right now it begins in an empty utility closet as a mains-fed battery bank that is manually used as needed:

• 2x EverStart Maxx 24DC Marine/RV Deep Cycle 12V Battery (in parallel, ventilated, each an estimated 80Ah @C20)
  
• 1x VertaMax PURE SINE WAVE 1500 Watt (3000W Surge) 12V Inverter
  
• 1x Cobra CPI490 400W Compact Power Inverter
  
• 1x Generic 12vdc 2A battery charger (no temp monitor, auto-standby when charged, manually selectable 10A bulk charge mode)
  
• Assorted 1/0 cable, connectors, 250 amp circuit breaker, 300 amp battery cutoff, digital voltage display
  
  So, I realize that I've already boxed myself in (to some degree) with the 12VDC inverters, but at $250, I'm willing to throw them away, as needed. The smaller inverter is for efficiency with small loads. The larger inverter is to allow the system to scale up and add more batteries to the bank, and also for computer hardware which requires clean power.
  
  I need to improve the mains-fed battery charger (and since the issue of temperature has come up in another context, it reminds me that I also need to put in a temperature monitor to cut everything off). Perhaps just adding a desulfator isn't enough. Charging back up slowly isn't much of a concern, but my understanding is that I wouldn't want to go higher than 8A per battery (on these batteries)?
  
  Some likely directions in the near future are:
  
  
• Minimum 4 solar panels (36-96vdc total), wattage TBD estimating 1KW (which may normally be too small of a charge for the batteries, but they'll also be fed by a DC charger on mains), with an MPPT charge controller (I want to avoid the thick cables that are used in the batteries and inverter)
  
• Always-on UPS type operation (I don't know if I can find something cheap that would automatically switch between mains voltage and inverter output, but I probably don't want to add a high wattage 12VDC supply, isolate it from the battery, and go full-time through the inverter)
  
• Direct wire into an isolated wall outlet (on the other side of the wall)
  
• Finding a nice cheap ammeter that'll handle up to 250 amp @ 12VDC
  
• More batteries
  
  Longer term would be:
  
  
• Higher voltage battery bank
  
• Wired into a home transfer switch with a limited number of circuits
  
  So I've got some challenge here in that I've got an evolving system and I have to avoid boxing myself into a corner. But I've got the advantage that it doesn't feed into the grid, I can reasonably do whatever I want, and I can take advantage of any good components that I run across.

Sweet, that fuse block is perfect. Then inverter appears to come with a good fuse holder and fuse, you can see it in the fourth photo on amazon link. Is the fuse holder you recommended better in some way?

I use my car as a generator when camping and it is awesome. I usually use it to run a few lights, charge electronic devices, and speakers. It burns very little fuel and probably burns at a rate of 1/10 a gallon per hour.

I've been using this inverter and I really like it because it displays the output. It helps me ensure I'm not overloading my car. With all my devices, I'm using only a max of 30 watts. Although it's rated for 500w, I heard you arn't suppose to run it that high without it directly connecting to the 12v Battery.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B3ZQG4O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't trust anything but OEM chargers.

Were it me, I would definitely go with an inverter. It saves from having a specialized charger and allows you to use your home charger. The home charger would "level out" the power output (though modern inverters are pretty good) and make it safe to use.

The mag-safe chargers are 85W, so this would work

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LTQFUM/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002N2GEXK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1GZ0F96P1FKA2KZ2CJQ7

You probably want at least 100ah and 200w solar would be better for a safety buffer. I would of gone 200ah if I could, that’s the advice people gave me when I asked too. I will probably add another battery and do alternator charging also.

I just added solar to my van and will be on the road full time in a week. My setup is 200w solar, 100ah battery, with Dometic cc-40us. I wanted to use a 900 watt Ninja blender so got a 1500 watt/3000 watt peak inverter. The blender pulls about 350watts when running.

KRIËGER KR1500 1500 Watt 12V Dual Power Inverter with Installation kit.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DNL05GW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_B3zmvxTNNm4Os

This is what I got for plugging in my cooler. Three inputs and built in fuse!

Automotive DC Power Outlet Extension [Heavy Duty] [12V-24V] [15 Amp] [In-Line Fuse] [Hardwire] Car Triple Socket Cigarette Lighter Plug Switch Box https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PXAMYTC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_mFHJ6D9jxSpu2


I just had a Goal Zero yeti400 for the first 4 months in my van. I now will keep charging it while driving but also bought an all power 100watt flexible solar panel I keep unmounted and can hang anywhere in a 35ft radius of my van. It’s pretty amazing how much difference tilting the panel makes to incoming watts and just how weak the winter sun in also.

