I watched a boatload of your videos I felt I needed to complement you, you’re really good in front of a camera you’re really good at explaining things and breaking it down in ways so we can make a solid decision on what we should purchase you’ve done all the hard work for us and like I said you’re really good at being in front of that camera and laying down the info good job man appreciate all your time you put in to these.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Ben! It is comments like these that keep us going!

@Furniture121

4 жыл бұрын

I'm just coming to these videos as well, and also love the down to earth presentation. It's great to have things explained, yet not feel like you're being talked down to.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

@@Furniture121 Wow, another really nice and genuine comment. You don't get a lot of these type of feedback comments on KZread so it is greatly appreciated Kristian.

@Furniture121

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks I'm still debating a solar generator. We only get out a few times a year, but having power even at home seems like a smart plan.

@spideymcgee4718

3 жыл бұрын

Drew is the man! Best person on KZread by far!

This video was great and answered TONS of questions!!

A very useful, practical review. Thanks for giving the working details about specific items that we all use regularly and for explaining the amp hour math.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

You are most welcome. Glad it was helpful for you.

Thank you so much for this! I have that Rockpals solar generator and I have always wondered if I made the right choice. I think it’s an amazing little machine and it’s great to know someone else loves it as much as I do. Now I’m going to test it a little more aggressively than I have in the past. It completely powered my 4 nights at an RTR (2019) with a 50w portable solar panel and that was my first (and only!) time to try solo SUV camping. It’s a great backup power supply for my emergency kit. I keep it charged up and I feel very smug about having a bit more power than my husband believes that we will need. A little bit of disaster prepping calms my soul. You have a beautiful family and a practical perspective. Thanks again for sharing your journey.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Yes! Love the little Rockpals. Unfortunately they no longer make this unit. And the newer replacement units only accept 60watts of solar. How fun that you got to experience RTR. Would love to go there. Thanks for the super kind comment Joanna. If you haven't seen our Rockpals/refrigerator combo I think you really need to see it. This one will really impress you on what the Rockpals is capable of doing. kzread.info/dash/bejne/aKxtrsaQlq6oocY.html

@Joanna_L

3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks I just watched the fridge video... thank you! I can’t wait to pursue that! Yes... the RTR was awesome. Really nice energy! I’ll go again if possible because I fell in love with the desert. So much so that I just moved to Palm Desert intending to explore more. Happy New Year to you and your subscribers 😀

Thank you for the review and tips on solar generators. I hadn't thought much about them but I think one of these just may be in the near future. I can think of a lot of uses for it.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Shawn! We felt the same way when we first started hearing about these power sources. Once we got our hands on them we realized the possibilities are endless. I think for us the game changer was being able to inflate our 15 foot raft down on the rivers edge or ocean beach without having to maneuver the car close by. Like you I think we will continue to find many uses for it.

Thank you so much! Really informative...and your boys are adorable! It's been fun watching them grow, and love that they are having such a great childhood.

@PlayingwithSticks

Жыл бұрын

Awww, thank you so much. We really appreciate the kind words.

Great video, 👍 good information for every one who needs power on the road !

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it Guido. Lately we have been into all things power. Our next video will be a regular Alaska style video with us back on the road.

Wow, I'd never heard of these solar generators before. Very informative, thanks! That's a pretty slick setup for staying warm that you folks have. Amazing that you're able to run that ceramic heater off of the generator. I had considered that little heater from Amazon as well, but wasn't sure if my setup would be able to handle the load. Our trailer came with a 70 watt panel installed on the roof and it has a little solar charge controller hooked up to a 30ah deep cycle marine battery. I have no idea what any of that means in real world application, but I was thinking the fuse would blow anyways if I even tried plugging one of those tiny ceramic heaters into the 12v socket. Need to look more into this and learn me up some electrical engineering to see if I could get one of those portable ceramic heaters to work with my setup. Always appreciate what you're doing here with this channel. God bless you.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

The little ceramic heaters are only 200 watts. So they can run almost off of any deep cycle battery. The issue is that they can't run too long without draining the battery too far. We use the deep cycle for half the night and then the solar generator for the other half and it seems to do the job. We will have to give it another test once the snow falls. You should be fine plugging one of these heaters into your 12 volt adapter. You will also be surprised how well that little 70 watt panel up here in Alaska keeps your battery maintained (that is if you are only using the battery for lights and charging gadgets). If you ever want to take out any of our gear before purchasing your own just reach out to us and we would gladly let your borrow it for a weekend. Blessings to you and your family as well Evan!

@EvanWharton

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks That's very kind. I appreciate the offer, brother.

Rockpals sent a code for Playing with Sticks viewers to get 15% off a 300 watt powerstation purchase. This is $44.98 off which is much higher than the other discounts we could find on the internet! Complete transparency here, Rockpals is not paying us anything to highlight their products and we get no kickback or commission from any of the items you purchase from them. We truly enjoy their product and thought you may as well. Link bit.ly/300wpowerstation Code: PLAYWM(15% off)

Thanks for sharing your info. I was pleased to see their adapter accommodates mc4 connectors, so no having to purchase brand specific solar panels like some of those manufacturers out there. And nice that it has an mppt controller too. With the goal zero it’s an add on item. I think I know what’s going on the Christmas list 😁😁😁 Great video as always!

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

We didn't want to make the video too long, so we left this part out...Because solar generators are so popular right now we had multiple companies reaching out to us to try their product. We wrote them all back and said great, would it be okay if we put your product side by side with other solar generators? We mentioned the folks who closely follow Playing with Sticks would love a very realistic side by side comparison showing the pros and cons of each unit. Every company, but one, wrote us back and basically said "NO WAY! That would not be good for our brand." Obviously Rockpals was the only one who wrote back and said, "For sure, that wouldn't be a problem at all. We believe in our product!" We thought that was pretty cool. And then if you haven't checked out Will's video that we linked in the video description he further backed our belief in this product with his tests. We think Goal Zero is going to have to step it up a bit in terms of price and features if they are going to compete with brands like Rockpals and Jackery. Thanks for sharing Natalie about the mc4 connectors and the fact that an mppt controller is an add on (additional cost) for other solar generators.

Thanks for the video. a lot of info i was looking for.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Great to hear. Glad it was helpful! Looks like we are going to have to check out your channel. Congrats on the teardrop build!

Will prowse is a great youtube person to watch. Step by step ways to save on various solar set ups based on what your needs are ... just for camping, fulltime vanlife, tiny home, and full on house set up. He sticks with capacity ... so your suggestions on different chargers and appliances is great.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Great tip! Huge fans of Will as well. We are daily sending people his way.

Very helpful real camping review, thanks great job!!! I've watched a few of your videos now.

@ChasinSimplicity

4 жыл бұрын

😮 you are welcome Tina! Lol

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Awesome, thank you Tina!

Diggin' your vids! Thanks for this one. Now you got me looking at small ceramic heaters! Lol!

