Events around the world have shown that systems can and have failed to do the job they were made to do. In these situations, millions of people have been left stranded without access to working electrical grids.
Regardless of the cause, you want your family to be prepared with solar-powered gadgets that can produce the power you need for survival and comfort when a blackout occurs.
There are five fundamental solar products you’ll want to have on hand that will keep communications up, allow you to have a hot meal, provide light in the darkness, and generate power to other things you need, when you need it.
Solar Phone Chargers to Keep Up Communications
One of the things that can be disrupted when the electrical grid goes out is the communication system. You might face the fear of not being able to get in touch with your loved ones if your phone can’t be recharged.
For this reason, you need to have a plan B so you can protect your family. One way to keep communication intact is to make sure that you all have solar phone chargers for your home or car.
The Soluser Solar Charger Power Bank is a charger that can quickly charge your smart phone. It can be used indoors or outdoors, so if you have to bug out quickly, you’ll have a way to communicate on the go.
It’s waterproof and shockproof, so it can hold up to tough environmental situations as well as accidental drops. This gadget is compatible with multiple phone models, both older and newer.
The charger uses bidirectional charging, which means it uses the smart phone’s own battery energy to help push the charge quickly. It has 4 outputs, including a C output port.
The device can be used as a portable flashlight with both bright and soft light. There’s also an emergency SOS locator light. This is great for people who want to have a solar charger, but who are on a lean prepper budget.
The Big Blue Solar Power Charger is also a good choice as a communication survival device. At just over 1 pound, the charger is extremely lightweight and portable. It uses four solar panels to charge phones and other devices that have a 5v input.
It can be used with both iPhone models, some iPad devices and android phones. It does have the ability to charge multiple devices at once, due to the numerous ports.
The charger stays in place once you set it up, thanks to the secure buckles you use to attach the gadget for charging.
If you have many communication devices to charge or you have multiple family or friends who need devices charged, you’ll want to look into buying the X-DRAGON Solar Charger.
This 70W foldable panel can offer 50% more when it comes to how quickly it works compared to other chargers. Plus, it’s water resistant and offers plenty of energy, thanks to the power of the sun.
It also comes with some added safety benefits for users, like the surge protection it gives devices during charging. It can automatically adjust the voltage, thanks to the IC chip, which means faster charging for your devices.
It has dual port output, so it can be used to charge smart phones, tablets, laptop computers and even small car batteries. The charger comes with 10 laptop connectors, along with the USB cables and more.
Solar Cookers for Meal Prep Off the Grid
When the grid goes down, so does everything you depend on it for. That means, in addition to your ability to cook, you may also lose the ability to have clean drinking water if an outage renders your water treatment plant unusable.
You need a backup plan for being able to cook. In addition to that, you’ll want to have a way to heat water or to purify it. You can do that by using a solar cooker. The All Season Solar Cooker is a lightweight gadget that’s big on its ability to cook food while still being affordable.
It’s compact, yet bigger when operational than other solar cookers. It’s so large that it has the ability to cook a turkey just like you would cook one in your regular oven. The reason that this cooker can handle larger food items is because it’s a panel cooker.
It offers better wind resistance, which also means it gives you more space without putting a cap on how tall the pots and pans can be. You can even bake foods using this oven.
You’ll get enough space, thanks to the 12 x 17 cooking area. That means you can use rectangular pans, small or large pots and wide ones, too. You can position the panels to catch more hours of the sun throughout the day rather than having to operate the cooker at high noon.
The All American Sun Oven is another favorite choice among preppers for solar cookers. This oven is made with aluminum that can capture the sun’s rays to use for cooking temperatures up to 400 degrees.
That means you can cook dishes you’d bake in the oven as well as make things like sweet treats. Thanks to the oven’s set up, you can also boil foods or water or make steamed foods if you’d like.
The design is easy to set up and use and weighs just over 20 pounds. It has a leveling rack, and included with this model is the built in thermometer as well as a cookbook, and the sun track indicator.
