Tee hee We also got an old laptop charged up that's got a DVD player in it. So in the event of the power and the internet going down we can sit and watch cactus filums
Tee hee Got the new 12 volt snork in the post, we can plug 3 things in at once now As long as they don't draw too much current at once Also got some new Llama Cactus Pipes to serenade Tetters when the lights go off She'll think we're in a Mexican Taverna
We have recently lost power for about 30 hours. I am so glad we had the whole house generator. We installed a Generac generator a few months ago and now it really saves us. No worry about having to throw away food. No worries about pipes freezing. In fact, it was just another day for us here as our cable and internet was still working. Ours will power everything in our house except the electric dryer. We invited others over who had no power and watched movies, etc. Not sure it pays out in dollars and cents, but definitely know it pays out in peace of mind. Everything is automatic so no worries if I'm traveling and the power goes out.
I spent my anniversary argueing and designing and living and cooking for my wife. The single most important thing you two should understand for a successful marriage is that we both forgot our anniversary! So there is that. We spent our day enjoying each other, and even though we actually have a plaque on the wall outside by the garage door that tells us what day we started some decades ago, we just get busy with each other and forget. That a good thing though I think.
Our first rocket stove was made from bricks which as great for at home. Later we purchased something from this company. It’s heavy and only for caravan camping during the wet seasons. https://smile.amazon.com/EcoZoom-Dura-Camping-Stove-Backpacking/dp/B005GSGSTI/ref=sxin_12_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?crid=228W7792126AY&cv_ct_cx=rocket+stove&keywords=rocket+stove&pd_rd_i=B005GSGSTI&pd_rd_r=23bd376d-9f66-47a4-a7cf-c2cdfc8edc47&pd_rd_w=k3gmx&pd_rd_wg=Lpvjo&pf_rd_p=fb401969-1dca-4736-bb17-fd1d356224ef&pf_rd_r=36XSW8FCK3DC95NH0WZ9&qid=1637783221&sprefix=Rocket,aps,258&sr=1-1-a73d1c8c-2fd2-4f19-aa41-2df022bcb241-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExQzZaMkQ4UU9LNFdXJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDY0NzU2VDJPQURBTk5DSDFSJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3NjkxMDYxTTUwOEJSVEZSREs4JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3Bfc2VhcmNoX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ== We use these lights on our outdoor barbecue shed year round. I also keep a few around for emergencies in the house and car. They come with a small solar panel to keep them recharged. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B7F1FRS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 The light fan option we use almost daily at home is this little gem. It was bought for car camping but the fan runs 2-3 days nonstop on low and a little less than a day on high. The light isn’t very bright but the fan has been fantastic to have just where you want it. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TCLB39D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 We have a variety of older lithium batteries that we have purchased for camping over the years plus the little backups for phone/iPads and lighting. https://smile.amazon.com/Anker-Ultra-Compact-High-Speed-VoltageBoost-Technology/dp/B07QXV6N1B/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2R25U21PB7UIW&keywords=external+battery+power+bank&qid=1637783744&sprefix=Externa,aps,239&sr=8-3&th=1 Camping for years means we have gotten to see the evolution of nifty solar options that are portable. We also have a variety of solar panels that charge batteries and lights and anything with usb or 12 volt. Our solar panels can be run in parallel or individually providing options. Even with our rainy, dark days it is amazing the charge we can get at 47degrees latitude topping off the battery banks. Here’s the latest, great purchase that provided electricity for a long dispersed camping trip or at home emergencies. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08TH3N...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= Hopefully no one else fell down the rabbit hole of camping off-grid and bringing back home. We converted a cargo trailer into a caravan. This year we installed a mini wood stove to weather the wet season better.
I lived off grid for 3 years. The next 6 weeks were the worse for getting solar power. If the sun did come out it got blocked out by trees, fences, sheds etc before plummeting back below the horizon at 4pm Then there was the infernal low voltage alarm, it used up power to tell you your power was low and there was no way of switching it off
I know. We use outdoor solar lights for our front walkway. The one on the northeast side barely lights up now, although the southeast one is still ok. We are now blessed trees well away from the house and open space in all directions.
I ended up buying a wind generator, it didn't produce a lot of power but usually if the sun wasn't there the wind was