Apparently I'm not the only person to have this idea.

heck if its an led lantern then just buy some rechargeable d cells and use it that way. much simpler and hassle free.

We have puck led lights velcro'ed all over the cabin of the sailboat. Last forever on good AA batteries. Provide more light then then original lighting (which is still function and we use when connected to shore power mainly) and if you need to, you can always grab one and use it as a flashlight.

I've used the little puck lights, running on AAs, and had less success than you guys. Maybe I just bought really cheap lights, but they seemed flimsy and didn't put out much light.

I'd like to make something a little nicer, where I could hit the light switch when I came in and have the lights --gasp!-- come on.

I was looking at these bulbs or something similar.

Seems like I could basically take a 110v AC lamp, use the same wiring minus the ground, and wire directly to the battery. Then add a switch by the door in there.

Alright, I'm about ready to buy these solar panels but I'm trying to not order more than I need. My goal is to add about 300 watts, but I'd like to avoid spending more than I need to.

These are three 100 watt Renogy panels sold from Amazon, for $378.

Also, Gaomoo 1 to 3 Y Branch MC4 Solar Panel Adaptor Cable Connector (M-FFF and F-MMM), $12.

WindyNation One Pair 30 Feet Black + 30 Feet Red 10 Gauge Solar Panel Extension Cable Wire MC4 Connector, $35

Solar MC4 to Anderson Powerpole Connector Adapter Cable, $20

Alternatively ...

Renogy 300 watt starter kit that includes a charger, slightly less cable. $517


So basically, $450 compared with $520. ....

My plan is to use the charger included in the GoalZero box, I could also use the new charger and connect to the exterior battery...

You can get 330w solar panels for like $260. They probably won't work for a 12v system though. They"d work for 24v, but that's probably a whole new can of worms for you.

I had been considering this 270W panel but then realized it was 24v. You can, apparently, use it to charge a 12v system but you need a more expensive charger or something. Seemed like not worth the trouble of pursuing.

Maybe a non-issue, but I didn't do too much comparison shopping off Amazon--seems like if something went wrong it might be easier to handle with them.

I assumed it was fluorescent too. I have one that eats D cells like crazy. Agree that buying a new LED type lantern is a much better solution.

The lamp is AC, batteries are DC. You should look into camper lighting, maybe those flexible strips that have little "bulbs" every 12 inches or so. You can put them almost anywhere because they're so small. But camping supply is the best place to find DC powered stuff.

you can use the lamp just use a 12 volt bulb in it. or use an inverter in line.

if you want to use 110v things in your cabin put in an rv converter. which is a battery charger and inverter combined. this way your batteries stay charged without hassle from your generator or solar panels and you can use 110 v. and you can run all 110 in house when the generator is running. like if you want a microwave or a small air conditioner. those will need a 2000 watt generator.

you really need to calculate the amps you use each day and how many amps you need in solar for recharge in your area. and how long you are willing to wait for full recharge. and how much generator use you will tolerate using for charging when not enough solar is there.

a good generator trick is to learn how long it runs on a quart of gas for instance. then you can just run the generator for the time you want it to charge batteries and it self stops when done and this way you can be gone and dont have to listen to it.

okay tell me if i am going to far but next is propane.
you can rent or buy a big tank and have heat, refrigeration, generator but expensive,
also propane lights that are very bright. and you only pay for what you use.
since basically a tiny cabin is about the same as an rv. so much of that applies for comfort.

and a great addition to your place might be a cheaper self contained travel trailer. this way you also have hot showers, running water as long as you keep the tank full, all appliances and kitchen and inside toilet. some just park it close by and some attach it to the cabin although that makes things tacky.

It's not your shopping that's at fault. 100 watt 12-volt (really more like 18, but for use with 12v systems) panels are just much less common and more expensive per watt.

So what IS common? I wouldn't have expected those to be, but that's because it's what I need. .... are grid-tied panels made significantly different?

LOL .... Actually, I have had that same thought, about connecting a bunch of buildings/trailers with a walkway system.

Once you've used a composting toilet, tacky is the least of your off-grid worries.

But either late this year or next I want to buy a shipping container for a dual garage/storage. I like the idea of being able to put the expensive **** and my jeep in a metal box, shut the door securely and come back later.

The 40-foot containers are about $3,000 delivered I think, maybe less. I'd probably have to do some site prep as well, depending on where I put it. ... I could just put it in the driveway across from the cabin, but again those initial mistakes rear their head---I should have faced the cabin into the woods, not into the drive. Not sure I want to have to look at it. AND not ready to cut a second door in this cabin. So far I've enjoyed the fact that it doesn't leak.