@PlayingwithSticks

2 жыл бұрын

Right on! If it was us we would suggest the electric blankets first. The heaters are great, but the blankets are much more efficient. We have an entire video about all the blankets we tried out if you are interested.

Very helpful. Thank you.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful Cynthia!

Excellent video !!! Thank you!

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Mirna. And thank you again for the really kind words in your other comment. Love being part of a community with such sweet people.

@36PawsPNWC

4 жыл бұрын

Playing with Sticks you and your family are those kind & good people in this world. We are getting a trailer in November & we are looking forward meeting a lot of wonderful people out there. We hope to do the ALCAN! Alaska is such a beautiful state. We have been to Anchorage and neighboring towns and Fairbanks. I grew up with a wonderful Dad who taught me so much! Watching you & your spouse with your boys reminds me when we did camping as a family. Precious memories! Blessings to you & yours.🙏🏽

KZread why am I now just getting this? Thought I had seen all the vids two weeks ago During the Amazon sale! Anyway thank you bro for the vid.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the video John. We find the same issue sometimes. Right when we need the perfect video, it shows up in our feed right after we needed it.

Great review! :) I have been using one to power my astrophotography gears out in the fields, last just over a night.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Wow, your gear must have some pretty heavy power draw to only last a bit over a night. Would be fun to go out with you and see what you use. I keep saying I want to try it someday, but it is so darn cold out here when the darkness comes I usually wimp out and go home.

@spideymcgee4718

3 жыл бұрын

Any way we can follow you and your work? I love space!

Thank you so much for the educational and entertainment value your videos provide. Thank you for sharing what God has given you.

@PlayingwithSticks

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for the super kind comment! Love getting these.

I have the Aeisuny 288wh solar generator. I like it. The first one leaked acid internally, so I had to send it back and they replaced it, but the new one has been working well. I also have a similar 200 watt heater. Our family loved mine so much that my mom bought one for our guest bathroom (it doesn't have any ducts going to it so it is cold all the time) and it heats it right up!

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

We haven't seen the Aeisuny before. Appears to get good reviews and you have the advantage of a 400 watt over the 300. We were surprised how well the little 200 watt does for such a low price. The build quality feels pretty nice as well. We came across it quite a long time ago when many folks in the place Drew works were using it to heat their small cubicles. It definitely does the job for one person (or a small family if it is a small enclosed space).

Dude, I love your little family man, and your kid is absolutely adorable feed that little mind of his with everything you can. Kids are like sponges. My son is now 12 and we do everything together, you even inspired us to buy a 15 passenger van for snowboarding and downhill mountain bike trips. I'm going to look a little more into this portable generator too, looks super convenient.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Love your Channel name by the way. Big downhill skiers and at one time were downhill bikers. Now, sad to say we don't even have one proper downhill bike in our garage. The hybrids and the snow commuting bikes have taken place of the fun downhill adventures. A 15 passenger van sounds like a great way to bond with your son. As for the portable generator, we love this thing more and more everyday. Honestly we use it almost everyday, even when we are not camping.

@DHFlip18

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks Wow it isn't often you come across someone who knows what a downhill bike is, let alone ride one. Very cool! Sometimes letting go (or pausing) of hobbies is necessary in order to move on to new adventures and experiences, you guys have certainly made some incredible moves. I'm glad technology has brought convenience to the mix as previously the only solution was a gas generator. Two questions: you mentioned the little heater, it seems to work well in the teardrop, do you think it would be enough for a 15 passenger van or should I get a bigger one? And the portable generator... do you think it would have enough power to run a 1,500 watt Ninja blender for 70 seconds? I really enjoy making healthy shakes at home but know that 1500 watts is high. Have you ever tried to run anything like that on your generator?

I recently bought a Jackery Explorer 300 for emergency purposes only. I don't go camping and my outdoor activities that would require one are extremely few and far between, so I didn't invest in a larger unit. It will come in handy in case of a blackout though: recharging phones/laptop, powering a lamp or small fan. It will be enough for 24-48 hours.

Thankyou so much for the Cpap info I needed that for a family member Thanks 🙏 🚍

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Pretty awesome isn't it? Love that it allows everyone to get out there.

Great video!

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks May! Glad you enjoyed it.

THANK YOU!!

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

You are most welcome Robyn!

I got the jackery 500 I think I need more so I think your rock Rockwell use call it is probably my second pick for my second one cuz I think I need both to really go off for 2 weeks thank you you're very informative

Hey guys great review on the solar generator it’s a good product to have in any size camper whether it’s for everyday use or for emergencies.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. I actually used the LEDs on it today to scope out the interior of a new trailer. Fingers crossed the deal goes through tomorrow. We may be the new owners of a vintage money pit trailer!

I just want to say you and your wife appear to be great parents on these videos. Kudos to you both for raising your children with love

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Blaine! We definitely make quite a few mistakes, but learning new things every day with these little guys we love!

Good video by the way

You do such a thorough job, Drew! It sounds like we should add some solar... Right now we only have the small solar battery packs... which are great. We are always looking for ways to conserve battery power. We discovered that the radio (sound system) that comes with our T@G -- even though we never use it, is always on some kind of "stand-by" mode ... and is quite a power bleed. Chris got the fuse out of our TV (which we also never use) but the radio fuse is much more embedded. We camped for only two nights and this morning we were at 11.9. Good thing we were coming home. ... I know adding some solar should help a lot! Your little heater must do a great job. I think the one I bought (1,500w) might be a little too much. We will do a test run before our late Oct. camping trips. William is an extraordinary guy. We've been watching him for a long time. His new forum sounds great! Thanks again, Drew. I hope May is doing well... she must be getting close! Take care! ~ Maria

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Aww thank you! Like you the small battery packs work for us pretty much the entire summer. It is the spring and fall where we use a bit more electricity due to the electric blanket and heater. Wow, that is suprising that the radio is constantly pulling power. Great though that you figured it out. As for the solar it is really nice to have, but a bit of a cost upfront. The 1500 watt heaters you mention are nice because you are able to use it when sitting in your side entry tent. Our little heater requires an enclosed space. If we use it outside only one person benefits from the heat who is sitting directly in front of it. It also seems like you can't find a heater with wattage between 200 watts and 1500 watts. They do have a few 400 watt heaters out there that would probably be a great fit for most small camper needs. Looking forward to hearing how your October test run goes. Will's forum does sound great. I love how he was willing to easily fork out $40-$50 a month to make it happen without posting ads. He is a pretty stand up guy. May is doing great! She is getting a bit antsy, ready to see her little guy. She is due in about 1.5 weeks. But, could be any day! Thanks as usual Maria for supporting the channel and sharing your insights.

@TheGratitudeAttitude

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks Oh May is so close! Your new baby is very blessed to be born into a great family! God bless you all!

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the sweet comment! We truly appreciate it.

good reviews, this week as well as last weeks. So I just watched Wills video, it all makes sense why you went with your unit. I don't know if you noticed, but Will accidentally cut on the LEDs on the rockpal when he was reaching over it. I remember you mentioned that issue during your review.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

That is funny Eric. I didn't even notice him knocking on the lights. Glad to know I am not the only one struggling with fat fingers!

