Backup Power
The Best Portable Power Stations for Home Backup
What I learned buying, using and almost returning portable power stations — and the numbers that actually matter when the grid goes down.
May 12, 2026 12 min read
Generators · Backup power · Solar · Blackouts · Useful gear
Power where
others can't.
I write about generators, backup power, solar, blackouts and useful equipment — the stuff I actually care about. If you like knowing how your shit works too, you're in the right place.
Featured Articles
Backup Power
Home Backup Power: Where to Start
The four questions that matter if you want to keep your house livable during an outage — without buying a bunch of stuff you don't need.
May 9, 2026 15 min read
Equipment
10 Tools That Actually Matter for Backup Power
The tools that earn a spot in my kit — and the ones that get bought once, used never, and quietly rust in the garage.
May 6, 2026 9 min read
Solar
Solar for Home Backup: The Honest Math
How to size panels honestly, what the real payback looks like, and where people overspend before they even turn the system on.
May 2, 2026 10 min read
Generators
The Generator Maintenance Checklist Nobody Follows
Fuel, oil, plugs, and storage. Twenty minutes twice a year is the difference between your generator starting and you standing in the dark swearing.
April 28, 2026 7 min read
Blackouts
Seven Days Without Grid Power: What Actually Happens
A calm, hour-by-hour look at a long outage so you know what to keep running, what can wait, and where most people waste their first three days.
April 22, 2026 11 min read
Free Tools & Checklists
Worksheets and checklists I actually use. Print them, mark them up, keep them somewhere you'll find them when the lights go out.
R-01
Household Load Worksheet
Figure out what actually needs to stay on when the grid goes down.
R-02Generator Service Log
Oil, fuel, plugs and run hours — so your generator starts when you need it.
R-0372-Hour Outage Checklist
Water, cold chain, comms and light, in the order they actually matter.
R-04Solar Sizing Table
Panel watts to real-world output, because spec sheets lie by noon.
Stay Powered. Be Prepared.