Whether looking at a temporary emergency situation, a permanent survivalist or "get away from it all" cabin, or a semi-permanent get-away or private camp that is somewhere in between, there's no denying the importance of having a reliable power source.
An average of 3000-3500 power outages a year end up affecting over 30 million people on average. Some of these outages are mere hours, but in the cases of things like hurricanes, tornadoes, or other issues, the lack of power can last days or even weeks. That can result in genuinely life-threatening situations.
These outages aren't predictable, and as the weather continues to grow in severity there will be increasing needs for a reliable and portable power source no matter where you are.
For long-term preppers, survivalists, or outdoor adventurers who just want a little bit of reliable electrical power out at their cabin in the woods, a reliable portable power station like the top-of-the-line model from Bold North Outdoors is an absolute must!
Powering Long-Term (Permanent) Camps
There are plenty of situations that make a portable power station a really important piece of gear. In everyday life primitive camping sites are a prime example of spaces that don't provide any power options. What you can bring with you is all you have available.
Many remote camping sites or secluded camping sites are going to primitive in nature. While you might not need a lot of power for a weekend outing, you want to make absolutely sure that if an emergency does happen that all the cell phones aren't dead or your emergency beacon's battery is dead.
In other words, even in these situations having a reliable portable Lithium ion battery via portable power station will make sure you can charge up anything you need during a potential emergency situation.
Power for Isolated Hunting Stations & Homestead Camps
The portable battery and solar panel combination make the Bold North Outdoors portable power station a great solution for homestead camps or isolated hunting camps. The ability to gather new energy and store it means a consistent source of power even without the conventional infrastructure.
This is ideal for recording the special moments at hunting camp, for hunting and wilderness survival influencers who need to keep their equipment powered up, but even more importantly: this brings a reliable and versatile power source for isolated hunting cabins or homestead camps.
For hunting cabins sometimes a generator has often been a solution to provide some electric power, even if the majority of night lighting is done via kerosene or propane lanterns. A portable power source makes things much easier, especially if it's a pain to haul the gasoline in and out of that isolated location. Charge GPS systems, cell phones, anything requiring a little bit of power for all the small pieces of gear you want to keep
Before solar power and portable batteries advanced to a certain point, the answer to "How do you get power for isolated camping?" was that you didn't. If you were building a permanent homestead camp on private property it used to be the best you could hope for would be building a slightly elevated platform with a heavy duty canvas tent over the top that was designed to fit a wood burning stove.
There was no reliable option for electricity at all. While you won't be lighting up an entire house this does offer a way to help charge laptop batteries, cell phones, GPS systems, or any piece of electrical gear that needs a bit of a charge up.
That really does open up the option for what can be done with long-term camps, hunting camps, or other similar isolated long-term setups.
Portable Power Station vs. Solar Lantern or Flashlight
Many people try comparing portable power stations to solar lanterns or solar flashlights, but this really is a poor comparison. While there are a lot of good solar powered lanterns out there, they serve a very different purpose than what a portable power station does.
A flashlight or a lantern is a single-function tool. That's not to knock it: we all have our personal favorites and you should always have at least two (one plus a backup) on hand, but they're designed for creating light and that's it.
The portable power station may have lights by itself (the Bold North Outdoors model has two, for example) but also can be charged by solar panel and provide a source of power whether it's fans, lights, game cams, phones, GPS systems, or something else entirely. It provides a portable and reliable option for being able to provide power to the many different tools and situations where that can be useful.
In other words, it doesn't make much sense to compare them as they are vastly different tools but the portable power station with LED lights is going to be able to offer a lot more in the area of versatility over the long haul.
Portable Power Station vs. Generators
A good power portable station should be seen as a compliment to a generator. After all, a generator is going to be generally set up in one place and kept there. They rely on gasoline, but can provide electricity to a building like a cabin for chunks of time before needing re-fueling. This makes them a great option for off the grid or isolated hunting cabins (or as emergency backups for a house even in a town or city).
Portable power stations aren't meant to take care of such a large need. However, they can easily charge smaller gear, and since the best portable batteries for outdoorsmen will be solar powered, they can continue to provide charging long after the gasoline runs out.
A portable power station is not going to act like a true generator, but it is going to offer plenty of positives that can help you to save the gas in the generator for when you truly need it the most.
Perfect Prepping Tool
If you're interested in quality tools for being prepared in the wilderness, for prepping uses, or for long-term survival plans, then a portable power station (or two) should absolutely be added to the list.
These give extra light options when you need them, can gather solar power into batteries that then can be used for whatever you need or can use a 12v battery for, and these can further be used in conjunction with other camp, cabin, or house setups to get the most of all your materials.
More power, more energy, and more ways of collecting that energy are all going to lead to more options and a better situation whether short-term or long-term. For individuals obsessed with being prepared for every situation having portable power stations is an inexpensive way to have that extra bit of gear for carrying in a bug out bag as well as having a potential source of power on arrival if you aren't even able to grab that on the way to your properly prepared emergency shelter.
The Ultimate Backup
The Scout Motto is "Be Prepared," and there's no question that a good portable power station does just that. Back-ups for phones, for recording gear, back-up for anything that needs charging, and some solar panels to fold out in an instant. The best models even have emergency lights that can be used as a heavy flashlight or to light the area of a camp or area at night.
Bold North's portable power station gives a ton of value for a low price, gives plenty of use, and allows for the harnessing of solar energy to continually top of the battery and have it ready to go. When you want to be prepared and have everything ready for charging then you definitely want to make sure you have this premium power station on hand.
Author Bio:
Shane is one-half of the Dayton Brothers who run Amazing Outdoor Adventures. Aside from hiking, hunting, fishing, exploring, and stumbling into adventures (trouble) as often as possible, he also loves staying on top of the best new gear for outdoorsmen and that's why he's so excited about the Portable Battery & Power Station from Bold North Outdoors.