Having a few solar devices just might save your life. You can replace most electrical appliances and vital equipment with a solar power device or a solar generator so you can use it to power your regular devices.
Usually, when you hear about preppers making plans with for energy needs, it’s with the idea that the grid might go down temporarily, such as with the Texas winter storm or a Northeaster blizzard.
Even California and other states sometimes have rolling blackouts where the grid is shut off to preserve energy and some people have to go without electricity anywhere from 15 minutes to over a day.
But now, the soaring cost of energy is resulting in many families not even being able to afford their electric bill. During hot summer months or the upcoming cold winter, it can cause such high prices, that they end up with their service shut off due to not being able to pay it.
Solar power can help you in both of these situations. You can start paring down your electric use by switching over to solar, and that doesn’t mean you have to take out a second mortgage and get solar panels placed on your roof.
There are dozens of convenient gadgets that will help you in survival and economic situations when you’re feeling pressed to use a different form of energy. From being able to keep your family fed and warm to using them for communication purposes and more, solar gear comes in many different affordable forms.
When Energy Costs and Outages Pose a Risk to Your Way of Life
Much to the dismay of consumers, energy companies and regulators will often intentionally turn power off to various locations in an effort to keep the overall grid from crashing on a wide scale basis.
The supply and demand of energy can be felt primarily during the extreme hot and cold months of the year when consumers crank up their air conditioner or heater to get through the temperatures
And while this is a short term inconvenience that is frustrating, there are more severe situations that can affect your ability to cool off, keep your food safe, communicate and more.
The most common thing happening to many individuals in today’s economic climate is that they simply can’t afford their electric bills. They have doubled, or in some cases even quadrupled in the last couple of years.
Seniors and low or middle income families are finding that they have to choose between putting food on the table and having lights or warmth, and that’s simply not something that should ever happen in America.
Solar power offers many people a way to combat rising energy costs so they can fluctuate between their electric power and solar gadgets to keep costs low enough to afford.
Another situation that may or may not happen to you is when an extreme survival event occurs. This might be due to a catastrophic hurricane or other weather event, war, a targeted attack or even a solar burst that cripples the grid.
Having solar gear on hand can help you survive any situation – from temporary ones to long-term, severe outages. There are solar products that can help with almost any aspect of your life, and they’re not as expensive as having enormous solar panels put on your roof.
Use Solar Powered Products to Keep You Cool or Warm
Air conditioning costs are through the roof. If you live in a state where the sun beats down on you and you find yourself melting in weather of 90 degrees or higher, it can make it miserable to even sit still indoors.
There are solar gadgets you can use at home or even in your car so that you can let the air conditioner stay off or on a level that won’t break the bank, but still allow you to cool off.
The first is a solar powered vent. You want one that’s weatherproof. These vents can cool a space of up to 500 square feet. They’re hail resistant and don’t require much, if any maintenance.
You can install a vent like the 4 Seasons Solar Powered Vents on your roof to extract the hot air that’s rising in your house. You don’t need wiring or complicated installation for this. The fan is fully powered by the sun, keeping airflow in your attic running without the big bill.
Not only is the hot air pulled out, but it keeps the attic from becoming too humid, which can increase moisture and bring mold into your home. This is a safety hazard if it happens, so the ventilation is crucial to your comfort and well-being.
You don’t have to worry about animals like squirrels entering your roof through the vent, either because it’s been designed to be animal-proof. And even if there’s not a lot of sun out one day, the fan will still be operational.
It’s extremely quiet, unlike a generator is when you have to fire one up, so you’ll be keeping cool in any situation without your neighbors knowing how you’re doing it. These solar vents cost a couple of hundred dollars, but they’re much less expensive than a single month of electricity using a lot of air conditioning – and the vents are guaranteed by a 10-year warranty, too.
There are other brands that do the same thing that are cheaper, so you can compare the materials, warranty, installation and effectiveness of them to determine what will fit in your budget.
If you need a larger solar vent, they have some like the Remington Solar Powered Vent that can cool off a space of up to 2,000 square feet. There are also options for a Gable mount instead of a roof mount solar vent, too, if you prefer that.
If you need to save money on energy costs while driving, you can use a solar fan to help take the hot air out of your car instead of turning on the air conditioner and seeing your gas get eaten up faster.
