Engineer Ed - Off Grid Survival Equipment
Engineer ED - My favourite essentials and gadgets for camping, power outages and bug out bags.​
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Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 500
The Jackery Explorer 240 is your go-to backup for camping, blackouts, or off-grid adventures. Lightweight, quiet, and solar-ready, it charges phones, laptops, lights & more—wherever life takes you.
How many devices can the 518Wh backup battery charge? Total available energy: 518Wh (Watt-hours) Usable energy: Realistically, assume 90% efficiency due to inverter and conversion losses: 518Wh × 0.9 = 466Wh usable 2. Typical Device Battery Capacities DeviceBattery Capacity (mAh)Voltage (V)Energy (Wh) Smartphone3,000 – 4,0003.711 – 15 iPhone 153,3493.712.4 iPad (10.2")8,8273.732.7 iPad Pro (11")7,5383.728 Values are typical; check your device for exact specs. 3. Charging Calculations Average smartphone: 12 Wh per full charge Number of full charges: 466Wh / 12Wh ≈ 38 full charges Charging iPads Standard iPad: 32.7 Wh per full charge Number of full charges: 466Wh / 32.7Wh ≈ 14 full charges Summary Table DeviceTypical WhCharges per 518Wh Smartphone12~38 iPad32.7~14 iPad Pro (11")28~16 Laptop60~7 In summary: A 518Wh backup battery can charge a typical smartphone about 38 times, a standard iPad about 14 times, or a mix of devices (e.g., 2 phones and 2 iPads) about 5 times before needing to be recharged. Actual results depend on device battery size and charging efficiency.
LifeStraw Peak Series
Personal Water Filter Straw for Backup Filtration, Emergency, Survival, and Ultralight Hydration
Absolutely brilliant bit of kit. Lightweight, easy to carry, and works exactly as promised—whether you're hiking by a river, travelling abroad, or just purifying hotel tap water. Used and tested across the UK, Spain, and even the Brecon Beacons with great results. While it doesn’t fit standard water bottles (only soda-style ones), it’s still incredibly versatile—ideal for direct drinking or transferring filtered water to other containers. A must-have for walkers, travellers, and outdoor adventurers alike.
Personal Review
​TREKURE 3500A Jump Starter Power Pack
​12V Car Battery Booster Jump Starter (up to 9.0L Gas or 8.5L Diesel Engine), Car Starter Power Bank with LED Flashlight, Jump Pack with Jump Leads
The TREKURE Jump Starter has helped me out dozens of time with my 12 year old car! It is a compact, powerful, and versatile device that delivers reliable performance in emergencies. It effortlessly starts car batteries—even in cold weather—and doubles as a power bank and has a built-in flashlight, it’s easy to store and use. Ideal for anyone wanting peace of mind on the road, it’s a smart, space-saving alternative to relying on breakdown services or jump leads.
Personal Review
Personal Review
Mesqool 12000mAh Portable Wind Up Radio with Phone Charger
Solar Radio with Rechargeable Emergency Radio with Flashlight Reading Lamp and SOS Alarm for Camping Hiking
Personal Review
Essential for Blackouts & Emergencies This compact emergency radio is perfect for power cuts, camping, or off-grid living. It features solar and hand-crank charging, bright dual lights, a loud SOS alarm, and a phone charger. The radio has great reception and sound, even in rural areas. Easy to use, reliable, and built to keep you connected when it matters most. A must-have for any emergency kit.
ECOFLOW DELTA 2 Max 2-6kWh,
Up to 3100W Output Fume-Free, Quiet Solar Generator for Home Backup and Camping.
This has a much larger capacity and output than the Jackery 500, above. So can provide much more backup capacity but could also keep a freezer powered for ~12 hours, avoiding the costs of food perishing.
Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
Written by survivalist expert Dave Canterbury, Bushcraft 101 gets you ready for your next backcountry trip with advice on making the most of your time outdoors. Based on the 5Cs of Survivability--cutting tools, covering, combustion devices, containers, and cordages
Grid-Down Situation
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Prepare Your Home for a Sudden Grid-Down Situation: Take Self-Reliance to the Next Level with Proven Methods and Strategies to Survive a Grid-Down ... the Modern Family to Prepare for Any Crisis)
Personal Review
Ted Riley’s Grid Down is a thought-provoking and practical guide to surviving modern-day disasters, from blackouts to full societal collapse. While written with a U.S. audience in mind, it offers universal, commonsense strategies that are useful to both beginner and seasoned preppers. The book covers essential gear, simple projects, and mindset shifts that can make all the difference in a crisis. Though light on UK-specific detail and occasionally repetitive for advanced readers, it's an invaluable starting point for anyone looking to build resilience in uncertain times.