@BOOSTEDLASER

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks How is the new Ravpower unit?

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

@@BOOSTEDLASER We haven't used any of their new products. But still love the original one we own.

I have never thought about how much I take electricity for granted, Im just glad I could stop you going down the same confusing and costly road I went down. I have a personal reason for disliking, gas and oil companies. So that why its so important to me. Sorry for the rants!!

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Love the rants. It is the rants that make this comment section feel so personal. We really started making videos to join a community. RANTS make a great community :)

Great review, great resource for setting realistic expectation. Watching that toaster made laugh hard, reminded me of the first time I tried powering my panini press with a stupid AGM battery, and 3000w inverter from Canadian tire(charged with a 100 amp flexible solar panel and PWM controler). Man was I clueless! I couldn't find if this Generator/Battery bank has a internal temperature control switch/relay for cold climates, Since the you could destroy it charging in freezing weather with solar. I keep my Demotic fridge in the back of the outlander, rather than in the teardrop connected to my battleborns. I worry if I forget to unplug the solar or shore power while were out having fun not constantly paying attention temperature. Will is the man! !Thanks for the Video! Hope you guys don't get blinded by the light.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Quite funny I actually had high expectations that the toaster would work. Then I looked at the bottom and realized I had quite a few watts to go to be able to power it. I think the new Jackery would be pretty close to making it happen! We haven't heard about charging in freezing weather. Thanks for the heads up on that.

@mikewagemann4129

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks to power cooking elements like a toaster, panini press, stove top you need at least a 3000 watt pure sine wave inverter, then you need at least 300 (3/100) amp of lithium or triple that for AGM battery power. Basically if your goal is to have toast while boon docking use gas, or be willing to spend $6000 US for the standard common solar system with decent batteries and a good warranty. Please dont go down the same road I went down, I see you heading there. All solar generators (solar generator is just a marketing term like Artisan, green or worlds famous) don't generate anything, the best "generator" on the market are great to charge basically anything that isnt cooking, A/C or freezing and that's it! The kodiak is the most "powerfully" paper weight that could power a low power air conditioner for a short time period, but whats the point of spending 8 hour of shore power to charge it just to be kinda less warm for a hour? I am building the teardrop with a standard lithium system that has all the bells and some whistles, $6000 all in for the system alone, not because im rich, but because im stupid and stubborn. A local solar provider laugh at me when i told him what I wanted to do, now I cant wait to show this complete stranger the build. Like a modern day Moby dick, if the captain could understand micro aggression. As for the charging a lithium battery in -0 Celsius im sure you can get a car battery warmer, or I have a led on a new product not yet on the market. its like $60 per battery. if you want could send you the info?

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Love this post Mike! Sometimes it is more about the pursuit than they end. But, you are so right you can chase these things and before you know it you have invested more than you probably will see in returns. Your toaster comment really surprised us! That is crazy how complicated it gets to toast some bread. Good to know I can just stop where I am at in terms of solar and return to toasting the bread over the propane stove.

I'm impressed that it can run a 60inch TV for over 3 hours. I appreciate you doing all theses tests. You're proving to me (and soon enough my wife) that we will be able to live in our teardrop of need be! How many of these electric/solar/gas generators do you carry with you for a week trip? I'm thinking of having at least 2 electric/solar and I may get a quiet gas one for emergencies.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Like you Ryan, we were really surprised how well these little things power everyday items. For the majority of our travels we only took out a small power bank, just enough to charge our phones. Then two years ago we got a little 280 watt Rockpals that you saw in this video. This was more than enough for phones, all our video making equipment (laptop, camera batteries, drone batteries), and all our camp and teardrop lighting. But, then we picked up more heaters and electric blankets. Since then power stations have become a bit of an obsession. Now in the spring and summer I will only carry the 500 watt AC50s as my main power station, but still bring the 300 watt rockpals as a backup as it only weighs 7 lbs. In the fall and winter I will bring out the large 1,500 watt Bluetti with the 500, plus the 300 for running all the heating elements. This is what I have been using every week this winter and have been loving it. Makes it a bit cramped in the teardrop, but cold is a thing of the past.

@spideymcgee4718

3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks I can totally see it becoming an obsession. The teardrop we ordered has 100w of solar built in and we want to get another 100w with the 500 jackery. Thinking that should be plenty of power to start. Only me and one of my boys will be winter camping, if anyone other than myself so I'm not too concerned about a heat source yet. I have heard just the pilot light on the buddy heater can be enough warmth in a teardrop? I'll test that statememt soon enough. I did want to ask you how difficult it is to use a marine/car battery as power? I was thinking of adding one for emergency power, but I'm not an electrician by any means.

Awesome review

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Glad it was helpful!

Wow! That rock pal is really a nice generator. But as a senior on a really tight fixed-income, I will have to pray for Santa Claus to bring me one. I'm afraid that's way out of my budget. I do have a very quiet Generac iq2000 generator that I bought used from a guy for $200. It's really quiet pulls my 8000 BTU air conditioner, small refrigerator, lights and everything. I don't use it much only if the weather's hot to cool it down during the afternoon before going to bed. I would love to go all solar but right now cannot afford it. Thanks for all your hard work and presenting this good information to me. Maybe my next life.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

These generators are a bit costly. The benefit of your very quiet generator is you never have to worry "will it power this or that." The idea of solar is great if you are in it for the long haul, but it is a bit of an investment upfront. Glad you enjoyed the video even though we didn't completely win you over. Thanks as usual for all your support of the channel!

Great video!!!🌝⚘💥💕

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

I've been watching your videos for a while even before I bought a tear drop. It was an amazing deal, brand new and never used yet so I couldn't pass it up. I haven't had the chance to take it out yet but been looking into a way to have portable power so thanks for the video

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

You are going to have such a fun time with that teardrop! Not, to persuade you otherwise. BUT, it sounds like you may not be in a huge hurry to use it. If you put it up for sale today you could probably get a couple thousand more than you paid for it. Everybody wants a small trailer this year and they are really hard to find.

@noobfisherman1626

3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks Yep hard to find one here at Washington State right now thats why we settles with a Pop Up. I believe even the companies that makes them here have a long wait time because of back up orders.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

@@noobfisherman1626 I think you will be pleasantly surprised by that pop-up. There was a reason why they were so popular for such a long time. I think they are just a little out of style right now. Meaning, people are used to them and want something new. But, they really are great little trailers.

I just bought a golabs 300 and so far so good. I actually bought it so I can take my laptop remotely and not worry about needing something to plug into. I use it around the house too (probably to justify the purchase). I use my 12V air compressor to fill the car tires and it took only 8% of the battery for all four cars (my kids are bigger than yours). i just find there are times when I need a little extra power on the go (beach to fill up those inflatables). Maybe I'll actually go camping with it soon. Great channel btw.