One of the best portable phone chargers I have ever used (though its $5 over your limit): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009V5X1CE/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Someone else suggested this same fan (but here is a link for $9.99 instead of $19.95) I used it last year in my tent and it worked great: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AVMSEY/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (thinking about making a swamp cooler with this fan and a styrofoam cooler this year!)

If your car camping, this is can charge/run 7 different items at once: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EY6RJKA/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also if car camping, and will need to run your car at all to charge things, a flexible duct to route exhaust out of your campground is invaluable!: http://www.amazon.com/Dundas-Jafine-BTD48TC-ProFlex-Transition/dp/B0015UGPWQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1396231801&sr=8-3&keywords=dryer+vent

Do you have a recommendation for the inverter? A part of the appeal of the Krieger was that there is an LED readout showing the input and output, and the dual USB ports. The closest thing I can find is the same inverter in 1100 watts.

I think the roof rack is the way to go for securing the panel as well. That will likely be the way I go. Im thinking of going with crossbars as Id like to put in a rooftop fan vent as well, as soon as I get the guts to cut into the ceiling.

As far as the charge controller, do you think the low cost of a PWM controller is worth the power efficiency offered by an MPPT controller at a higher cost? This is just based on things Ive read in my research.

This should do the trick. It's borderline so if the money isn't as much an issue I'd go for the 1000W model just to be on the safe side. Best of luck.

I've successfully powered a PS4 and computer monitor in my car, works very well. The tech specs for the PS4 say 165 watt maximum. Any monitor or TV you use should have it's specifications listed as well. Here's an example of a pretty inexpensive one, it says 24 watts. Then just buy an inverter that exceeds the total of the PS4/Monitor/anything else you'll be using at the same time. Here's a reasonably inexpensive inverter that says it'll provide up to 150W if you're powering it using the cigarette lighter, otherwise you have to hardwire it to your cars battery (that's what I had done, the hardwire route) and it'll provide up to 500W which should be plenty

What you should do is buy a sealed lead acid battery, a power inverter, 12v clips to cig lighter and a charger.

I just picked those products as examples but that would work and would cost around $50. It could probably be cheaper if you look around.

Also the batteries in most small UPS are around 2 amp/hour while the one I picked is 8Ah.

And that would be pretty easy to use.

Here's my portable setup. You can get LED panels, just exactly like mine, that have an external power supply and most of those can be run off a 12 volt power pack.

You can also buy or make a porta-power system like this pretty inexpensively. A rig like that will run a couple LED panels for a long time. Longer than the band can stay focused anyway.

The tent is technically a 4 man, though I have a 6 man that the mattress fits in a bit better. It uses a regular wall outlet, but the back of my truck has one. You can easily get an adapter though that would allow you to use your car's lighter outlet. Something like this.

You could always purchase a cheap DC powered inverter to plug into the car-charger port, then just plug the camera's AC adapter into it.

I bought one of these to use in my field battery box, but haven't used it yet, I was considering mounting it permanently onto the box but wanted to see if I actually used it more than the DC ports first:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VMRHE7C?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

I just posted my battery box here if you want to check it out, it's very easy to customize something like this to suit your needs.

https://www.reddit.com/r/astrophotography/comments/420a3j/my_field_battery_setup/

I just bought, and installed an exhaust fan in the back of my pickup. It works great, and I'm stoked to have power in the back now. It wasn't very difficult to figure out.

I bought this, this, this, this, and this fan. It set me back about $350, but I went with a larger, more powerful solar panel. You'll need some 10 gage wire and crimp connections. Home depot has all those parts.

Here's what it looks like.

That probably is the most feasible solution. My only question with that is if I use an inverter like this, can I gut it and remove the fan? Or will passive cooling not be sufficient for long-term use at 5 watts?

The size of the overkill inverter was part of the reason I was looking for a different way to go about this.

I got the Krieger 1100 watt inverter from Amazon. Looks like they only have 1500 watt version now. The 1100 was only $20 cheaper I think. I thought It was a good deal because it came with the cables and fuses. And if you read some reviews, there are plenty of people running TVs and laptops with it.

I like that it had a small LCD screen showing how many watts you're drawing and how many volts on the battery.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DNL05GW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ILDszbQ8TZCV0

https://canadacpapsupply.com/medistrom-cpap-battery-pilot-24.html

I use one of those. Works good for 1-2 nights depending how many hours I sleep.

I charge it on my motorcycle using a 12v-24v step up converter. https://www.amazon.ca/Converter-Regulator-12V-Step-24V/dp/B0085T97PW

I built it all into a waterproof Pelican Case that I strap onto the bike and use a Battery Tender style plug to connect to the bike for charging.

