Help needed for hunting cabin setup

[PNPmacnab]

I just added a dishwasher to my camp wife loves it. In addition to fridge, hot water and everything else on PV for less than half of what is quoted here. Just because it is in the middle of nowhere, It doesn't have to be primitive.

[SunEagle]

What if they don't?
They said, they use a battery to energize LED Strip Lights for lighting [at night]. (See message #1)
In message #9 - I spec'd out a Solar Panel, Charge Controller and Battery for $214. ( starter kit )

A small Honda EU 1000 costs $800 + gasoline every day at the cabin ( and oil, and spark plugs, and air filter and tuneups and noise )
They hunt - animals can hear and smell a generator, animals cannot hear or smell a solar panel.

My suggestion to have a generator instead of investing in solar panels is based on economics. If the OP doesn't want any noise and doesn't care what it costs then they can go with solar. They can also turn off the generator when they are hunting but use it at night when they need power for lights and incidentals.

I have built two "portable" solar / battery systems which cost me over $3500. One can provide about 150 watt hours a day and the other about 600 watt hours a day. If I really wanted more power for longer duration's I should have spent the money on a 2000 watt inverter type generator and build a muffler box to keep the sound down. I would have been ahead of the game by about $2000 and still have enough to keep the generator fueled and in working condition.

A portable generator is not really that heavy or expensive compared to installing solar panels and a battery system. But each to their own to decide how to spend their money to provide temporary power.

[Mike90250]

What about a couple automotive "jump start" packs ? EZ to carry, some even have LED light, some have USB & cig lighter sockets . Charge them at the house, carry to shack.

I expect you would have poor luck with plain starter batteries, you need deep cycle batteries. Maybe a pair of 6v golf cart batteries wired in series, would give you 12V.

[BowKill17]

I appreciate everyone's ideas , thank you all for your help . Since cost is definitely an issue and so is noise and smell I like the solar panel with charge controller idea ! I think I'll order it .

[NEOH]

What if the OP has more then just those LED strips to light and why would you even need light during the daytime when the panel is producing. Most people use lights at night.

What if they don't?
They said, they use a battery to energize LED Strip Lights for lighting [at night]. (See message #1)
In message #9 - I spec'd out a Solar Panel, Charge Controller and Battery for $214. ( starter kit )

A small Honda EU 1000 costs $800 + gasoline every day at the cabin ( and oil, and spark plugs, and air filter and tuneups and noise )
They hunt - animals can hear and smell a generator, animals cannot hear or smell a solar panel.

[BowKill17]

Sorry everyone very busy day at work got off very late . The cabin isn't occupied during the day usually only of an evening . The only other thing we would like to charge is phones but we can take them to our vehicles and charge them like we've done in the past if it isn't realistic . We run Odyssey AGM extreme duty batteries in some semi's i service at work thand are extremely impressive but they're also 350 a piece .

[SunEagle]

On a sunny day, I get about 400 WHr from a 100 Watt PV Panel.
If he has 12v DC LED Lighting Strips then they only use 10 Watts per foot.
If he has 5 x 1 foot strips = 50 Watts
400 Whr / 50 Watts = 8 Hours of lighting.

How many hours of lighting do you need?

It makes no sense to lug a generator to a cabin to power some 12 Volt DC LED Strips.

What if the OP has more then just those LED strips to light and why would you even need light during the daytime when the panel is producing. Most people use lights at night.

[NEOH]

That 100W system will get you 150WH a day which is good for about nothing. There aren't really any good innovative systems out there for camps.

On a sunny day, I get about 400 WHr from a 100 Watt PV Panel.
If he has 12v DC LED Lighting Strips then they only use 10 Watts per foot.
If he has 5 x 1 foot strips = 50 Watts
400 Whr / 50 Watts = 8 Hours of lighting.

How many hours of lighting do you need?

It makes no sense to lug a generator to a cabin to power some 12 Volt DC LED Strips.

[SunEagle]

You forgot to add in the racking, wiring, fusing, equipment carrier and inverter if the OP wants any AC power. A small system with a 100 watt panel and matching battery will generate less than 200 watt hours daily and can cost closer to $400.

Forget about putting any money into solar equipment. Put it towards a low cost battery and generator. Better bang for your buck.

[PNPmacnab]

That 100W system will get you 150WH a day which is good for about nothing. There aren't really any good innovative systems out there for camps.

[NEOH]

2' x 3' @ 16 lbs Portable?
Something like this ...

100 Watt Solar Panel + Charge Controller = $124.00
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mighty-Max-1...wAAOSwzgBYyzDl

Has 2 x USB ports for charging cell phones.

Then you need to add a 24DC ( $80.00 ) or 27DC ( $90.00 ) "Deep Cycle" Marine Battery from WalMart

Total = $204.00 or $214.00

If the 100 watt PV Panel is too large then buy a smaller 50 Watt panel,
but will take 2x longer time to recharge battery vs 100 watt PV Panel..

You did not state how much energy you actually need / use per day.

[NorthRick]

Our family has a very remote cabin in the woods . It is 12x16 and has no utilities only a 500 gallon propane tank we use to power up a ventless propane heater . The past few years we have used LED light strips hooked to a car battery . This works great until the battery gets low . We would like to be able to keep the lights going good all weekend . This cabin only gets used a week a year so we want something cheap and portable . I have researched and researched and still don't see the best route to go .

Just get a bigger battery that's designed to be cycled more than a car battery. You can find them with a carrying handle for around $100. Get a battery minder for it while it sits at home and then charge it back up after your weekend at the cabin. Either that, or just buy lights that take disposable batteries and bring some spares.

[adoublee]

If you just need some light you might look at just replacing what you have with a handful of something like this: https://www.amazon.com/PRODELI-Battery-Outdoor-Reading-Camping/dp/B01HY4RJ0S?ref=ast_p_ep.

[BowKill17]

Well let's say what's the best one I could get from 2-300 . What brands should I look for and what website do I go to ? Afraid of knock off Amazon or other online sites for something like this .

[SunEagle]

That Kodiak setup you linked is amazing but way out of my price range . This will likely be 2-3 days in November here . Generator would be great if it were quiet enough the cabin is deep in the woods where we hunt . Are any affordable power packs good enough to run some LED lights and maybe charge a couple cell phones over a weekends time? Our farm house is jsut up the road so can easily charge something up during the day if need be but it's really hard on a car battery from our experience .

There are a number of "portable" batteries that can be charged up from a generator or grid power. The problem is the more power you want the heavier those batteries get.

I have seen 20000mah batteries designed to recharge cell phones for about $30 but they aren't' designed to run lights.

Most of the portable battery system, like that Kodiak, are expensive and misleading as to what it can deliver so do the research and be careful what you purchase.