I’m not someone living in the woods full-time or running everything off solar power. But I was curious about off-grid living and wanted to reduce my reliance on the grid — especially after a few too many power outages and rising electricity bills.

About a year ago, I decided to try it out in a small way. I bought a portable solar generator setup and started using it during camping trips and occasionally at home. Here's what worked, what didn’t, and what I wish I knew from the start.

What I Bought

I went with the Jackery Explorer 1000 along with two SolarSaga 100W foldable panels. My goal was to run small essentials like a mini fridge, LED lights, and a laptop during camping or during short-term outages.

I chose this setup because I didn’t want to deal with rooftop installations, and I liked the idea of something I could pack up and take anywhere.

What Went Well

Easy to use: Setup was simple. Plug the panels into the power station, and it starts charging.

Portable: I’ve taken this setup on multiple trips. It fits easily in the car and doesn’t take up much space.

Quiet and clean: Unlike gas generators, this setup is silent and doesn’t smell. That was a big plus for me.

Efficient on sunny days: In good sunlight, it charged fully in about 6 hours.

What Didn’t Go So Well

I overestimated the battery: I thought 1000Wh would last forever. It doesn’t. If you’re running a fridge, laptop, and charging phones, the power drains quickly.

**Cloudy days were a problem: **No sun means no charge. I hadn’t thought that through and ended up stuck once with a dead battery.

I forgot to unplug things: A couple of times I left devices charging overnight and woke up with a fully drained battery. Rookie mistake, but it happened.

What I Wish I Knew Before Starting

Know your power usage: Every small device adds up. It’s important to understand how much power your appliances use.

Don’t try to do everything at once: Start small and build from there. It’s better to test the waters than to buy everything at once.

Being off-grid changes your habits: I became more aware of what I was using and started planning power use more carefully. It’s a good shift in mindset.

What I’d Do Differently

Add a second battery for backup

Use a stand or tripod to angle the solar panels for better sun exposure

Track daily power usage to avoid surprises

If you’ve tried something similar or are thinking about it, feel free to share your experience. I’m always interested in learning from what others are doing.

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