Not the cheapest solution, but if you don't have a 4 wheeled vehicle for hauling a deep cycle, its the next best option.

It would be pretty easy to build something similar for a lot cheaper. Pick up a used suitcase at the thrift shop, mount a 50w panel on the outside (much better than the 10W panel in the case you linked to.) Inside the case, mount a charge controller with USB, this 20Ah battery (again, better than the 16Ah in the other one), and this 500W inverter (not sure how big the one in the expensive case it, but 500W should be enough.) So for less than $250 and a little bit of build work, you can have a much more functional system (500% larger solar capacity and 25% more battery capacity).

I think I understand. The amount of watts won't power too many items, nor for too long either.

How about something like these, they look to be a lot more powerful.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MA4YVNP/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01MA4YVNP&pd_rd_wg=gcDdU&pd_rd_r=Z3AWGKAGPANFREC3D84E&pd_rd_w=Rd1Wx

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZNMV1Z?aaxitk=uV7TMys1GViwLYfYEhwPLg&pd_rd_i=B06ZZNMV1Z&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=5582544217303223519&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_i=single+phase+generator+power+supply&hsa_cr_id=2323616880101


Thanks for your response. Power/electricity is something that I don't understand particularly well.

> the frankenfridge

I like the term frankenfridge! I just got my freezer all hooked up a few days ago. Something that I didn't realize at first was that some inverters aren't easy to set up with the relay. I originally got this Krieger one but it doesn't automatically turn back on when the relay gives it power (so the relay would turn off the inverter/cut its' power when it got below 38°, but when it went back above 38° the relay would switch but the inverter wouldn't turn on unless the power button was physically hit). Ended up returning that one and getting this simple Madpower one that just has a physical on/off rocker switch (no other buttons or remote switches) and it works flawlessly. Just something to keep in mind, wish I had realized before I started!

Also, if you have access to a car (ie. your renting a car) you could use a12V DC to 110V AC inverter like this. Shop around. You can get a decent one for around $20-35.

However, like others have said, your best bet is to get a bunch of batteries.

You may be best off just buying an inverter that connects to the car power socket and has a standard wall outlet on it

Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KT26D68/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523839867&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=car+inverter&dpPl=1&dpID=518lk0a4PRL&ref=plSrch

I have a little 400W inverter for my car. It hooks straight to the battery. I run an extension cord into the house and plug the tank's power strip into it when our power is out for extended periods. I can safely idle the car outside as long as i need to. (Acts like a generator)

Here is one that is similar:
POTEK 500W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Car Converter with Digital Display Dual AC Outlets and Dual USB Charging Ports for Tablets, Laptops and Smartphones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B3ZQG4O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_uiDRzbD2EYA3J

I borrowed a friend's DC car inverter, which has two AC outlets and two USB ports. Worked great. Looks something like this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EY6RJKA/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1467592138&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=car+inverter+power+outlet&dpPl=1&dpID=41l9Yi7L6kL&ref=plSrch

Get an Inverter like this one. Fill large bucket halfway with Tank Water. Move fish to bucket. Plug in Inverter into the car's cigarette lighter and add an air pump and a heater to the bucket. Plug air pump and heater into Inverter. Enjoy your drive!

For the tank itself after you have moved the fish to the bucket you can go ahead and drain the rest of the water from the planted tank. Then move the tank into your car. Once there just refill the tank and dechlorinate the water. Add the heater and air pump back to the tank and move the fish back into the tank once the water in the tank is back up to temp.

An Inverter may cost more than a battery powered air pump they can also be used for a lot more stuff. You can also get Inverters at almost any department store.

I didn't include a filter in the bucket since it's such a short trip. Don't really need a filter for two hour trip. If you were driving a long distance just add your filter to the bucket also.

Laptop charging.

In the mean-time I've seen this recommended for the Tesla because it lacks fan noise.

edit: The above link is to a modified sine wave inverter. If you want to charge laptops and cell phones, you need a pure sine wave inverter like this puppy.

Thanks for the info. So the $169 EVExtend kit is only a wiring kit and requires in inverter to be connected to it, correct? It looks like a very clean solution, but for $140 you can buy a 1500W inverter with wiring kit off Amazon. Are there other features to the EVExtend or other things I should consider?

Thanks, but I have this hooked up to a better battery than what is in my car.

Thanks for the replies. Any idea if it would be possible to step up the 12v input from the battery bank to 24v for the webasto?