With a solar powered car fan, you can attach it to the front or back window and use it while driving or even while your car is sitting still. You can use the solar power or switch to a battery operated option if you want.
Just as there are products that can cool off your house, there are also those that can deliver an influx of warmth to your home when it is needed. The Nakoair Solar Air Heater is an example of a gadget that uses the sun to a warm up the outside air and deliver a fresh influx of warmth into your living space.
This tool has a dual capacity to keep the temperature in your home just right. If the indoor temperature gets higher than the outdoor temperature, it will ventilate the room for you, and when it is too cold inside, it will bring the warmth inside.
This particular solar gadget has a smart touch screen that not only detects the inside and outside temperatures, but also pays attention to the humidity or moisture level in the house so that it can create the perfect climate to prevent mold, but also eliminate overly dry air.
Keep Batteries and Communication Gear Charged Using Solar Powered Banks
When you’re home without power or even bugging out in the wilderness, you want to have a power bank that can keep your gadgets charged up. There are solar power banks that act as a small, portable generator.
Using these, you can charge up many items like a phone, laptop or tablet, fan, lights and more. The EnginStar Portable Station Power Bank is a good example of one of these mini generators used to keep gear in working order.
At just four pounds, you’ll be able to keep communications on so that you can talk to loved ones or even hear what’s happening in your area, if there’s a weather threat or other severe situation.
One full solar charge using this gadget can charge up your phone twelve times, or a laptop almost three times. It also comes with a built-in LED light if the power goes out and it has a strobe option if you need to be rescued.
You can also use this gadget to keep a mini fridge or television in working order and if you want a larger version that can keep things operational longer, they have a 300W solar generator, too.
There are specific solar phone chargers, if you want to invest in one of those. In fact, they have single or multi-panel solar chargers to choose from. These are great when bugging out because you can use MOLLE attachments to hook the solar panels onto your bug out bag and charge it as you navigate the terrain.
The Riapow Portable Solar Phone Charging Panels can provide you with eight charges for an iPhone. It can also charge up a Galaxy or tablet, too. In half an hour, your phone will be charged to 50%.
You can also charge multiple devices all at once. This particular model has an LED flashlight on it, too, in case you need it. There are dozens of these gadgets to choose from that are specifically made for use for a phone or tablet.
Some of them, such as the Fnfpua Solar Power Bank, are waterproof, which is important in weather events or while bugging out. You can use the strap to hang it on a branch and use the flashlight if you need lighting around a camp area, too.
If you want an all-in-one charger to keep you up-to-date about what’s happening, look for a solar-powered NOAA weather radio. These are usually combined with options for hand cranking or batteries, too.
They often have a light built in, and can charger your gadgets. They have compact ones that are handheld sizes, like the FosPower NOAA Emergency Weather Radio. It has an SOS alarm and it’s rain resistant, too.
Keep Food from Spoiling with Solar Refrigeration
One of the most disappointing things about a loss of power, even one that only lasts a day or two, is that the food in your refrigerator and freezer will often go bad period for many families on a budget, this can be devastating – especially in a poor economy like we have now.
You can invest in something like a GOSUN Chill Solar Cooler that requires zero ice to keep your food cold. it uses the solar panel that is attached to a foldable table to charge up the cooler on wheels.
You can use the sun to not only keep the cooler part cold, but also to charge your gadgets by using it as a power bank. This particular product can keep your food cold or even frozen, without ever needing any ice.
Because it comes with a table, it’s the perfect gadget to have around a campground when and if you have a bug out situation. It’s also lightweight because it’s made from aluminum and has wheels to help you move it.
Protect Your Survival Animals with Solar Powered Products
For those of you who are raising animals on your property for survival purposes, such as chickens or even other animals like goats or sheep, there are some solar powered gadgets that you may want to consider that will protect your animals in a survival event without using electricity.
The first thing you can look into is a solar powered chicken coop cooler fan like the one by Pumplus. This particular model includes a 100 Watt solar panel and a fan that can ventilate the chicken coop and keep this space cool and healthy for your chickens.
This not only protects the chickens from overheating, but it can also assist them in producing more eggs whenever the temperature is kept at a comfortable level. This type of fan can be used in other areas of your homestead property, such as a barn.
You can also protect your flock from leaving your property without having to pay for an expensive electric fence by using a solar powered electric fence charger such as the one by Zareba.