@carolannbest1925

Жыл бұрын

I have a Go Labs 300 watt power station..works good..but my bluetti eb55 and eb3a take first prize..for price and performance..

Thanks for the review. Solar generators are very handily and versatile. For weekend campers or travelers, they make a lot of sense. One gross universal lithium weakness is intolerance to cold, so it is important to stay within their operating parameters. A total power alternative (though not versatility alternative) is the same money could buy more or better house batteries too, yielding in a lot more power per $.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Good point on the cold. When we initially got into solar generators we heard quite a few comments about heat impacting the batteries longevity. But, like you said it seems cold is a major weakness as well. Which is good to know, because one of our main plans for this portable power supply is to use it to capture northern lights timelapses. We have never had the battery capability to power our gear long enough to capture an entire aurora show. Looks like we will be making a warm wrap to go around the battery. The funny thought that just came to my head was to use the electric blanket powered by the solar generator to keep it warm.

@mikemead2315

4 жыл бұрын

Playing with Sticks, LOL Yeah, heaters are a common lithium accessory. If you look at the parameters, usually usage in cold is far more tolerant then charging.

great idea...i am getting one...thank you...

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

They are pretty awesome aren't they? It is funny before we had one we didn't understand why they were gaining so much popularity. We GET IT Now! Someday we want to do something ridiculous with ours. Like have an extended family hike with blankets and food. And when we get to our destination we show a film like "River Runs Through It" projected on a cliff face.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Out of curiosity what do you plan on powering with your solar generator? We thought it would be fun to find out what other folks are using them to power.

@sherrcon

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks /just for camping and home emergency...although I need a bigger output to run the fridge at home like a generator but that is noise...there are reports of shady people stealing those...and gas to not last forever and the problem of storing gas...but it's always good to have an alternative just in case...then I was thinking about the availability of sunlight with this solar but gosh, you guys in Alaska have longer days than night...you're video is good...I see you can just ramble on and on without stuttering saying ah ah ha...lol...I always enjoy your vids...

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing. After our big earthquake this year we now have a larger gas powered generator and deal with the issues of storing gasoline year round. Not super difficult, but it is one more thing you have to remember to refresh each season. We are really fortunate to have so much sun. We tried doing a solar video this summer, but realized our outcomes were much better than most folks would get. Our angle of the sun and the amount of the sun keeps everything running on very minimal solar panels. We found it would be hard to suggest what to get based on our useage. We plan on doing a test the next time we take a big trip to the "Lower 48." Glad to hear you enjoy the vids. I try not to ramble too much, but it is hard when I get so excited about a topic. All these topics are so fun to share!

@DHFlip18

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks now THAT is an idea!

Great review and something that I have been looking at buying for my Jeep to run the refrigerator on.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

That sounds like a great use for it. Rockpals and Jackery both have a 500 watt which I think would be perfect for that.

I have the model you are showcasing, I don't camp or boondock. The unit was bought on sale for $240, I also bought the 100w panel from RockPals which was also on sale, I think it was $170. It is always plugged in, use it mostly for charging cell phones. We have frequent power outages here in Maine, so it comes in handy at those times. Having one of these units gives me a measure of comfort, when the power is out, I know I will have a cell phone to make calls, etc. RockPals now has a 500w model. I never liked the handle design on the Jackery. I also have a 4000w gas generator. I also want to get a 3000w solar generator, Bluetti or the Titan.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

You said it perfectly with the "peace of mind." That is how we feel about ours. Great to know during all our power outages and earthquakes that we can power the basic necessities. We own a Bluetti 1,500 watt and are loving it. We thought we would have no need for that much power, but it is great for running electric blankets and small space heaters under 250 watts.

we used a 12 volt heater in the teardrop along with the 12 volt bedwarmer

I saw a small heater the Outsider used in his snow mobile camper... and went looking for small heaters, I have been staying outside in my greenhouse and was pushing how long I can keep tomatoes alive, got to February for last harvest... was using a 750 watt setting on a regular portable heater... found 3 small heaters 400 watt, 300 watt, and the 200 watt you were holding up...the 400 watt has a thermostat that works better for the greenhouse where i live, greenhouse more to keep water from drowning plants. The 300 watt ceramic works as a helper heater. I went Goal Zero after the switch to lithium and MPPT controllers, and a Westinghouse 300s for a power outage to keep my landline and router up... the Goal Zero 150 got converted to running backup for my wi-fi extender... mine was the only wi-fi up in my neighborhood... our outages are rare events but the last one was several hours. Been seeing a ton more power stations as they get cheaper with MPPT installed... The Westinghouse was cheaper, but 8 watts to keep router up, useful backup

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

What you may like about that thermostat I should was that it can be submersed in water or the ground to get those temps as well. Really cool to hear about your success using the power stations for emergencies.

@ACheshireCat2001

3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks my reference to keep plants from drowning in water , did not relate to heat thermostat features, but more to the reason for the greenhouse... our climate includes a lot of rain, the rain often is too much for proper plant growth...my use of the little heaters is to push the temps up a little when they get below the 40 to 50 degrees the constant rains tend to set.

Buy a color plastic to change the bright light, green blue red yellow,great Info.thank you

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Great idea. Thank you. So simple.

Love your videos. Your son is so cute!

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks guys! Looks like you haven't posted any videos yet. Let us know when you do. We love family travel channels.

Glad you guys covered Cpaps. Is the 3 days running off the 12 volt or off the actual 120watt plug? My battery set-up did 3 nights also but is much larger and heavier. Which is why our next episode will cover our new setup running off our camper battery and a new 12 volt plug.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Ooh I should have mentioned that. To get three days you have to pickup a 12 volt/DC adapter. Good point. If you were to run it off the 120 watt plug you would lose quite a lot of energy through the inverter. You can buy the adapters on Amazon. RockPals makes an adapter specficially for Cpaps and for their products. Can't wait to see your video on the new setup. I know electricity is not the most exciting topic for everyone. But, right now it is currently the topic that has peaked my personal interest. Again, loved the video on your outdoor Scamp table you just put out. Thanks for always giving us great ideas!

@sarick407

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks Man. I'm 53 and NEED my Cpap. I literally stop breathing! I've been all over looking at discussions but have not typed in Cpap use while boon docking. So this review and this comment and response has helped me plan and prepare better. Now I have to look further into this RockPals as you're saying they have the attachments for Cpap use. I'm just weekend warrior doing things. So, 3 days out should do the trick for my Cpap needs. Thanks @OurScampLife and @PlayingwithSticks. Till next time, Cheers!

This review on 911 is SO Warm.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Is 911 a KZread channel? Not quite sure what you are referring to.

We’ve got four of them, different sizes. We live in hurricane country, and along with that goes anywhere from a day to a week or more without power. Keeping phones charged, running mini fridge, a portable icemaker, recharging rechargeable fans, and the cpap are all vital used for us. Of course it also supplements our regular batttery powered lighting with usb wired led lights. We can always have one or two charging in daylight with solar panels and the larger ones go a couple days between charges. They save us on purchasing gas and keeping a gasoline supply. A 500w inverter for the car supplements our needs. I won’t look back. These things are the way to go!