The Sunflair Portable Solar Oven Deluxe is one that’s easy to use right out of the box. You won’t have to put anything together, since it comes already assembled. This oven can be used to cook or to simmer foods like you’d make on the top burners of a regular stove, but it can also be used to bake food items.
If you’d like to dry some fruit, you can use it for that as well. It’s pretty lightweight at just barely over a pound, so you can take it along anywhere you need to go if you’re not using it out in your backyard.
The oven is roomy enough for you to be able to cook food for large groups of up to 8 people fairly fast because of the closed cell insulation. This gadget comes with a solar thermometer, 2 baking trays used for solar cooking and 2 baking racks. It also comes with silicone pots that are collapsible.
Solar Lighting Options for Nighttime Hours
When there’s no light, you can’t see to do anything. More than just being bored because you can’t entertain yourself, without light, there can be a safety hazard from falling over stuff you can’t see.
Plus, there are those who would use the night as cover to steal or commit crimes during a survival crisis situation. Light up the dark with the Solar Light Bulb. This bulb offers 4 different modes.
You can use the light to have low light all the way up to the Highlight mode, which gives off the most light. It does have a sensor, so you can have the light come on automatically when it gets dark out while staying off during daylight hours.
You can use the remote setting to determine the off and on hours if you choose to. Once the bulb is charged, the number of hours it will provide light will vary, depending on the mode that you put it in.
The dimmer the light, the longer the charge to give you the light you need. You can get almost a full day of light on the lowest setting. It has a micro USB port as well as an indicator showing you when the charge is ready.
The hook on the top of the light makes it easy to hang anywhere. A flashlight is a must have and the Solar Flashlight not only gives you light, but can also perform other survival functions as a multitool.
It has 7 different selections for lighting – from high to low as well as the flashing emergency red light. The light can last up to 7 hours, depending on which mode you use it on and how well it’s charged.
You can use the flashlight to give you as much as 700 feet of light. It has an alarm feature and a compass that you can use in the event that you get lost. The handle is non-slip and the flashlight is both water and shock resistant.
What makes this device so convenient to have during a survival situation is that it can also be used to charge things such as your smart phone, because it has a built in battery.
The flashlight also has a cutter, so you can use it to cut your way to safety or to prepare survival needs in the event that you’re camping. For your safety needs during an emergency, the LuminAID Solar Lantern can brighten an area up to 200 square feet.
This can help ease the stress of a situation when you don’t have any electricity. It’s designed as an inflatable lantern, which is easy to inflate. Because it’s lightweight and waterproof, it makes it an ideal light for many different types of settings.
The LED lantern has a built in battery and can be used to charge your phone or even a tablet. The battery is strong enough to offer users over two days’ worth of light if the device is used on the low light setting.
But you have up to 5 settings to choose from. You can select low, medium or go with high option. It also offers turbo lighting as well as a flashing light. The lantern recharges easily when in direct sunlight or within about an hour if you use the USB cord.
Solar Powered Generators for Your Electric Needs
Your electric needs don’t just stop when the electricity goes out. If you have an unexpected outage and you didn’t charge your cell phone or other small devices, then you may find yourself without the ability to reach out to others or to get help.
A solar powered generator is a necessity for emergency situations. The Solar Power Portable Generator is a small one, but powerful enough that it can help you make it through a dire situation.
It has 8000 mAh of power, so it can keep your devices running when they need to be charged. You can use this one for your smart phone or other electronic devices. It offers almost a full day of light for one LED bulb and half a day for two.
You can use them at the same time and both are included in the kit. If you’re playing music, you can use it for just over 15 hours. It has a bright LED floodlight on the side and a USB port.
You can set up preset radio channels, which is handy for keeping up with what’s going on as well as being able to listen to the station of your choice. You can charge it using the 6V solar panel that comes with the generator and it comes with a long cord, so you’ll be able to put the panel wherever it needs to go.
