Replies

I have a small 100w inverter I keep in my laptop bag to run it in a vehicle.

I got a 12v socket “pigtail” that attached to the battery with round terminals. Plugged the inverter in, and plugged the 26W CFL lamp in in the living room during last week’s power outage. According to the numbers on the battery and lamp, this could have powered the lamp for around 75 hours, or about 12 days running it only from 6PM-midnight. I ran it for two evenings and it showed no sign of going dead.

Amazing what “normal” light can do for your morale, rather than huddling around a candle or LED lamp. We were able to read, play board games, etc.

Another thing mentioned on that site, in the comments, is having an alcohol stove on hand. Safe to use indoors...no carbon monoxide, not explosive and can actually be cut with water to make it burn more evenly and last longer. In a pinch, you can even use ethyl rubbing alcohol from the drugstore (isopropyl doesn’t work so well).

Got my Trangia alcohol stove for about $18 from eBay.

I run about 75% denatured alcohol and 25% water in mine, which gives a good simulation of an electric stove set between medium and low. Higher alcohol mixtures burn hotter for boiling water and lower is better for simmering, but harder to light and keep running.

Each ounce of 75/25 mix will run the stove for about 8-10 minutes. Two ounces will run it long enough to heat up food then heat up water for washing the pan.

A gallon of alcohol can be had for around $10 and using a 75/25 mix will run the stove for about 25 hours.