Top 10 Best Uses Of Foldable Solar Panels & Power Stations In 2020

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Portable Solar Powered Prepping Overview

We acknowledge that the following solutions can cumulatively be very expensive, but prepping always is.  It's a balancing act for what you can afford and accumulate over time.  

Keep reading to expand your knowledge on solar panel uses.  For each of the Top 10 categories, we are writing separate detailed articles in 2020 and the links will appear below as they are created. 

Top 10 Best Uses Of Foldable Solar Panel & Portable Solar Generators For Preppers During Doomsday!

1. Ability to use numerous smartphone apps related to survival, medical, navigation, hunting, and more.

See our article Top 25 Smartphone Apps For Survival & Preppers in 2020.

If you get nothing else out of this article, just know that you can take advantage of the free offline smartphone apps we recommend for survival, first aid, navigation & more long after cell service, internet or AC power are no longer available during Doomsday.  You just need a solar panel & solar power station to keep your smartphones charged!  

A lot of these apps are FREE and the pay ones do not cost much and are well worth it.  Don't miss our above linked article on smartphone apps to see what they are and which are available for iPhones and which for Android phones.

Don't Toss Your Phone During Doomsday.  You're Going To Need it!

2. Ability to have an electronic video library related to survival, medical, navigation, hunting, etc.

See our article Top 10 Expert Survival, Bushcraft & Self Defense Videos In 2020.

Having easy portable access to "how to" videos, pictures and written instructions in a vast electronic library related to survival, medical, navigation, hunting, self defense, bugging out, etc. would be incredibly valuable during a SHTF scenario.  It is also critically valuable right now during normal times for medical emergencies, hiking, camping, etc.  

Survival Summit has created professional hollywood quality instructional survival videos that teach bushcraft and wilderness survival, self defense, ham radio communications, land navigation, bugging out and more.  You will not find more concise professional survival videos made by experts in each field anywhere else.  

You can get these videos on USB drives for viewing on a smartphone (with an OTG cable or adapter), laptop or tablet long after AC power is gone.

3. Ability to use any devices that require small batteries.  

We have two separate articles - one has our top picks for the best small battery chargers & batteries.  Another article that has our top picks for devices that use these batteries.

See our following articles;

• Best AA, AAA, C, D, & 9V Battery Chargers & Batteries In 2020

• Top 15 Devices That Use Rechargeable AA, AAA, C, D & 9V Batteries In 2020

You can keep small battery operated devices working for years such as military grade camping lanterns, wireless weather stations, siphon pumps, headlamps, electric pump water filters, non-contact infrared thermometers, rotary toothbrushes, cordless waterpiks, multimeters, hair & nose trimmers, leveling lasers, tactical flashlights, sewing machines & more.

A foldable solar panel can keep a portable power station (that has a LiFePO4 battery) charged up to 2000 or more cycles.  That same power station can power AA/AAA/C/D cell battery chargers using Eneloop batteries up to 2100 times.  That means any device that is powered by these small everyday batteries would be available to you for many years after commercial AC power is no longer available.

You Can Keep A Gazillion Different Device Types Running On Rechargeable Batteries (With 2100 Recycles For Each Battery) During Doomsday!

4. Ability to have reliable early warning systems (for home / bunker security + believe it or not, doomsday hunting - keep reading to learn how)

See our article Best Early Warning System For Home Safety,  Wildlife Monitoring & Doomsday Hunting In 2020

Learn how to build a reliable early warning system that has multiple portable receivers making it exceptional for home / bunker security plus Doomsday hunting.  Learn what to get and how to keep it powered even after commercial AC power is no longer available.  

We explain why the BlueBits Motion Detector System is the best motion detector system for a portable early warning system and how you can use it today and in the future.  The solar motion sensors will charge even in the shade.  The receivers are small enough to put in your pocket with a range of up to 2000' between the sensor and receiver.  

5. Ability to use cordless power tools.  

 
See our article Top 10 Best Cordless Power Tools In 2020.

Read this article to learn why you will likely need cordless power tools and how you can use them after commercial AC power is no longer available to increase your chances of survival.  Learn which cordless power tools are the best in priority order from a prepper's viewpoint.

You Can Keep All Of Your Cordless Power Tool Chargers Working With Solar Power Stations

6. Ability to directly power devices

See our article Top 10 Direct 110V AC, DC & USB Powered Devices In 2020 (Article not yet available)

You can use a solar power station to directly power USB, DC, and AC devices for years such as uv lights for sterilization, fans, lighting, electric car lift jacks, impact wrenches, tire inflator pumps, stun guns, mini fridges, hand blenders, soldering irons, electric blankets, fish finders, tent bug zappers, medical equipment (such as CPAP machines) & more.

You can Directly Power Multiple Devices Simultaneously With A Small Solar Power Station

7. Ability to directly power and/or provide battery power to communicate locally, regionally, and worldwide

See our article Top 10 Communication Devices For Preppers In 2020 (Article not yet available)

You can keep portable communication radios working for years such as ham radios, cb radios, frs/gmrs radios, shortwave radios, Gotenna Mesh radios & more.

8. Ability to have remote surveillance & reconnaissance

See our article Top 10 Drones & Tactical Uses For Surveillance, Reconnaissance & More In 2020 (Article not yet available)

You can use drones after a Doomsday event for critical activities such as surveillance, reconnaisance (i.e., spying), emergency delivery/resupply, unit harassment, and more.

Most of the top 10 drones are made by DJI and are in the DJI Mavic Series and DJI Enterprise Series.

Fly A Drone With Thermal Imaging While Most Everyone Else Is Back To Just Caveman / Cavewoman Activities!