The technology is the same, those are just small panels. Those are 36 cell and 47"x22". Most residential panels and a lot of commercial are 60 cell and about 65"x40". Many panels are also 72 cell and about 77"x40".

If you were doing a larger off-grid system at 24,48, or 64v you'd want to use the larger panels.

The panels generally wire the cells in series. The open circuit voltage of each cell is about 0.5 v. So a 36 cell panel has an open circuit voltage of about 18v. Voltage drops a bit under load and that works ok for a 12v system. (The 12 is nominal voltage, like a full car battery is at about 14.4v)

How much precision is required in all of this? Some of this seems to be estimates, like the 18v dropping to 12v. I don't really understand the chemistry behind batteries and electricity. Seems like there is a range of usable electricity for certain things, but I'm guessing safety concerns crop up, or the equipment doesn't work properly or its lifespan is shortened?

You know how battery chargers go through like quick charge/float/trickle and whatever? They are just changing the voltage (and hence current) going into the battery to manage the charging process in a way that works for the battery. If you just hook an 18v solar panel directly to a 12v battery, it'll charge, but not optimally and eventually will probably blow up or something if you leave it connected. The charge controllers manage that process. But, a DC-charge controller for 12v batteries will have a range of acceptable input voltages. A less expensive one may only work with 20v or below and a fancy one would work up to 130v or something and be able to charge at a range of battery bank voltages.

shipping containers get opened easily with a portable grinder in minutes.

unless you also insulate and effectively ventilate them they will "rain" inside.
my friend has about 30 of them and he has had to do the roofs every few years.
also only get a one trip one or it will have the salt corrosion started.
still they are solid but not built for strength as some people bury them thinking as a shelter and find the earth caves them in.

putting two side by side even 20 footers with a 12 foot space between and you get two storage units plus an easy roof over the space is a garage /carport. or a dry spot for things like firewood.

Everything gets opened easily with a portable grinder. Or a crowbar.

Yeah, out in the middle of nowhere security has to be just about impossible. A friend of mine had a little plot of land in the high desert middle of nowhere a couple hours from LA and he parked a boat out there and tweakers (presumably) stole all the metal including the rivots for recycling (presumably).

Anybody with half a brain who wants to get into your **** can get into your ****. Alarm systems and dogs work. Sometimes. That's about it.

I remember seeing a documentary with a guy who was a burglar and he always avoided robbing places with dogs because he didn't want to have to hurt the dog. He had no issues hurting people though if they happened to get in the way. Another guy said most dogs weren't a deterrent as they were generally bored senseless and lonely so sweet talking them wasn't all that difficult.

My GSD would bark like a mofo and my neighbors are 10' away, so that's enough of a deterrent for me. We don't even lock the doors since we got the dog.

My S-in-Law's house got robbed and she has a pitbull and a mastiff. They (she and the police) aren't sure, but it seems like maybe the dogs were drugged.

There are a lot of scumbags in this world that won't hesitate one second to kill your dog. They just don't give a crap about anyone. If you have a good alarm, there's a tiny chance it will scare the burglar off, but more likely is they know they have all the time they need to steal your crap first, even in the middle of a city.

The only security you have is good insurance.

WRT a storage container, you can buy an actual steel building for not much more than a container. You would need some sort of slab/floor though to make it weathertight. A friend of mine lives in a doublewide, but he was still able to buy a steel building that's about the size of two 2-car garages. The amount of space inside is fantastic - he built an airplane in there. There are even used buildings for sale online. I would want a traditional door anyway. I have this terrible feeling that I might be in the container sometime and someone would come up and latch the door shut.

On security: Yeah, it's absolutely true that if someone has the time and will they can get into just about anything.

I'd just like to ward off the simple crimes of opportunity, like kids looking for some spot in the woods to party or something. If someone is gonna come with a grinder or crowbar, yeah nothing I can do.

Ray, I like that idea of putting two containers side by side. I don't have the space or money, but that makes perfect sense. ... Well, I have plenty of space but I'd have to prep the site a fair bit.

Steel building .... Hmmm. Yeah, that's a possibility, a quick google search seems to show a lot of sub $4k "steel buildings." Who installs it? I'd need a building permit, but that wouldn't be a deal-breaker. I'm not going to be able to do this any time soon, but it's an interesting option.

Your best shot might be on a "used" one. You might be able to work a deal that includes getting it put up, especially if a vendor has a used one he's trying to get rid of. The floor is what you'll need to make a decision on, whether you want something like tamped gravel that's not weathertight or the deluxe version with a concrete slab.

I don't know how handy you are, but my dad would pour his own slabs. Obviously in small sections, and it would be less than perfect because it was getting done little by little, but it's certainly the cheaper way to go.