This particular model can cover a 10 mile area and protect your animals such as pigs, sheep, horses, cows, and more by controlling their movement and preventing them from leaving the property.
This solar powered fence charger can go for up to 14 days with no sun and still be operational day and night to protect your flock while they’re in the pasture from predators, too.
Let Solar Gadgets Light Your Campsite or Home When There’s No Power
We’ve already talked about several solar powered gadgets that have emergency lights on them, either to simply light up an area when you need it or to provide an SOS signal. But sometimes, you just need the area lit up without having to use one of your communication chargers.
There are many different types of solar gadgets that can light up your campsite, or the interior or exterior of your home using the power from the sun. For example, the LuminAID Solar Inflatable Lanterns are perfect for severe weather events or when you have to bug out and you need something to quickly light up your space.
These inflatable lanterns can light up to 125 square feet of space, which is perfect if you are inside of a tent. Because they deflate, you can easily attach them to the outside of your bug out bag using MOLLE attachments so that it can charge up and be ready for you when nightfall hits.
These inflatable lanterns churn out 75 lumens of LED light, and you can choose the brightness setting according to whatever you want. They are also waterproof and will not shatter like some of the other brands, so they’re perfect for a rugged environment.
With just 10 hours of sunlight, you can have up to 24 hours of light from a full charge and you won’t even need any type of batteries or fuel source to get the illumination that you need.
There are other solar lanterns, such as the collapsible LED lanterns made by KIZEN. not only do these light up your area, but they also serve as portable phone chargers whenever you need them.
These lanterns have three different settings, including high or low light as well as a flashing SOS signal that you can turn on. The palm sized Lantern can easily be attached to your backpack so that it fully charges during the day.
Solar Security Cameras and Alarms That Won’t Fail You When the Grid Goes Down
In a survival situation, or even in everyday routine, you want to be able to keep an eye on the perimeter of your home, or to get alerts whenever there’s an intruder lurking on your property.
But with many security systems, they’re dependent upon electricity – wired to your home. You need a solar powered security option that won’t fail you if the grid goes down temporarily or even for a long time.
The first thing you can check into getting is a long range solar wireless driveway alarm, like the one made by eMACROS. This security gadget works for half a mile and it is charged by solar power.
It has a motion sensor security alert that can protect your property and let you know whenever someone has come within a certain range. You can purchase more than one receiver and sensor so that you have your entire property covered using solar power.
Not only is this good for human intruders, but it can also detect large animals such as bears. It’s weatherproof and alerts you with both light and sound whenever someone gets within 30 feet of your property.
If you want a security camera that is operated on solar power, you might want to check out the Adorbee brand’s Adorcam. This is a solar powered surveillance camera that will work nonstop for you day and night.
You can listen and speak to visitors who show up at your home and you will receive an immediate alert whenever motion is detected. It will record video and send a push notification to you via an app.
This particular solar powered security camera also has night vision and you can access a remote live viewing at anytime. It comes with a built-in micro SD card and can support up to four 128 GB memory cards to store the videos and pictures on so that you never have to pay for a subscription as you would with other security camera companies.
The FOAOOD brand has an indoor-outdoor security camera that has color night vision, and it’s also waterproof and includes two-way speakers with storage for your recordings and images.
With just a couple of hours of sunlight, you get a full day of security from these cameras. For the night vision option, it has a 45-lumen floodlight and a high-pitched alarm sound to drive away intruders.
Whole Home Solar Generators for a Myriad of Survival Needs
If you want a generator to keep the power running in your home during a short or long term event, or even to help you with your energy costs during poor economic conditions, you may want to invest in a solar generator that can power up the bigger items in your home.
For example, you might consider the Geneverse HomePower ONE Pro. This includes one large solar panel that can provide up to an entire weeks worth of emergency power whenever you need it.
With this type of solar technology, you can keep your refrigerator running for up to 17 hours, use your CPAP machine for up to a week, or even operate your office equipment and other gadgets like tools or home appliances for a long period of time.
This is an important piece of solar gear to get if you have a large family or if you have medical needs where backup power is essential, whether it’s due to cost saving measures or a survival event.
The solar panels that come with it are portable and weather resistant. In just three to four hours of being out in the sun, your generator is fully ready to support you with your energy needs.
There’s also an EF ECOFLOW Solar Generator DELTA Max system that includes a solar panel that charges fully and as little as 11 hours and has panels on both the front and back so that you are accumulating more energy in a shorter amount of time.
