Unless you’re sleeping, being in the dark is never fun! This multiplies when you have a family and especially young children who are scared of the dark. Then, throw in an emergency situation (insert one here) and you have a recipe for frustration, anxiety, and uncertainty. Times like these is when having an alternative power source is a game-changer.
Many at this point will think of gas or even a dual-fuel generator. But what do you do when the fuel runs out? What if you could have an alternative power source that was fueled by a renewable resource: the sun? For preppers and non-preppers alike, the EcoFlow River and its big brother, the EcoFlow Delta are strong considerations when it comes to providing power for your home, outing or emergency situation when you need it!
The EcoFlow River is a powerful alternative power source that allows you to power up to 9 devices at one time. The huge battery and display allows you to power many devices while knowing how long the battery can actually power the device. This is great because it takes all calculations and guessing out of the situation and provides a display that even a Third-grader can understand!
To give you an example of what the EcoFlow River can do as an alternative power source, here is a list of some items it can power and for how long.
Communication Devices
- Phone(10 Wh): 37+ Times
- Tablet(30 Wh): 12+ Times
- Laptop(65 Wh): 6+ Times
Recreational Gear
- GoPro(5 Wh): 74+ Times
- Camera(16 Wh): 22+ Times
- Drone(60-70 Wh): 5-6 Times
- Mini-Fridge(60 W): 6 Hours
Household Appliances
- Light(100 W): 4+ Hours
- Fan(18 W): 20+ Hours
- Wifi Router(12-15 W): 25-31 Hours
- Electric Drill(100-150 Wh): 3-4 Times
- CPAP(40 W): 9 Hours
The EcoFlow River is a sleek, lightweight power source that can be charged by an AC outlet, 12v connection or even solar panels. Having solar panels allows you to charge the River regardless of where you are!
The Ecoflow River can easily charge battery powered tools so you can fix and repair needed items during an emergency situation. Notice the display. The River is completely charged at 100%. The 99 is the number of hours it can charge with the current load, which at this time is nothing. The 99 basically means that nothing is connected.
Here you see the EcoFlow River after completely charging the DeWalt Battery and the USB charged Headlamp. It is still at 65% and 99 again since both devices are now fully charged.
This is the back of the River. The back has two AC plugs and one 12v plug. If you are using the River,’s AC plugs you have to push the button to activate the backside of the battery. The front has USB and USB-C slots.
Charging the EcoFlow River off the grid is easy with the 85w solar panels.
The River fits behind the solar panels to shield it from the sun and elements when it is charging.
For more information about the EcoFlow River and solar panels, visit the EcoFlow website – CLICK HERE.
But the EcoFlow River is not the only alternative power source you should consider! EcoFlow has just released the bigger, more powerful version called the Delta. They have recently debuted the Delta on KICKSTARTER and it was fully funded in the first day! That is a true testament to how people feel about what EcoFlow is doing!
To check out the EcoFlow Delta KICKSTARTER page – CLICK HERE.
Peace,
Todd
Interesting. Nice sleek design. A bit out of my price range, however. I ended up making something like that myself, though bigger and heavier — not so sleek. On the plus-side, it cost me only $200.
I used two 35 amp-hour deep cycle batteries for 70 total amp-hours (peak). I have two inverters, a 120 watt and a 500 watt, depending on what I’m trying to drive. My solar panels can charge them, as well as my AC battery charger.
You’re quite right that there could be times when you want to power something but cannot (or should not) use a conventional generator. Batteries are silent. As long as you don’t expect too much of them (like run your fridge for several days), batteries are great — an awesome prepper tool
Mic,
Have you done an article on your build?
Working on one. Got a couple in the works ahead of it, though.