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

We love the idea of having multiple sizes. We own three of these now and find they all have their strong points. And similar to you, we keep ours on reserve for earthquake emergencies up here. Sounds like you probably get a lot more practice using yours than we do. Pretty wild weather on your side of the country.

hi. love your videos. what solar panel do you use to charge the rockpals? do you have a link to it?

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

We used a borrowed panel for our test. We would suggest any suitcase style solar panel. We have heard goo things about both Rockpals and Jackery. Our current panels are pretty small and take quite a long time to recharge the solar generator due to the panels being trickle chargers.

Thanks

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Welcome!

Loved this video we are looking at getting something like this but bigger. I have also thought about building something as well. This is very informative about the draw and how long stuff lasts love it.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Love the idea of building your own. A great resource if you aren't familiar with him already is Will Prowse's channel. We just released a video on the Bluetti 1500. For us it really is a perfect size. The video is basically about does it fit into the teardrop lifestyle and is it best to have multiple smaller generators? Also we show run times of items we use it to power. You may find that one interesting as well.

@GrayLineOverland

3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks nice I was watching it earlier and had to leave but I will see it tonight

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

@@GrayLineOverland We saw a screenshot from your shake down video on Bean's Twitter page. Loved it! I think the caption was Please Jesus Protect my Bean. Or something similar to that.

@GrayLineOverland

3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks lol yeah we love that they put that in there lol. All our journeys require faith and the beauty we see is a gift from God and shows His glory and majesty.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Love it. Fellow believers here as well!

I might be calculating this incorrectly, but here we go: the

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

We agree with everything you said in terms of cost and the fact that they really are not generators. Here is an answer we gave someone a month or two ago, that we thought you may be interested in. We realize you know all this, based on your comment, but thought we would share for others if they see this. Hi Dandy Dan! Okay, I will try to quickly answer you on this one. Great topic by the way. I see both sides of the argument. Yes, AGM batteries are much more affordable upfront investment and like you said even when factoring in a 50% discharge to about 12 volts they still win out in terms of cost in a pretty big way. I think there are 2 facets to the other side of the argument, one side we agree with 100% and the other there is room for debate. Let's start with the debatable one. For those purchasing lithium ion they see it as a long term investment. Basically the majority of tests show that over the long term the batteries end up on par or better than AGM in terms of cost due to the increased number of discharges that they allow (especially when it comes to the newer LifePO4s. Did I even spell that right? . However, we have seen other independent tests that say the majority of testers aren't truly discharging to the 90% that they say they are and that the projections for life are only based on a 50% discharge rate. Either way 50% or 90% they still test to have many, many more discharge/recharge cycles vs an AGM. But here is where I think many people get misled on this. Yes, some of these batteries can last 10-15 years, but at the rapid rate our technology is advancing, in 5 years there will be a much more efficient and maybe even more affordable battery that will out-compete even the Lifep04. So instead of holding onto your Lithium for 10 years and reaping the benefits, you probably will upgrade to a different battery which means you would have been much better off in the first place puchasing an AGM if cost was the major factor for you (which is your argument, and is a good one). BUT, here is the 2nd facet. For many of us, including our family, cost IS NOT the factor we have chosen to use solar portable generators. It is the WEIGHT and SIZE. Have you seen the weight on this 300 wh generator in this video? It weighs 7 pounds and fits in my hand effortlessly. Lithium has higher energy density which means that it can store more energy per mass than AGM. We still carry an AGM battery in our trailer. We also carry an inverter and a charge controller, and everything else associated with our trailer's electrical system. And boy does it take up space and add weight. Once we maxed out the capacity of our AGM battery in terms of needing more power at the campsite, our only option was to get another battery to run in series or parallel. Well, there is also solar. This would have added a ton of weight and required space that our little 4X8 teardrop did not have. Literally there would be no space for a second battery in our galley. So the simple solution is a solar power generator. And why the generator vs a standalone lithium battery? This for us is the largest benefit, portability. We use this thing all around the campsite, at remote job sites, and we hook it up to trailers that we rent on Outdoorsy.com that don't have their own dedicated electrical, but do have an input for shore power. Again you are definitely right about the benefits of an AGM, not to mention their cold weather performance, which is key up here in Alaska. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Dan. It is comments like this that really get us thinking. Safe travels out there, once and hopefully things get a little closer to normal out there.

@terebrate

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks thanks for such a thorough reply. Am learning a lot here on your channel.

Ty sir

@PlayingwithSticks

Жыл бұрын

Hey again. You are most welcome!

Thank you sooo much for the information sir..i just ordered that same power inverter..you just showed me how to hook up a small heater..wasent sure it could do that..important information..thanks

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

You are most welcome. We continue to use our Rockpals much more than we thought we ever would. We are hooked. It looks like they even have a higher powered version out now for an additional $100. Which basically means we all could power that heater even longer.

@wb7370

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks with the new 300w rockpal comming, I'll have a total combined wattage of 850 watts with the other 3 power units that i now have..just ordered the lasko 200w heater today, ill stay warm in my ford truck this winter in NY..thanks again sir..ps:that 300w rockpal is now 195 dollars on amozon..

I think the Kodiak Ienergy is the best of the best. Specially their new flex can run totally off grid setup and can power literally everything. Nice video though for something thats a budget type.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing this. We have heard about the Kodiak line, but this is the first time we actually researched them. Appreciate you bringing this to our attention Lance.

Thks for the great video clips ! Can that 330 w power bank enough to power a 500 watts output ceramic personal heater ? Thank you ! Where did you the blue My Heat heater ?

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately not. It has a peak or surge wattage of 700, but consistently it can only run up to 330 watts. And the other issue would be at 500 watts you would probably want a higher capacity power bank to get more time out of it. The little purple heater can be purchased on Amazon, Walmart, really almost any box store. It is from the brand Lasko.

may i recommend you look into the DIGITEN Digital LCD Thermostat Pre-Wired Temperature Controller Heating Cooling 2 Stage Outlet. you plug your ceramic heater (i have the same one) into the digiten and it acts as a thermostat. your heater will cycle on and off at the temperature you set the thermostat to. just a thought. good vid, thumbs up

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

David! Where have you been all our lives. This is one of the best tips we have received on this channel. And the item is only $30. You will have saved us many nights of waking up to cold just to turn on the heater, to then turn it right back off. A really big thank you from all of us to you!

@mrdave22

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks thanks for replying, that was nice of you. i hope you enjoy it.

@jpack67

2 жыл бұрын

That's a super useful tip. Thanks

What is the little heater that you use??

