When going “off-grid” for even just a couple of days, having a source of power (like a battery bank or generator) is important. Eventually though, that source needs to be topped up. Now in the case of a generator, it’s just a matter of adding more fuel, but if you’re using a battery bank of some sort, it will need recharging. This is easy while driving as the power is provided from the vehicle’s electrical system. Although if you are stationary for a couple of days, solar panels are the way to go.

Most solar panels are large and flat and that’s usually ok if you have space for them but if you don’t, then you should consider a folding panel system like this one. This 100W foldable panel can be easily found on Amazon for a very reasonable price (when compared to the solid panel competition).

Nowadays, going completely “off-grid” while camping doesn’t really happen anymore. We still want our phones, cameras, and even laptops charged up at all times. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I ain’t judging…I’m the same way!

The easiest and cheapest way to do this, is to get a power bank/power generator. Now gas powered generators have been used for decades for RV, motorhomes, and camper trailers but they are big, noisy, and stinky. The newer, cheaper option is a small battery bank of some sort but there are many popping up on the market with various capacities. They can range from 150W for under $200 up to 2000W for thousands of dollars.

I would suggest that if you are only 1-2 people needing to keep your phones, cameras and a laptop charged up, you can get by with a smaller unit. Especially if you are only off-grid for a couple of nights.

This 300W unit from GOLABS is what I could afford at the time and while I’m driving, it’s kept charged up from my van via a 12V adapter. Although more is always better, but they take up a lot more space in your vehicle, this 300W unit is so far suitable for my needs. I also paired it with a 100W solar panel to extend my power needs, which is working great.

Once again, you can find these on Amazon and the prices do range. The Jackery brand seems to be the best but they do come with a hefty price tag. The GOLABS brands are much more affordable, although their capacity is limited to the lower range (1000W and up doesn’t seem available at the time of writing this).

Again though, if you are only going off-grid for a few nights and only need to charge a few mobile phones, a camera or two, and a laptop or tablet, you should be fine with a 500W unit or less. My 300W unit when paired with 100W of solar panels has so far gotten me by just fine.

In the world of emergency personal location devices, the inReach products by Garmin are game changers. The Mini 2 is quite an improvement over the previous model but not as capable, or as expensive, as the more advanced inReach products. This is more focused on short two-way messages via satellite between the user and their contacts.

You can pair the device to your phone via Bluetooth and add your desired contacts to the device. You can also use your phone to create your messages and once you hit send, the Mini 2 will send the message. The neat thing about the system, unlike SPOT devices or EPIRB devices, the inReach Mini 2 is two-way, so whomever you reach out to can reply. You can send messages to a specific person, or you can use one of the Quick Messages that sends out a pre-made message to a list of people that is predetermined via the web portal. There is a huge amount of customization with pre-made messages, recipient lists, sending locations or not, updates to Twitter, and a Facebook page that you manage. It can also send updates to a map interface showing the location where your last message was sent from or a nearly real-time track of where you are and have been along your route.

This can be especially handy if you are on a back country hiking or canoe trip and something go wrong. And it’s when things go wrong when devices like this are really needed. Up until now, I’ve been talking about adding some piece of mind to friends and family, staying in contact with them and sharing your location online. Although it’s also a device that you really want to have in an emergency when someone is seriously injured or ill. It has a well protected SOS button tucked away from being accidentally pressed, but once it is pressed, a signal goes out to emergency responders and help is on the way almost anywhere in the world. Keep in mind that the more remote you are, the longer it will take for help to reach you but they are coming.

Now that level of insurance needs to be paid for prior to being needed but it’s worth it.

Garmin offers a number of packages ranging from just a few messages a month up to an unlimited package that includes weather. Depending on how remote you’re going to be, for how long, and how many messages you want to send back and forth, must all be considered when choosing a package and for how long. You can choose a yearly plan or a more costly monthly plan which can be cancelled once your trip is over. So if you’re only going to use the device for a couple trips a year, I would suggest the monthly plan because it will be cheaper overall. If you are a ongoing traveller, the annual package is probably a better choice.

I decided that this would be a wise choice for me for the 3C Expedition Road Trip around Canada and I went with the Expedition package on a monthly plan and the GEOS membership should I need to call in emergency services while I’m really remote in Northern Canada.

Hopefully I won’t need the SOS button, but the two-way messaging will come in very handy when mobile phone services become absent in remote areas, of which there will be many.