Maybe using something like this?
https://www.amazon.com/Vorcool-Converter-Regulator-12v-Step/dp/B0085T97PW

Probably will be easier to do what you want to purchase whatever standard IP cam you like and use a power inverter to power it

https://www.amazon.com/Foval-Power-Inverter-Converter-Charger/dp/B01H2XD2DY

• The couch pulls out and lifts up like this.
  
  
• It's about 60 inches square. I'm 5'11" and can sleep fully extended on it if I sleep diagonally. I also have a foam pad that I can put on top of the safe for additional leg room. I usually sleep in a hammock though.
  
  
• I can stand up fully. There's about 6'4" of head room in the center of the van. My friend is 6'3" and finds it to be a bit cramped.
  
  
• Electricity is provided by four 100W solar panels on the roof and three 100Ah batteries up front. This powers a fridge, a vent, lights, and outlets. I have 12V car outlets and USB outlets. For odd proprietary plug A/C-only devices I have a little inverter.
  
  
• I have a little fridge. I left space for a propane tank in the big cabinet and will probably get a little propane burner at some point.

If you really want to be sure you have enough power to charge your batteries and phones, consider picking up a spare car battery and an inverter that'll hook directly up to it. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/POTEK-Inverter-Converter-Charging-Smartphones/dp/B01B3ZQG4O

A little 50 watt heater would work in a bucket. Just get a car power adaptor like this one to plug it in. UCERAMI Car Inverter 150W DC 12V to 110V AC Outlet Car Adapter converter with 3.1A Dual Smart USB Charging https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DR2RLDQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KNNdzb12W2GVP
All in all buying everything may be more expensive than to just donate your fish to your LFS and start over. But whatever floats your boat.

Yes, that would work fine.

Though if you're specifically looking for car accessories, you could always just add an AC outlet and not worry about USB acessories.

I use and recommend this battery pack from Chafon. If that's not enough by itself, you can use it to charge smaller battery packs like this one or this one while it is charging itself from the solar panel.

Thank you.

What about something like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TI1D5JK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SxlQBbJ5RS9X5 except I plug my regular UPS into it. Using the UPS as basically just a fast transfer?

For something small like that, I would def look into getting a power converter like this for your car, assuming you'll have one at your camp. Just hook up an extension cord and you're gucci

I recently took a road trip with my mother (60), a 10 year old and a nearly 3 year old. We drove from North Texas, to Southern Ontario Canada and then to the Jersey Shore then back to Canada. Just under 4000 miles, lots of time on the road!

This made our trip a lot easier to manage.

My sedan only had two car chargers and between my phone and my mothers-not to mention the DVD players the kids had, the computer, our Kindles etc. I knew charging various things would be an issue. This one was around $20 and worked well. It has a fan inside, but I was able to put it under the seat while in use and the sound couldn't be heard.

You might consider one!

12v outlout > Inverter or equiv > universal cell battery charger or equiv > your spare battery

Or 12v USB adapter for car + THIS.

FYI all i typed was i747 battery charger into amazon.

It had two batteries that charge when the engine was running. I didn't use the heater though. It never got that cold while I was there. So I don't know whether or not it would have lasted all night.

I purchased this power adapter before hand: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DR2RLDQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Energizer EN100 Ultra Compact DC to AC 100W Direct Plug-in Power Inverter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VMRHE7C

For example, this would be something I would use in the US. I haven't done any research on what inverters cost for European power types (220V 50Hz). Obviously, the product I linked is for American appliances and devices that use 110V 60Hz electricity.

Oooooo gotcha! Yeah, the one I has drains kinda fast. I have used a solar charger with a cigarette lighter adapter in the past.

This is the EXACT model of battery I have. With that in mind, I would not recommend this model. I charge it for 24 hours straight and it will drain after trying to charge 1 cell phone. I need to get a solar panel for it if I'm going to use it this year ->
https://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-802-1500-XPower-Portable-Powerpack/dp/B00005RHQQ

There are better alternatives:

1. Carve Power
   
2. Chafon

Have you considered something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Foval-Power-Inverter-Converter-Charger/dp/B01KT26D68/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1538492691&sr=8-3&keywords=car+to+110v

Would something like this work? You would have to plug it into the car and have the car running.

Something like this?

For a MBP you’ll want to use a power inverter , something like this one. I think the 15” MBP has a 87w charger so you’ll just need one that provides in the 100w+ range.