Ty

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Good review. One of the drawback of Rockpal is that 12v is not regulated. So voltage will drop as battery capacity drop. I'd like to see if you can run your blanket with battery at low capacity.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

That is a bit of a drawback. In Will's video we saw how other brands have a bit of a booster for boosting the 12 volt power when the battery is lower, unlike the Rockpals that just shuts off. With larger items like the heater you can see this in action pretty well. When there still is some juice left in the battery the heater turns off. However, with the electric blanket it is a lot less noticeable. We did a test where we ran the blanket all night. When it turned off we were still able to power an led light bulb. However the light bulb didn't run near as long as we thought it would. I can't remember now how long the bulb ran, but it was definitely less than an hour or two. I think these electric blankets have pretty low draws.

@BrianHSC

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks Thanks, that's very good information and helped me in making my choice!

Can you do a similar video on the Awanfi A61 500W portable power station?

It could be useful indeed! (Y)

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

We keep getting new ideas for how to use it everyday. Some of them are quite ridiculous like bringing a shaved ice machine on top of a mountain to celebrate the summer solstice!

What heater do you recommend I need to get one for my van? Small space like a teardrop

Thank You. Since you are in Alaska, in case you are unaware, Lithium batteries are damaged if recharged below (in some cases 32F in other +20F). AGM batteries might be a better choice for those camping in cold conditions. This is also true in very hot conditions. =Cosmo

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

We actually were not aware of this until receiving comments after this video. We had heard quite a few things about heat, but now cold is on the list as well. Thanks Cosmo for sharing.

@rebellucy5610

4 жыл бұрын

AGM batteries weigh a ton. Stick with Lithium. I doubt you will be camping in below freezing temps.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Good counterargument. Thank you for sharing this!

Niiiiiiiice😎👍 just ordered one from amazon, wish i had it already, no power here in jersey 😫

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Awesome. You are going to love it. Have you seen this video yet from us kzread.info/dash/bejne/aKxtrsaQlq6oocY.html We always love this thing, but this test of powering a refrigerator off grid is what made us over the moon about it.

@JerseyStyle7

4 жыл бұрын

I actually ordered it from the Rockpals website, I decided to go with a bigger model I got the 500 Watt one with a 100w solar panel, and then i went on amazon and got the 53 quart dual zone fridge/freezer 😎👍

If I asked a genie to design me a video that answers all the questions I've had about portable power for YEARS, this is the video I would have gotten! I've always wanted to run a small heater and I've always heard it was impossible...

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear this was helpful! We have a whole video on the best low powered heaters if you are interested.kzread.info/dash/bejne/eqyom5qbk9C3hNY.html

Thank you. I’ve been looking at BioLite and will compare to this.

You should do a version of radiant heating in your trailer by putting something under your bed sheets. You'll get the benefits of heating your body and also heating the space as a byproduct.

What kind of solar panels recharge every " night"?

Is it not possible to find one that has a rechargeable battery that you can keep charged up in your house for emergencies? When we have blizzard conditions? There's not much solar to count on but if I could get some hours with a rechargeable battery like some of my tools have it would be a good start

Just found you as I"m getting my teardrop delivered in October. Love your channel! So this might be a silly question (and if you answered it im sorry i missed it). Can the Rockpal power pack and panels be used to charge the battery that will be installed in my trailer? I believe it is 75ah agm battery. I looked on "the google" and I either wasn't asking the right question, or this obviously isn't something that can be done. Thanks for your videos and any advice you might have regarding this issue!

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Yes for sure. The solar panels with the right connector will be able to charge you AGM battery. The solar portable generator would be able to charge your battery, but that would equate to a lot of wasted power converting power from one source to another. I wonder if there is a way you can do it without a power loss? This I am not sure of. But, in all reality the best thing to do is use the solar panels for both the AGM and your solar portable generator. This way you only need one set. And then if your AGM runs out, what we do is attach our shore power extension cord to the solar portable generator. Now you are running your entire trailer off your generator. Again, this wastes power because you have to use the inverter. I bet there is someway to connect the solar portable generator directly to your trailers power supply and only run the 12volt dc power so no power would be lost. This would probably be a simple upgrade to your electrical system.

@10seconds415

3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks Thank you for this specific video and all of your great content! We recently purchased a 13 foot Scamp and are looking at options to power while dry camping. Between your videos and the recommended comparison video I believe we will purchase the Rockpals unit due to the quick solar charge. Question: I understand that there is wasted power if you plug your shore into the solar generator but do you have a sense of how much? Sorry if this is a dumb question...trying to get my head around this :) Seems that if you use a quick charge solar generator this might offset the loss between DC and AC. Sound right? Thanks again!!

Just stepped back into camping with my new tear drop trailer. After some mistakes I learned I need a back up to my portable solar panels to maintain my trailer battery. I have not seen anyone cover using this to recharge the trailer battery. I think I have to use a trickle charger contacted to the generator, I did not want to carry more stuff. I has anyone seen one help recharge the trailer battery?

I started last summer with a Nexpow 150w 178wh solar power battery and although it is small you can do a lot with it with things that don't pull a lot of power. I first saw it reviewed on HoboTech and he really liked it and I was able to get it for $95. I wanted to get a second solar battery, or sogen as Professor Hobo calls them, in the 500w range but on cyber Monday I found a 300w Progeny (no, I'd never heard of that brand either) for under $200 which has great features for a solar battery in that price range with pass through charging (meaning you can power a device with it as it is charging), pure sine wave (haven't checked if that's true for sure even when it's claimed) and a regulated 12v output. You can also wirelessly charge a cell phone, if yours does that, by placing it on top of the battery. Its solar charging is pwm but the seller said they are upgrading to mppt (faster charging) in January of 2021 and evidently will offer an exchange for those who purchased it earlier. It charges with the same Rockpals 60w folding panels I use for my Nexpow which is handy. I've found that it will power the My Heat little personal space heater before it shuts down at 10% power (a 90% usable battery power for AC is good). Although the My Heat is supposed to be a 200w heater, the Progeny showed it as pulling 175w and it lasted an hour and 15 minutes which works out just as long as it should last. Next year I may pick up a larger battery so I'll have a small, medium, and large but it good to have other options while another of the batteries may need recharging.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

You sound a lot like us Steve. We are finding we like to carry around 2 or 3 different batteries all in different sizes. Love hearing that yours has pass through charging, pure sine, and is regulated. And wow, they will swap you for their new MPPT when it comes out, what a deal! Now what these solar power stations show in terms of watts going out seem to be really different by brand. Our Bluettie power stations show the My Heat at about 194 and our Rockpals and Kill-a-watt- meter show it at 205. But in the end it doesn't really matter once you get to know your power station and how long items run on it. I don't know if you have seen our big vs small video yet. But in that video we also own a 1,500 watt generator. I got it, because I thought it would make a funny video where I got to say it was way too ridiculously large for small camper trailers. But, I actually found it really isn't that big and it has been super nice having that much backup power for emergencies.

