Portable power pack recommendations
January 4, 2014 8:35 AM Subscribe
Looking for recommendations for a portable battery pack with inverter for 120vac. Bonus points if it can also jump-start a car.
Recent power outages make me think that it might be useful to have a portable power pack on hand, the kind with a built-in battery and inverter that can supply 120vac for a desk light and for the cable modem. If it could jump-start a car in a pinch, that would be great, and if it had a built-in USB power outlet, all the better. Which one do you own and how does it work for you?
Recent power outages make me think that it might be useful to have a portable power pack on hand, the kind with a built-in battery and inverter that can supply 120vac for a desk light and for the cable modem. If it could jump-start a car in a pinch, that would be great, and if it had a built-in USB power outlet, all the better. Which one do you own and how does it work for you?
Response by poster: Great suggestion about the ArkPak, Pogo. Hadn't heard about it - thanks.
posted by BillMcMurdo at 10:27 AM on January 5, 2014
posted by BillMcMurdo at 10:27 AM on January 5, 2014
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Goal Zero has their Yeti line of power packs - and with their solar chargers and whatnot, it's basically plug and play. It won't jump start a car, but you could run a charger off it. It's spendy, though - $2000 plus for a complete setup -but everyone I know that has one loves it.
Slightly less expensive is a sort of build your own - ArkPak. They provide the box, and you supply a battery. You can jump off of it - in fact, most of these I have seen are as secondary/accessory batteries for offroad vehicles and they work well. A good 31m battery is a bit spendy, but if you watch for sales, you can save a bunch of money. About $5-600 for the whole thing.
Finally, little jump packs like this are handy and inexpensive. Not a lot of juice to them, but you can jump a car and it has outlets for charging cell phones and stuff. I have one of these I take on my trips. I charge it off the inverter in my truck, and use it as a backup. My main battery runs my refrigerator and other nonsense. Even with good Low Voltage Cutoffs, I've had to jump a couple of times. It's worked great, but still, I'll be upgrading to an ArkPak in a few months because it is a more robust solution.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 9:11 AM on January 4, 2014