Universal Power Group 12V 100Ah Solar Wind AGM SLA DEEP Cycle VRLA Battery 12V 24V 48V https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S1RT58C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_EN.MDbTQK4FCC

KRIËGER 1100 Watt 12V Power Inverter Dual 110V AC Outlets, Installation Kit Included, Automotive Back Up Power Supply For Blenders, Vacuums, Power Tools MET Approved According to UL and CSA. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T564EIY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8O.MDbT2DB8FY

One of those outlet plug in for cars [UCERAMI Car Inverter 150W DC 12V to 110V AC Outlet Car Adapter converter with 3.1A Dual Smart USB Charging] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DR2RLDQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_C4gCybSCRVZG8)

Products

MPPT Tracer Charge Controller
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KWPH12/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Go Power! 4 Stage Battery Charger
https://www.amazon.com/Go-Power-GPC-45-MAX-4-Stage-Converter/dp/B007GN4VKY

1200 Watt Pure Sine Inverter
https://www.amazon.com/Power-PWRIX120012S-Inverter-Transfer-Switch/dp/B00TI1D5JK

Eco Solar Cool Refrigerator
https://www.ecosolarcool.com/collections/upright-refrigerators/products/solar-refrigerator-12-5-cuft-escr355ge

Trojan T105-RE Batteries
http://www.trojanbattery.com/product/t-105-re/

Solar Panels (Monocrystalline)
http://www.ecodirect.com/Canadian-Solar-CS6K-295MS-T4-295-Watt-Mono-PERC-p/canadian-solar-cs6k-295ms-t4.htm

You need an inverter, like this one for example:
https://www.amazon.com/UCERAMI-Inverter-Adapter-converter-Charging/dp/B01DR2RLDQ

which is currently on sale for $17.

You could always just get something like this.

Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0714B231X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_rdZOAbEPPQH80 ?

You can buy something like this and only use the gamepad on you car
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003Q54V88/

Not sure what your power requirements are, but you can get one of these. http://www.amazon.com/Converter-Regulator-12v-Step-24v/dp/B0085T97PW

3A at 24V is decent. According to the reviews it seems to work well.

I have a newbie question!
I am looking at doing a 2 6v batteries system along with solar. I would like to try to stay away from an inverter if possible, but have a laptop and electric toothbrush I need to charge. Would a simple dc inverter do the job?

This is what we used this last year Stanley J7CS 350 Amp Battery Jump Starter with Compressor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RZXVQSU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_0dYryb53RQN05

Jump starts your car and comes with an air compressor. My group of four was able to charge our phones and play music all weekend. Just get a power inverter ( BESTEK 200W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Inverter with 4.2A 4-Port USB Car Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EY6RJKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8kYryb7XBT29W ) and you can power anything with it.

Wouldn't a 20$ invertor do the trick?

Foval 150W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Converter with 3.1A Dual USB Car Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KT26D68/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3YNPBb25N7QNA


Edit. I think it's very cool for you to be able to do this, and, my knowledge of electricity is probable equal with that of a rock.

Another option: Just get whichever 12VDC or 120VAC one your prefer, then get the appropriate converter/inverter to use it with the other connection. Plus, then you can also use the converter/inverter for other devices as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Converter-HOTOR-110-220V-Cigarette-Adapter/dp/B01LX5LRP9

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H2XD2DY

I didn't have the space, money or time to put in a deep cycle house battery and all the wiring that goes along with it, so I bought two of the phone bank batteries you linked to.

All of my lighting runs off of 5v USB outlets (as well as my phone and tablet,) and I can last a week without recharging the power banks.

I also have a simple cigarette lighter inverter like this one so I can run the occasional 120v tool.

This set up lets me charge my batteries while I'm driving, in a coffee shop or at work, or from a portable 20w solar panel if I'm boondocking.

How much other AC gear do you have?

A DC to DC charger would be more efficient, but if your only AC need is charging a laptop, the smallest inverter would probably work.

My laptop has a 65 watt switch-mode power supply (typical small "brick") I don't see why this $17, 150 Watt cheap inverter wouldn't work.

http://www.amazon.com/outlets-inverter-adapter-notebook-MRI3011BU/dp/B004MDXS0U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405470334&sr=8-2&keywords=12v+inverter+with+usb

or for even cheaper

http://www.amazon.com/inverter-adapter-outlets-charging-MRI2011GU/dp/B00EY6RJKA/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1405470334&sr=8-8&keywords=12v+inverter+with+usb

This way you're not limited to just powering your wii u, you can use it for other things (even a tv, heh!)