@stevec3872

3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks I've figured that my Progeny 300 has 270 usable watts on AC and the My Heat that it was showing as pulling 175-176w and lasting for 75 minutes came out nearly right on that number as did my heating pad pulling 45w and lasting 6 hours. They say they will swap it out for the newer version next month and I hope so because here in Wisconsin in December there is just not enough sun to get it charged in a day using PWM. I did see the video on the big vs small batteries, but price is what would keep me from going to a 1500 watt. I've seen HoboTech do a review on the Bluette AC50S 500wh which has great features and I like the increased watt hours. It seems like Bluetti just got them back in stock at their warehouse and is now shipping them. Some people are upset with Bluetti because the improved AC50 battery came out just months after the original.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

That is interesting that people got upset. The narrative I heard is that they listened to the people because they all said the AC50s was nice, but need a few tweaks. So they tweaked it. But, I'm guessing the upset people assumed they already had the technology, but released a dummy down version first so they could release the upgraded model soon after. I really hope that isn't the case.

@stevec3872

3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks Well at least the seller of the Progeny 300 which I just got and comes with PMW said they would exchange it for the MPPT version that comes out next month (although this battery has been available for over 2 1/2 years now). I don't know how they would do that or what the procedure would be but I hope it's reasonable. Like I said, PMW is just too slow to solar charge on a Wisconsin winter even very sunny day because there's just not enough of the day to do it. I probably need a bigger solar panel than my Rockpals 60w though.

Do you have a link to the small ceramic space heater you were using? Thanks!

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Of course amzn.to/3jUcE12 This summer we found another heater that has two settings, low is at 170 and high is at 250 Sounds like it would be a great option for many of us. It is the same price as the heater in the video. Here is that link as well amzn.to/324ZNmr

As I was planning my RV build I first connected all my A/C and D/C devices to the battery to make sure everything worked before I started burying wires and installing hardware. Notice how the lights are always placed where they shine right in your eyes? (Except the Jackery)

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

That is a really great tip Jeff. And yes, as I mentioned in the video that light is quite annoying. Not only does it shine directly in your eyes, it accidentally comes on quite often.

My friend just bought one of these. I'm glad I did not steer her wrong. As an aside, a grown human emits about 175W of heat.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

She made a good choice. For the price and what you get it is a pretty easy decision. 175 Watts now that is a fun stat. We have never heard that before. We are about to have another child in the next day or week. That is one more portable heater for the family! Thanks for sharing Chad.

@nomadchad8243

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks I got that stat from a doc about designing interiors of aircraft. They fill eachseat with a dummy and a 175w heater to mimic the heat and airflow of a full airplane.

@nomadchad8243

4 жыл бұрын

Congratulations. We just had our second and the Boler's gotten full'er.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

@@nomadchad8243We can't remember if you mentioned earlier that you have a Boler! We love those little Bolers. Up here we come across quite a few Scamps and Burros, but a Boler is hard to find!

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

@@nomadchad8243 Now that is even more interesting! That one will definitely stick in our minds.

I just bought the BALDR 330, 330watts, solar generator, mainly for the purpose of backup heat. I can't wait to try my small electric blanket vs. a 250 watt ceramic heater vs. a 12v car heater. Hopefully none of them kill my generator. I heard it won't run a small 12v fridge because the BALDR 12v port isn't regulated (meaning its output will drop over time to 9v and less?), so the fridge will stop working sooner than say a generator with a regulated 12v port. I'm hoping this doesn't stop my 12v car defroster/heater from running at all.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

If you insulation is good. We suggestion a little bit of heater before going to bed and a lot of blanket throughout the night. If you have poor insulation we suggest just staying with the blanket. As for the 12 volt fridge I think we have the perfect video for you. It is how we run our 12 volt fridge from our 300 watt Rockpals that also has no regulated power. It can be done. It is all about the solar! Here is the link kzread.info/dash/bejne/aKxtrsaQlq6oocY.html I think this video will really get you excited about what your power setup can do, even when not regulated. The unregulated outputs shouldn't stop your 12 volt car defroster/heater. It really is for things with sensitive electronics that must maintain certain degrees of temp, amps, watts, etc.

One thing I forgot to mention. I don’t know if the 120v inverter on that unit is perfectly “clean”. If it is a Modified Sine Wave or a poorer quality Sine Wave at its power limits, items that work with timers etc. will not work correctly even if it is within the wattage limit of the generators. My 290 watt dumb heat-setting-only crockpot would work fine.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

It is rated as pure sine wave. But, like you mentioned that is the manufacturers "rating." I haven't noticed on any tests, especially Will's tests, where they have found it to produce unclean current. In the video we tested the rice cooker. We should have tried the crock pot, requires quite a bit less watts.

The jackery takes two days to charge up. The rock pals charges much faster

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

That is really good to know. Thank you for sharing this!

@mikemead2315

4 жыл бұрын

Lisa and mandi on the road, Charge time of portable power stations is something I am now very aware. Even some of the little pocket USB units can take over 20 hours to recharge! It also maters how these power stations will be recharged. It looks like the fastest charging is from house and car - solar is slowest (larger faster solar charge controllers they use internally are a lot more expensive). So, yeah, charge times are a very good point to consider. Good one.

@JerseyStyle7

4 жыл бұрын

Yup this was recommended by will solar kid on KZread, kids a genius 👍👍

@ashleykbarks

3 жыл бұрын

Jackery recently decided to replace the old charging electric board with an MPPT charger so now most of them should charge much much quicker.

@bigmangmc

3 жыл бұрын

Well there are new versions of Jackery. Don't sleep on them

What is your ceramic heater? I'm curious about it.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

The heater is the little 200 watt from Lasko. But, we found a new one this year that may be even better. It has dual watts. I wish I can remember the brand. But one of the settings was actually lower than 200 watts. I think it was like 130? I found it at a big boxstore. But I can't remember if it was Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot.

I run two EcoFlow Delta’s and a River. Have four portable solar panels. EcoFlow has the most powerful inverter and the fastest charging times. Blows the Jackery away.

Hair dryer? I don’t want to go a week without washing my hair, especially after getting sweaty on the trail! Air-drying is only an option in hot weather, which accounts for nearly *zero* of my camping. Going to bed with damp hair means being cold all night! I’ve recently done an online search for low wattage hair dryers to use with one of these types of generators and they all seem to be well over 1000 watts. If you find a better option, please mention it in a future video. I welcome the time *away* from TV while camping, but I do want to be clean and comfortable!

A good work around for seeing how many watts are recharging your DC devices is to use the AC adapter. When done this way, my ipad recharges using 12 watts, my iphone recharges using 6 watts.

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Interesting....So let me see if I understand. We plug the kill-a-watt meter into the wall, plug the solar portable generator into that. And then into the Solar Portable generator we plug in a DC powered item. This way we can pick up the watts through the Kill-a-watt correct? So simple, funny that we never thought of this. We just tried doing a test the other day and was bummed that we didn't have a DC reading.

