Portable Power Stations for Home, Camping or Overlanding
High-capacity lithium batteries can charge laptops or run CPAP machines when you’re off the grid
Portable lithium-based power banks, also called power stations or generators, can be a game-changer for camping or other off-grid fun in today’s connected world, where we say we want to get away but we really don’t want to let go of our smartphones and laptops. These large batteries can also provide, if only briefly, life-saving electricity when power goes out at home, whether due to a hurricane or other natural (or unnatural) events.
I recently did several hours of research to find the best portable power station for my wife and me. We’ve begun overlanding in our Jeeps, in which we seek out-there destinations others can’t or don’t want to reach, and spend a night or two with no one around. Our two biggest challenges, since we both have work to do every day of the week: keeping our laptops and smartphones charged, and getting a cell connection. She has largely solved the connectivity issue (there are ways!) and the power problem has been solved with a relatively inexpensive, small, lightweight power station.
I never intended to write about this, but when PG&E recently cut the power in my hometown in Northern California, due to fire risk, I…