Thats what I did. Got a 150W inverter on amazon for $18. Also has 2 usb ports for charging controller and phone.

https://www.amazon.com/Foval-Power-Inverter-Converter-Charger/dp/B01KT26D68/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484155545&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=foval+power+inverter&psc=1

You can plug a [12v charger] (http://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Nintendo-3DS-DSi-DSi-LL-XL-New-Black-Rapid-Car-Charger-/112036859354?hash=item1a15eacdda:g:NP4AAOSwc1FXbI97) into the lighter socket, or you could get a cheap inverter that plugs into the same socket and just use a wall charger plugged into that. This way you could also plug other things in besides a 3DS. 75watts is enough for even the WII U.


If you want to go with USB but don't have a charging port in the car then use [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Nintendo-Handheld-Console-DURAGADGET/dp/B00BWKW40Q?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0).

> a car charger are my next accessory purchases for the Ascent.

Don't be a ridiculous individual

[inverter](ampeak 1000w power inverter 12v dc to 110v ac dual ac outlets 2.1a usb car inverter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071NZ8DSB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_NbC6Ab814KH3Z)
[solar controller](allpowers 20a solar charger controller solar panel battery intelligent regulator with usb port display 12v/24v https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU0WMGT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_adC6Ab4DAFH9X)
And ill add some sort of solar panel

Use this and your girlfriends hairdryer until you can get it sorted out ----> https://www.amazon.com/UCERAMI-Inverter-Adapter-Converter-Charger/dp/B01DR2RLDQ/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1518371341&sr=8-8&keywords=cigarette+lighter+adapter+120v

ELI5 within an ELI5: If cigarette lighters don't provide enough current to act as a typical electricity plug, why am I able to use one of these to run my laptop on road trips?

http://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-inverter-adapter-charger-notebook/dp/B003Q54V88/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1395550786&sr=1-2&keywords=dc+to+ac+inverter

Facepalm

Some cars have an outlet (like you just plug anything in that can go into a house outlet), but usually you can get an adapter that plugs into the cigarette lighter/battery port and then your pump can plug into that. I believe this one is the one I used.

Disclaimer: I'm American and this worked with my car. I don't know if it's different in other countries/car makes.

A car?

I went with a hardwired AC one so I can have traditional AC house wiring and plugs. http://www.amazon.com/Power-PWRIX120012S-Inverter-Transfer-Switch/dp/B00TI1D5JK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457023612&sr=8-1&keywords=aims+power+1200

Check these out. They're rated for -14F.

From the description:

> Operational Environment: Outdoor temperature: around -14°F- 104°F( -10°C- 45°C)

​

For cars, regular nebulizer and this.

I don't have a purely portable nebulizer though.

https://smile.amazon.com/POTEK-Inverter-Converter-Charging-Smartphones/dp/B01B3ZQG4O/ref=sr_1_9

maybe something the inverts the cars cig lighter into a ac outlet.... https://www.amazon.com/Foval-Power-Inverter-Converter-Charger/dp/B01H2XD2DY/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1501928318&sr=1-2&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A4889846011

I've something similar to this (but not this... can't find what I used) to power PAs for wedding ceremonies and parade floats.

https://www.amazon.ca/DEWALT-DCB1800B-Flexvolt-Portable-Station/dp/B01H41SDGU

https://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-802-1500-XPower-Portable-Powerpack/dp/B00005RHQQ

Could also check your local rental houses.

http://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-inverter-motolora-blackberry-notebook/dp/B003Q54V88/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1345151771&sr=8-3&keywords=cigarette+lighter+outlet+converter This may open you up to even more!

Would this work? https://www.amazon.com/Inverter-Installation-Automotive-according-standards/dp/B00T564EIY/ref=pd_rhf_se_s_cp_12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KKHYMTG0HFJ2SX1QNXX7

12v 18ah battery, 150W inverter (could go lower), and a charge controller for the battery that can get attached to the cig lighter (which should only have power when the car is on)

Buy one of these http://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-inverter-motolora-blackberry-notebook/dp/B003Q54V88/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1347119760&sr=8-2&keywords=car+plug
It will let you charge a laptop or whatever in your car.

Boom

Or even a simple power inverter. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Q54V88/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Decided to go with a small (1200 watt) AIMS pure-sine inverter. It's designed to be hard-wired, which will be convenient for my uses.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TI1D5JK/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003Q54V88/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479673252&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=car+plug+to+wall+plug&dpPl=1&dpID=41tMBaCn1aL&ref=plSrch

In my car at all times.

I got this one. There are alot of different ones at different watt hours. This one comes with cables for you to hook it up to a solar panel for charging, and also comes with cables to jump start a car if needed

https://www.thecpapshop.com/shielded-dc-cord-for-cigarette-lighter-socket

is the adapter you need, you can probably get it from where you bought the CPAP machine. DO NOT use something like https://www.amazon.com/Foval-Power-Inverter-Converter-Charger/dp/B01H2XD2DY as it causes the battery to drain much quicker.

