My designs are all about function over fashion,I'd rather look like a goof ball an stay warm, than in style an be cold!

When I first moved into a cabin I used oil lanterns to light my living space,lanterns last for about a month between refills of oil,but they tend to give off a bit of soot.One day while browsing a solar/alternative energy store and I found a 300 watt AC/12volt DC portable power pack for $145 new.The power pack can be charged by Home AC or by 12volt car outlet while you drive.The power pack has a 17amp hour sealed internal battery that lasts 2-3 days depending on what you use it for.At first I ran simple 12volt RV lights and 12volt fan,Then I wired up a much brighter 110volt AC CFL...My power needs were growing!

To get power from the power house to the cabin 50ft away I used a 50ft power cable rated for outdoor use....my house plugs in.

To keep from running the generator every other day I picked up a 105amp hour deep cell marine battery for $75 new.I connect the power pack to the Marine battery and get about 5 days before recharging.The Deep cell marine battery takes 6 hours to recharge.I'm not sure how much cheaper my way is,verses being on the grid but at least there are no surprises at the end of the month when the light bill arrives!(there is also the satisfaction in knowing I built it myself) Last snow storm to hit the area knocked out power to area houses for 24 hours...The power at my house never goes out!

Update September 2011: All the original wiring,outlets,battery,AC inverter,DC transformer,and lights, were salvaged from the cabin after the June 1st tornado and are now back in service inside my new trailer.

The power pack can also be recharged with solar panels.A 30 watt solar panel would take a little over 8 hours to charge the battery pack....BUT the generator was cheaper than the price of two 15 watt solar panels...Maybe this summer?

(Update)..Harbor freight has a special on solar panels this summer three 15 watt panels for $179.00,that's 45 watts of clean noise free power!

If you really needed power to survive you could always get a bicycle and a automotive generator,call it peddle power!!