With this gadget you can use it indoors or outdoors and it can even replace your need to tap into traditional electricity sources if prices are soaring out of control and you can’t afford your bills.
With this system, you can run a 50 inch TV for 15 hours, charge a laptop more than 30 times, keep a refrigerator running for more than a day, and use it for many other purposes, such as for a space heater if you’re in a cold weather situation.
Solar Grow Lights and Fences for Growing Survival Food
We talked about electric fences that use solar power previously in regards to keeping your survival farm animals safe and contained. But you can also use this same technology to keep animals away from your survival food garden.
It’s well known that deer, rabbits, and other animals can destroy all of your hard work in an instant whenever you have a food plot that you are trying to grow and harvest for survival purposes or even just to cut down on food costs.
You can invest in a tool such as the Hooyman Solar Powered Electric Fence To protect the fruits and vegetables that you are growing. This system comes with a set of fiberglass posts, post insulators, in-line tensioners and the solar panel system itself.
My mother thing you may want to consider investing in our solar grow lights that you can use in your home or in a greenhouse. These are full spectrum solar LED grow lights that mimic a natural sunny spot for your plants.
You can schedule how often they turn on or off, as well as how bright the lighting is. This solar gadget will allow your plants to engage in photosynthesis. The solar panels are waterproof, but cleaning them periodically can make sure they work better.
Navigational Watch You Can Use on Solar Power
If you are forced to be in a bug out situation, you won’t be able to simply turn to GPS systems to help you navigate your way too and from any particular area for very long. It’s helpful to have a solar powered watch that has navigational GPS built into it.
The Garmin Instinct 2S Solar watch can keep your watch running without having to be recharged by exposing it to just three hours per day of sunlight. You’ll get a full 51 days of use from a solar charge, and 28 hours if you are continuously using the GPS mode.
This particular solar GPS watch is water resistant up to 100 meters and it’s also thermal and shock resistant as well as scratch resistant, so it is very durable for any type of survival event.
Solar Cookers Can Save the Day When You Need to Cook with No Appliances
If the power is down, or you simply don’t want to use appliances that will take up a lot of electricity, you can always use the sun to cook your meals. There are many different types of solar cooking gadgets.
For example, you might consider getting the GOSUN Solar Oven Portable Stove. This is a lightweight, 2 pound gadget that can cook your food in about 20 minutes. Many people mistakenly believe solar powered cookers cannot heat up as well as a traditional oven, but they can reach up to 550 degrees in full sunlight.
This gadget has a glass tube oven and a steel cooking tray. If you are inexperienced at using solar cookers, you can test it out using their mini cookbook which comes with a sundial, cooking cups, and more.
Whether you want to cook food or boil water, this gadget can do both. It is protected by a hard shell foam case. It’s the perfect solar gadget for heating up dehydrated food that is lightweight and easier for you to carry if you are bugging out.
You can also get a dish type of solar cooker such as the GDAE10 Portable Solar Cooker. This solar concentrator will specifically aim all of the sun power to one specific area using reflector panels that helps you harness the power of those raise more effectively.
In fact, you can achieve your desired temperature six times faster than if you used a charcoal grill. You can use this particular solar cooker in any type of weather, as long as the sun is out.
It weighs about 30 pounds, so it may not be portable for bugging out, but it would be good for using on your patio if you are hunkered down at home and need to use solar power to cook with.
If you do need a solar cooker that you can take with you on the go, consider the YAMO DUDO Portable Solar Oven Bag Cooker. this works like a Dutch oven, allowing you to cook in temperatures up to 285 degrees similar to how a slow cooker would work, And it only weighs 8 ounces, so it can be carried with ease.
Solar power is a fantastic way to keep your family safe, protected and comfortable whether you’re trying to cut costs in a bad economy or enduring a short or long-term survival event.
All you have to do is find the right gadgets for your particular needs and begin weaning off of the grid whenever you feel like it. Make sure you practice using the solar gear so that you’re not confused by any of the technology whenever it counts and you need to tap into the power of the sun’s rays right at that very moment.
Get your solar lighting set up, security perimeters, and learn how to cook, communicate and charge your home appliances using solar gear that can keep catastrophes at bay in a pinch.
We have provided you with a list of solar power devices and generators. If you have never seen a solar cooking device be sure to check it out. It is amazing.
