“Now that I have freezers I am finally in the market for a little dual fuel generator for them, but my basic prepper mentality is minimalist meaning I want coping methods that are geared toward long, long, term solutions, almost permanent.”
Tesla powerwall plus vertical solar bifacial panels. This is your permanent off grid solution. Vertical panels make power regardless of which way they face because they are two sized and reflections power them too. In winter snow cannot stick to the vertical faces and they heat up in sunlight melting any glaze ice on them.
Vertical panels make more power in winter and in more northern areas too. Lots more.
https://x.com/JessePeltan/status/1844102046871666963
A natural gas powered generator is still dependent on a grid the gas grid, you can get a trifuel and use propane but then you need a 500+ gallon tank for any meaningful back up time. Same for liquid gasoline you are dependent on the electric grid being up to pump the fuel into the jerry cans or better yet 55 gal drums worth.
The only truly independent power source is that giant thermonuclear fusion reactor in the sky that comes out every day at dawn to shower your home with energy for the taking all you need is a energy harvesting machine. Small wind turbines are much more site specific you need 4 plus meter per second average continual wind speeds at 30 meters and then with a 20 kw turbine you will be getting 1/10th that at 4mps rated speed is 11 mps which is very rural dependent. Structures kill low level wind fields 50 meters is better but that’s $100K level towers with guy wires and much permits.
For the average Joe only solar and a battery bank is true off grid independence of any meaningful time scale.
Was that a joke?, I’m trying to talk myself into buying a $400 dollar generator that will use 20 pound propane tanks to get my freezer food through 3 or 5 days of a blackout, I use AA NiMH batteries and backpacker solar, not a Tesla solar system remodel that would cost more than my home.