A benefit of this generator is that you don’t have to have bright sunlight in order to get a charge. It will still charge, even when there’s no sunlight. If you want to charge it at home, you can use the 110 plug that comes with the generator.
The generator comes with accessory cables that you’ll use to charge your phone or other devices. With all the power it packs, it’s surprising that the BALDR Portable Solar Generator is portable, but it is.
This machine offers 297wh of power, which means it can handle the devices you need to operate better than other generators. There’s a lot it can handle too. You can charge your smartphone or your tablet.
But you can also charge your computer, camera and even a string of lights. It can also be used to power medical devices such as a CPAP machine. You can charge the generator using solar, AC or DC, but if you choose to use a solar panel, you will need to buy that separately.
You can get a full charge in as little as 5 hours, unless you’re using a car charger and then it’ll take a little longer. The generator is packed with safety benefits, including short circuit protection and overload protection.
This means that your generator won’t likely overheat like other generators can. It has a built in flashlight and an easy to read display that lets users know how much battery power is left.
The Jackery Portable Solar Power Generator is another option you can get and is considered one of the best on the market due to its ability to handle multiple outputs. There are many electronic items you can use at the same time with this generator.
You can use your coffee maker while using your electric grill. Or, you can plug a heater into it. If you’d like to have a smoothie, you can even use it with a blender. If you want to use it to power a TV, you can do that, too.
This generator can definitely make life feel a little more normal in a survival situation. On just a 5 hour charge, you can get an entire night of use from this generator. There are three charging choices. You can use the solar panels, a wall socket or car outlet. The AC and car charger cable are included.
Solar Powered Radios for Emergencies
Information can give you the knowledge that you need to make the best and safest decisions during a survival situation. Without the local news updates, you won’t know where dangers are in certain areas.
You won’t know where you need to flee to if you and your family have to bug out. You also won’t know about situations where chaos is unfolding and if you stumble into that, it could be life-threatening.
You can’t afford to be in the dark about what’s going on and you must have a way to communicate with others. This is why you need a solar powered radio. A RunningSnail Crank and Solar Powered Weather Radio is an affordable way to be kept in the loop.
It has a compact design, so it’s the perfect size – whether you’re having to bug out or you’re hunkering in place. It boasts 1000 mAh of power, so you can use the radio to charge your smart phone.
You’ll have the choice of picking between three charging options. You can use the manual crank, rely on the solar power or, you can use the USB cord. The radio is also an LED flashlight, and when it has a complete charge, it can give you light for up to 12 hours of use.
There’s also the Aiworth Emergency Solar and Crank Weather Radio. In the event that a natural weather disaster occurs, this radio can help you stay in contact with loved ones and one of the 7 NOAA channels can keep you updated on any changes or situations in your area.
It has a built in antenna to help with signal boost. The radio has 2000 mAh of power that you can use to keep your smart phones charged up. It also has four options when it comes to keeping a charge.
You can use the solar power option by placing the item in direct sunlight, use the hand crank, the USB cord if you have access to electricity or AAA batteries. The batteries aren’t included, so you’ll need a supply of these.
The radio also has an LED flashlight along with SOS alarm ability. Another option in solar radios is the Emergency NOAA Weather Crank Solar Powered Portable Radio. Thanks to the 7 NOAA channels, this can let you know about any bad weather, but it can also let you know about potential threats that may be on the way.
This can give you enough time to get out of a hazardous situation safely. It has a 4000 mAh, which is powerful enough to charge your communication devices. There are various ways to charge the radio besides solar power and these include hand cranking and USB.
The radio has bright LED flashlight that can light up an area in the event of a power outage or if you’re out in the environment somewhere. There’s also an SOS alarm, so if an emergency happens, you’ll be able to alert others in the area so you can get help.
During a trying time, comfort is needed and the radio gives users the ability to listen to music to help calm anxiety and make a stressful situation a little better. Regardless of what solar powered products you invest in, it’s important to maintain the ability to get things up and running whenever the grid fails you.