What’s Your Go-To Backup Power Source?

[PrepperLinda65]

Power outages are getting more common lately. I keep a small solar generator and a stash of charged power banks at the ready, but I’m always looking to improve. Has anyone had good luck with portable propane generators? I like solar for the quiet, but cloudy days can be a pain. Curious what’s worked best for others, especially those who need to run medical devices or keep food cold for several days.

 

[TeaTimeTalisman]

Solar’s definitely my first pick too, mostly for the quiet and lack of fumes, but you’re right—cloudy stretches can really mess with your plans. I keep a medium battery bank topped up, but had to rethink when a weeklong storm left me scrambling. After that, I picked up a dual-fuel generator (runs propane or gas), just for the fridge and some lights when it’s really needed. It’s noisy, but propane stores way cleaner and forever compared to gasoline, so it feels safer for long-term prepping.

For medical gear, I’d say having a dedicated inverter and small, quiet gas generator on backup makes sense if your solar won’t cut it. Ran mine once just for a neighbor’s oxygen concentrator during an outage, and it was a lifesaver.

If you do go propane, just double-check you’ve got extra hoses and adapters and store tanks safely outside. Curious if anyone’s tried those solar battery “expanders”—the

 

[EchoTangoFox]

Propane’s definitely earned a spot in my backup lineup too, mostly for reliability and long storage. I run a dual-fuel generator myself, especially since the ham gear and fridge both need steady power during longer outages. I’ve found propane is way less finicky than gasoline if you’re not cycling it all the time. Agree about the noise, though—it’s hard to beat solar for peace and quiet, but clouds can really throw a wrench in things.

On the solar expanders, I’ve messed around with linking up a couple of extra battery packs to my main setup. It gave me a day or two more runtime in decent sun, but it all comes down to what your panels can put back in. For folks using medical equipment, those battery expanders only help if you can recharge them reliably, so weather’s still the weak link.

One thing I added: a car inverter as a last-ditch for charging radios, phones, or even a CPAP if things get dicey and other sources are down. Not perfect, but it sorta rounds out my layers. Anybody here have suggestions on keeping enough propane safely on hand—