Would this allow me to keep my Asus laptop charged on a long road trip? https://www.amazon.com/Foval-Power-Inverter-Converter-Charger/dp/B01H2XD2DY/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1510852401&sr=1-6&keywords=portable+laptop+charger
I don't know what model it is but it has a i7 2.4 ghz CPU and a 745M gpu

This is the inverter I am using: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T564EIY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And I am using a 2013 Toyota Tacoma with a 4cyl. you can try to hook up a second battery. But I am not sure how much room you have under the hood to do that. There is plenty of room in a Tacoma and many overlanders mount 2 batteries. But it the kit to do that is several hundred dollars, and is more than I want to invest in. Plus it takes a minimum of 4 hours to charge a bird from empty. I usually don't drive around that much.

You can get a decent enough ac inverter for your car for about the same price and not risk overcharging and damaging your board by not using the factory charger.

As long as it's wired straight to the battery and no plugged into the cigarette lighter something like this would work just fine. POTEK 500W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Car Converter with Digital Display Dual AC Outlets and Dual USB Charging Ports for Tablets, Laptops and Smartphones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B3ZQG4O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GP6KzbS0YXP2Z



Some people have meantoned that you need a pure sign wave inverter. This is absolutely false when you are using a charging brick. The ac to DC transformer in the brick will output the correct power no matter what.

I use this in my Mazda CX-5 with no issues.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VMRHE7C

Sure, this is the one we used:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EY6RJKA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you get license plate DYB15 that was ours!

Since I read all the horror stories about broken equipment and getting charged for preexisting dents and scratches I also made a list of all the things to check out once we picked the van up: all supplies were provided, heater worked, extras like GPS and Wifi were included, video/photo all existing scratches, etc. The guy who checked us in was very thorough and showed us how to work everything. They were great overall and I never felt like they were scamming us for extra charges.

Just don't get stuck in a deep gravel parking lot like we did and pay $350 for a tow truck! That was embarrassing. We called the rental company and they sent someone out to help within an hour. Other than that we had no problems with the van. Would definitely rent from campervaniceland again.

So this weekend I plan on playing music through speakers and a laptop power through my car. I am using this which has a stated output of 200W Rated, 250W Max, 500W Peak (AC). The speakers I am using are LSR305s which have an LF Driver Power Amp 41W Class D and a HF Driver Power Amp 41 W Class D. I am using two of these and at times I'll need to charge my 2012 Macbook (simultaneously maybe) which uses a 60W charger.

I'm kind of lost looking at all these numbers. For example, do I add the LF and HF amp and multiply by two an add the charger wattage? The back of the LSR305s say 127W Max, is that at full volume?

I'm not sure what your budget is, but this might do the trick. There's also a 600-watt model, or this should have little problem lasting 5 hours, if you can spend that much. There's also small portable generators available that will give you power for as long as you can feed them fuel.

Is that 15 watts of power consumption or 15 watts of output. A 15 watt tube amp will consume much more power than it puts out.

That unit will put out enough power to run an amp, but probably not for very long. It's designed to be able to dump a ton of power for several seconds to start a car but doesn't have enough battery storage to add up to any kind of sustained use.

Maybe an extension cord and find a kind soul that will let you plug in.

Maybe a 12v car battery (borrow one from some car or boat or something, big 12v batteries are everywhere and store tons of power) then get a 12v to 120 volt converter for relatively cheap.

This would work https://www.amazon.com/POTEK-Inverter-Converter-Charging-Smartphones/dp/B01B3ZQG4O/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1492750241&sr=1-4&keywords=inverter

and doesn't start your car or pump up your tires or other things you don't need.

Your play time would be limited only by how much power you consume and how much battery you've carted with you. With a small solid state amp and small mixer, expect to go for hours off of a car battery.

Edit:Another possible strategy I've sometimes used is to keep a car idling close by, put an inverter on it, then run an extension cable from the car over to the music. I've run a small band off of that.

I'd say forget what you see on youtube, thats some made up fantasy shit. If you try living on the beach prepare to be rousted every time you try to sleep.

Mosquitos will destroy you, be ready to deal with that. Mosquito netting over your bed area is a good idea(I use a king sized bed sheet and a clothes hanger rope over my cot). Also I have one of these I run if unwanted biting insects get into the van, I just full charge my battery before I go to bed and leave it on all night.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079N6BSNR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

You will need a minimum of two 100w solar panels and a 100amp hour deep cycle battery if you plan to have any kind of electronics. I run a laptop(acer e5-575-338m) two cell phones and a 27" monitor on this all day every day. Once the sun goes down I unplug the laptop from the charger and can get ~6 hours off the laptop battery and the deep cycle will run my cell phone(internet) and my 27" monitor all night with power left over. The 27" monitor uses 28w of power(acer K272HL).