@jockoward8053

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks No. I was just using an ipad AC adapter to charge an ipad to determine watts used. Most DC gadgets have AC wall adapters. Something else I noticed when using this method... the Rockpals wattage output drops as the device nears full charge. Example: Ipad is 52%... I plug it in to Rockpals using AC port... beginning draw is 14 Watts.... (an hour later..) Ipad is now 75% drawing 11%. Continues that way until at 99% draw is 3%. Not sure why that happens... the fuller the device the fewer watts being drawn. So it appears there is an advantage in not allowing your DC devices to completely drain before recharging.

@christopherlohse5792

3 жыл бұрын

Hi you like Renee's camper on the otherside

If I have one of the 1000 battery car jumper and air compressor packs will that work the same way and will I ruin it if I use it to power things by running it down and charging it back up

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Sorry Tammie I am not quite sure what you are referring to. Could you leave me a link to the car jumper and compressor packs?

Is there a timer you recommend to accompany this product?

@PlayingwithSticks

2 жыл бұрын

I have only tried one brand. Unfortunately no recommendations for me as I haven’t had a chance to branch out.

I don’t know if you’re going to see this or not but I was wondering if you have a link for the 12 V electric blanket sounds like something I want to keep for a back up plan, I bought the rock pals 500 W about two months ago before I even got my camper lol, because we lost power here in Jersey 1 nite, so the next day I went online and bought a power source lol

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

We have a video coming out about this in a month or so (our 3 favorite electric blanket/pads). The budget blanket we mention doesn't seem to be on Amazon anymore. However, from my research I think it is the same as the popular Road Pro blanket. But, we found another blanket, well really a heated mattress pad that is amazing. Little pricy though at $90. Here is the affiliate link for that amzn.to/32steif. the budget blanket is great at 2am, but takes literally that long to warm up. The $90 blanket is almost instant and has multiple heat settings.

can this run an attwood marine blower for 8 hours straight?? i need power for the swamp cooler fan

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Not sure, but there is an easy way to find out...Working time = portable power station size in watt hours * 0.85 / operating power of your device. For example, assuming the power of your device is 50W, and you have a 540 watt hour portable generator. The working time will be 540WH*0.85/50w=9 hrs (roughly calculated).

@noracarvalho8323

3 жыл бұрын

Hey that Atwood marine blower u mentioned is awesome isn’t it?..we installed one in our homemade portable A/C ice chess and is pretty powerful!😎🤙

The Rockpals with the mppt is the fastest charging of all the small watt generators.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

It truly is. None of our other power stations from reputable companies have come even close in terms of solar recharge times.

Rockpal seems to be a good power station..I have a Go Labs 300 watt a Bluett eb55 700 watts AC and a bluetti eb3a.600 watts AC..which both have fast charging..very reasonably priced...my heaters are both Honeywell..and perform similar to your heater..coffeemaker Salton..Dash ..for quick grill and lunchbox stove..electric blanket both AC and DC...both bluetti can power my fridge..in my home..i also have a road pro 12 volt cooler..all my power stations work well for power outages and camping ..solar both rigid and portable..i do have a dual stove which uses propane and butane... ..hoping to combat power outages and camping with ease and safety..newbie here..Ontario Canada

@PlayingwithSticks

Жыл бұрын

Wow, your gear sounds so similar to ours. We have had great success with Bluetti as well.

What’s a good 12 volt blanket?

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

I love when people ask a question that we have a specific video designed around the question. Here it is kzread.info/dash/bejne/gJaKl62zma2slso.html

If you are serious about camping, you need to power everything off 12v. Even CPAP machines, my cousin uses one and I checked the adapter it outputs 12v. So that way no conversion losses

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Very true. We have had this pointed out by a good friend of ours as well. Since this video we have slowly moved over to 12 volt adapters. Still have a few to go.

@Hilmi12

4 жыл бұрын

@@PlayingwithSticks and once you go 12v, all you need is 12v lithium battery with BMS. No need for inverter, cheaper and bigger capacity and more compact. Actually, most north American's idea of camping is laughable, drag your entire house with you and plug it into mains electricity and sewage system. You have got it right, off grid is the way to go

What is the best Generator you have used so far?

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

That is a good question. Unfortunately we are only really familiar, in person with Goal Zero, Jackery, and Rockpals. All three honestly work great. The best resource for comparing all these little generators is the KZread Channel DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse. He puts them all to the test and lets you know the pros and cons. We continue to use this Rockpals generator and it is going strong. We are excited to start using it to power a refrigerator/freezer combo soon. These generators in tandem with solar panels have really changed camping for us.

i have the minetom ceramic heater and no DC plugins in my teardrop. Is there an adaptor? should I plug it into my portable power station?

@PlayingwithSticks

Жыл бұрын

Hi Carol I assume you meant to say you have no AC plugins. If that is the fact you can just use an inverter from your DC plugs. Or like you said, use it off the portable power station.

Can I connect it to my teardrop’s shore power port to power the 12 and 120v outlets inside the trailer?

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Now that is a great question! Wouldn't that be great if it could? We have a shore power port on our teardrop, but because we primarily boondock we never have had the chance to use it. I would say I would go try it out tonight if I had the proper adapter. We have some pretty tech savvy folks who participate on this comment section on the regular. I am pretty sure we will get the answer sooner than later.

@zanesutherland406

4 жыл бұрын

You probably could. I was wondering the same thing. There would probably be energy loss because instead of grid power the built in inverter to get AC power as to run. Then it goes into the trailer and either an inverter is turned on for AC or you have a converter for your 12v outlets and lights. I think it would work though because regular shore power is AC, and the power coming out of the solar generator is AC.

@mweber2000

4 жыл бұрын

@@zanesutherland406 Thank you

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Zane!

Where did you get the ceramic heater?

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

That one can be found all over the internet and at your local box stores. Here in Alaska it can be found at Walmart. I think Lowes and Home Depot too. It is also on Amazon. Probably the most popular small model out there.

@qray7873

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks ill check it out..

this video is a few years old, but just wanted to point out that LiFePO4 are now about the same price as lithium ion and are far more stable/safer, temperature resistant, and do not lose max charge capacity after 1 year or 500 cycles like lithium ion. only downside is it is less energy dense, and so a comparable 7lb lithium ion is 10lb LiFePO4. My own experience using big size batteries with ebikes has convinced me of moving away from lithium ion due to fire/explosion hazards from short circuits, overheating or even dropping the battery.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

I’m so glad you are sharing this. I honestly had no idea the price has come down. I have been steering people away from LifePo4. Unless they are full timers because I think most people won’t get their long-term investment worth, because there will probably be better technology in the next five years and they’ll buy something else. But with what you’re saying now now sounds like a no-brainer. Thank you!

Just bought one for $200 as of December 2020.

@PlayingwithSticks

3 жыл бұрын

Nice! Love hearing when folks get a great deal.

How much was the solar array you use? and what is it?

@PlayingwithSticks

4 жыл бұрын

The solar array in this video in terms of panels was less than $75. However we have upgraded to a budget minded system that can go almost non stop and that is running a refrigerator as well. Here is the newest video Mason kzread.info/dash/bejne/aKxtrsaQlq6oocY.html