When two storms knocked out power to 90% of Houston last year, tech journalist Dwight Silverman decided it as time to buy back-up power. His article on portable power stations is worth reading if you want to keep your fridge and laptop working when the power goes out.
His pick, the Anker Solix F2000 power station — think of it as a cooler-sized battery on wheels — can keep your fridge humming for 10 hours straight. Unlike old-school portable generators, there's no gas, no fumes, and no angry notes from your condo board. Just pure, silent power when the grid goes dark.
Silverman breaks down what numbers matter (ignore the marketing fluff and focus on watt-hours and inverter power), what features you'll actually use, and how to calculate your specific power needs. A $999 power station might seem steep until you price out replacing everything in your fridge a few times.
Previously:
• Power outage coffee: using Stanley's camping French Press at home
• Another squirrel gives its life, causing another power outage
• Millions in Houston ordered to boil water before drinking it due to power outage
• Squirrels cause electricity outage in Silicon Valley city