9. Ability to have GPS navigation

See our article Top 5 GPS Navigation Systems For Preppers In 2020 (Article not yet available)

As long as the GPS satellites from the USA (NAVSTAR), the European Union (GALILEO) and/or Russia (GLONASS) are operational you can keep most GPS navigational devices working after a Doomsday scenario.  If an EMP were to destroy power systems on earth, the GPS satellites would remain operational in space for at least 6 months afterwards even if governments did nothing to maintain them.

10. Ability to see the unseen - in broad daylight or pitch dark

See our article Top 10 NightVision / InfraRed Imaging Optics:  Cameras, Binoculars, Riflescopes & Trail Cams In 2020 (Article not yet available)

Gain the ability to see the unseen in broad daylight or pitch dark!  Learn the best solutions using Night Vision & Thermal Imaging

11. Ability to provide entertainment

See our article Top 10 Solar Powered Entertainment Solutions In 2020 (Article not yet available)

Learn how to provide entertainment during Doomsday by having access to music, your own picture & video library, bluetooth speakers, TVs and more

Determine Your Category Of Using Solar Generators

1. Basic Prepping (FYI, this is our category)

- You just want to survive during Doomsday and enjoy 95% of everything we summarized above in this article.   
- You want the solar generators (i.e., power stations) to last at least a decade or more. 
- We recommend that you purchase solar generators that have the LiFePO4 batteries like the Energizer 160Wh or 240Wh & Beaudens 166Wh, 240Wh or 380Wh.

- These small power stations are really all that you need along with a foldable solar panel to have a vast amount of survival capabilities as we described above.

-  We recommend that every prepper have at least one Foldable Solar Panel and one Small Solar Generator that has LiFePO4 batteries.  That way they can maintain a vast array of battery powered devices and cordless power tools for perhaps a decade or longer with very small portable solar power.  

Short Energizer "Commercial" Showing The Portability & Versatility Of Small Power Stations 

Energizer 240Wh Portable Power Station For All of Your Charging Needs

The Beaudens 166Wh & Energizer 160Wh Are Perfect Portable Power Stations For Basic Prepping

2. Basic Prepping + CPAP

- You want the same basic survival capabilities as above and decade long capability.
- If you need to run any medical equipment (like a CPAP machine) we recommend the LiFePO4 generators with Pure Sine Wave AC Inverters like the Energizer 240Wh & Beaudens 380Wh. 

- Some people will only recommend the CPAP users use power stations that have regulated 12V DC output like the Jackery Explorer Power Stations. 

- Read the Product Descriptions & Feedback on any solar generator as there is typically lots of feedback from CPAP users.

- The Beaudens 380Wh runs a 21 watt CPAP for 15 hours.  It charges smartphones 25 times & laptops 10 times.   

The Beaudens 380Wh  & Energizer 240Wh Have Pure Sine Wave Inverters & LiFePO4 Batteries!

Jackery Explorer Comparison Chart

3. Weekend Camper / Partier  

- You want to camp & party on the weekends with friends and want to charge lots of smartphones, watch TV, use a projector, use a coffee maker, portable microwave, mini fridge, or electric cooler, lighting, etc.
- We recommend solar generators in the Large category such as:

- The Jackery Explorer 1000 is the lightest at 22 lbs.

- The ECOFlow Delta 1300 is lightweight, has a very high wattage capacity & an order of magnitude faster recharge.

- The Bluetti EB150 & EB240 Solar Generators are the best choice for long lasting (1500+ & 2500+ cycles) daily use for many years.  Perfect choice for those spending a lot of time in RVs with 24/7 use.

- In the Large Solar Generator category, you are going to need two or more solar panels to charge your solar generator, so the trade off is that you are getting "less portable" compared to the smaller categories.

- You can possibly purchase solar generators in the Medium or Medium/Large categories based on the power requirements of your devices.

The Bluetti EB240 Is A Monster In A Small Package!

4. Power Hungry - You Want The Most Power Available But Still Be Portable!

- You want the biggest & baddest portable solar generator available. 
- You want a fully capable off-grid system that can power a cabin, RV, boat or home back up with many outlets including a 30A RV outlet not found in other solar generators.
- You want a long-lasting, powerful solar generator system sized for your current needs but that is expandable in the future.

- We recommend a Titan Solar Generator system. It is the ultimate system and it's cheaper than building your own system buying the components separately.

- You can order a complete Titan kit, customize a kit, or purchase any of the components.  The Titan batteries stack on the bottom (under the AC outlets), or you can order your own batteries such as LiFePO4.

- Note:  With commercial AC power charging the Titan, this is a very powerful portable power station.  However, with solar power you will be barely "portable" now requiring more than just a few solar panels.

Titan - The Ultimate Portable Solar Generator System!

5. You Need Something More Powerful Than Portable Power Stations

- You need something more than 2 KWh of power and are okay with a stationary solar system.

- This article is not about stationary solar systems so we won't go into details, but if you are okay with a DIY system, there are plenty of available systems that you can install yourself using inverters such as the MPP, Growatt, & EA Sunpower Solar Inverters, plus high quality LifePO4 batteries such as Battleborn batteries or rolling cabinets of batteries such as found at bigbattery.com, plus a multitude of available solar panels. 

- If you want to go really big and be able to power everything like you do in a normal house, you can hire a solar contractor or you can save thousands of dollars with a DIY Solar Kit from a reputable company like GoGreenSolar. 

- GoGreenSolar will design your system specific to your location/building using satellite photos and will provide step by step install guides and full tech support from a NABCEP engineer.

- GoGreenSolar is the only solar company to provide a guarantee on DIY solar installations - or your money back.