The only time you think about power is when you don’t have any. And sure, I could mean in a broader sense, but really what I’m talking about here is the electricity that juices your laptop and phone and pretty much every other thing on earth.
I thought about it when I started camping, which is when I picked up a Jackery power station. What I didn’t expect was how useful it became elsewhere.
Power stations have a lot of utility
Our lives are run by extension cords. But a power station, particularly the petite ones, free us. I use my Jackery 240 (currently $100 off) when friends are over to co-work in the back yard. A power station in the middle allows everyone to juice up when they need it.
Depending on the size of your unit, you can get a lot done in a power outage, particularly if it can power a fan, a heated blanket or a phone. Bigger units (currently $220 off) can power refrigerators and CPAP machines.
Out in your yard, by a pool, or on your patio where there isn’t power, a power station can bring lights, music and a place to charge devices.
Choose the size carefully
Being a noob, I chose the entry size model. If I could go back, I’d get as large a unit as I could afford, but at least a 500 (currently $50 off with coupon). While it’s easy to tote my 240 around, I only get a few hours of heated blanket or laptop power off of it. Paired with a solar panel ($30 off with coupon), it’s very effective for camping. But I become increasingly worried about the power grid and longer stretches of outages, as it’s become so much more common.
Consider what you want to power, and now think about volts and watts. For instance, if you need to power an Instant Pot, that’s a much bigger unit ($570 off with coupon) than the 240. A fridge or freezer will require one of the largest units.
A lot of them are on deep discount right now, and it’s worth surfing over to find one that will fit your lifestyle.