Currently I use this so I can have the panels out in the sun while I'm in the shade:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L6OU74M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Y connectors to combine the panels:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0753X68PS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This charge controller(I wish I had spent the $200 to get a really good one but it works)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06W5NP5JR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I went with poly panels, did a ton of research they seemed to be the best option for me.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DCCOSV0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A couple of these so you can plug in 12v chargers:

https://www.amazon.com/BreaDeep-Cigarette-Lighter-Waterproof-Motorcycle/dp/B014RD1OPU/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c__2/146-1188812-1452443?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B014RD1OPU&pd_rd_r=6b983fee-fccd-44b0-9fce-701243a4c0df&pd_rd_w=Sa4dV&pd_rd_wg=e0mjZ&pf_rd_p=e7de3e41-8621-46b5-8090-e75951bb9b3e&pf_rd_r=JEW1CZD3WQW1QCM9GMDC&psc=1&refRID=JEW1CZD3WQW1QCM9GMDC

1000w true sine inverter:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002I04A74/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

much cheaper 150w inverter(not true sine):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H2XD2DY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

Honda generator for when there is no sun or emergency electricity, get the honda its more expensive but I originally had a cheaper generator and it only lasted like 6 months before it broke.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_aps_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A104214812TOLRTJE6CW7&url=%2FHonda-2200-Watt-Portable-Inverter-Generator%2Fdp%2FB07R1HK2RL%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fkeywords%3Dhonda%2Bgenerator%26qid%3D1567965512%26s%3Dgateway%26sr%3D8-1-spons%26psc%3D1%26smid%3DA1QT7IAE1TPQ4M&qualifier=1567965512&id=8997328653646739&widgetName=sp_atf

​

You will need a commode, I have tried them all and this works best in my opinion. Use either dirt or mix black water deodorizer in a gallon of water and poor it over the waste. Pee into a separate bottle, combining pee and waste is what cause most of the smell. Then tie off the garbage bag and put it in a gallon freezer bag and store that in a 5 gallon bucket from home depot with an airtight lid. This way you can throw out the waste with your regular garbage.

https://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Products-Portable-Lightweight-Self-Contained/dp/B000FIDZLI/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=bucket+toilet&qid=1567964099&s=gateway&sr=8-6

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You will need the best cooler you can afford, ice is a serious pain in the ass to keep having to get every day. A Yeti knockoff will work and you can get one for under $200 but a dometic compressor cooler/freezer is best, but it will cost you like $800.

This is the one I have:

https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-Electric-Powered-Portable-Freezer/dp/B072MLT6QW/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=dometic+compressor+cooler&qid=1567964655&s=gateway&sr=8-3

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Another thing I found very useful is a salt shotgun for flys and other annoying insects(its a never ending battle). They make one you can buy but I made my own instead, you just cock the bolt pump it up and then use a funnel to poor a pinch of salt down the barrel. It will kill any bug you shoot as if it was hit by a mini shotgun.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Crosman-P1377BR-American-Classic-Air-Pistol-Bolt-177-Brown-Black/43989760

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I would recommend a cheap propane burner instead of the fancy coleman butane burners, personal preference but when I had the butane burner I would go through butane like crazy and its kind of expensive. Not to mention you can't always find butane in store but you can always find the little propane canisters.

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Wet wipes are your friend.

Apple cider vinegar with water works for a diy sponge bath.

Keep a well stocked medical kit

Get a big can of bear spray or two for self defense, just know it won't work on mountain lions. I keep bear spray and a marlin guide gun for large animals(moose/bear) and a 9mm for two legged predators. I have had death threats and all kinds of crazy shit happen so just be prepared.

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Locking gas cap is a MUST, lost one of my vans due to some asshole pouring water in my gas tank.

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A Verizon phone with the cheapest unlimited tethering plan($70/mo), Verizon has by far the best coverage in the USA.

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I'm probably forgetting something but that is my advice, been on the road over three years now.

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It is going to be hard, extremely hard, you will suffer. Don't expect it to be a vacation, its a survival skill not some pretend shit you see on youtube unless you have unlimited money to spend.

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Gas will be your biggest expense, I spend more on gas that it would cost to rent an apartment. The only way to cut down on that is to find a spot you can stay long term(which is VERY hard, people do NOT want homeless guys in vans living outside there house).