Are you looking for the perfect camping gear that doubles as a survival tool for the end of the world? The Safari LT Solar Generator might be exactly what you need.
The past year has thrown a lot of curveballs at the American way of life. Indoor fun, from bowling alleys to movie theaters, shut down. As a result, people found their way outside in record numbers.
This renewed enthusiasm for outdoor adventure spurred sales of camping and recreation gear, but it wasn’t just campers who wanted off-grid items.
Uncertainty, food and gas shortages, and civil unrest inspired many people to up their prepper game and look into off-grid living tools.
Many people, myself included, tried to find items that were valuable in an emergency and on a camping trip. One technological must-have I discovered is the Safari LT portable solar generator from Lion Energy.
The LT is a versatile and potentially life-saving tool, ideal for any prepper or outdoor adventurer.
It weighs about ten pounds and holds 450-watt hours of power in the battery.
For its small size, it offers a ton of power.
Plus, it’s safe for sensitive electronics like laptops thanks to its 500-watt continuous pure sine wave converter.
The LT can be charged from a wall outlet in your home, a 12-volt outlet in your car, or with up to 140 watts of solar.
The wall outlet charges the device in 3.5 hours. This makes it one of the fastest charging generators on the market for its size.
Now you know the specs, but what can it really do?
To test it out, we worked with James Miller of Full Moon Adventure Club to discover what this light-weight powerhouse is capable of.
Let’s start with the fun stuff, then we’ll move on to its applications for home or RV use.
The Safari LT for Outdoor Adventures
The LT can charge several devices at once.
Laptops, lithium batteries for power tools, bistro lights, navigational systems, and really whatever you can think of, except maybe a microwave.
Miller determined you could consume 140-200 watts of power for 3-4 hours on a single charge, or significantly longer if the LT were solar charging during use.
When car camping, the LT is a game changer.
You and 31 friends could all charge your 5-watt phones once, or you could charge one phone 32 times.
Forget the campfire and bring a 500-watt hotplate for a full hour of cooking time.
Enlighten your evenings with a 4-watt reading lamp for up to 80 hours.
Bring an electric coffee pot if you want — this little generator takes glamping to a whole new level.
Dometic has some awesome plug-in coolers.
If you have access to power, they don’t need ice so they’ll keep your food dry and cool for days at a time.
Iceless coolers are often preferred by overlanders and those who are on the road for long periods of time.
The LT is a versatile tool for keeping these coolers going, especially when you can hook up to solar to keep it charged.
Off-Grid and Emergency Applications for the Safari LT
This generator really shines in off-grid and survival scenarios.
Solar power is remarkable because if you’re in a fairly sunny area, you have almost limitless battery power.
To test the LT for residential applications, Miller connected the generator to a 60′ LG TV with an attached Amazon Fire Stick.
He also connected a router and a Verizon JetPak (which is essentially an internet modem). The total power draw was 82 watts.
The LT displays how long it should last based on the power draw at the time. In this instance, the LT estimated it could provide 5.2 hours of running time.
Miller was able to run his television and provide internet via the router and modem to his entire household for 4.9 hours.
That’s a long time for a ten-pound generator. If one were to connect the generator to solar panels and charge it at the same time, the total running time would increase dramatically.
While watching the tube may not feel like a survival necessity, maintaining internet connection could provide a valuable bridge to the outside world.
One could gather news reports, contact help, or watch a YouTube video on how to survive the apocalypse. Plus, it’s a handy option if you’re just dealing with a temporary power outage.
If you were running a smaller TV in your RV, you would have hours of entertainment for the kids on a rainy day.
In a power outage, one of the first concerns is how to preserve perishable food.
It’s always wise to keep the refrigerator door shut to keep cold air inside.
If you can keep the refrigerator running in an emergency, that’s obviously a bonus.
Surprisingly, the Safari LT can run a full-size fridge.
Miller tested the LT with a 500-watt double door refrigerator.
The LT showed a power draw of 392 watts and indicated it could power the fridge for about an hour.
Surprisingly, the refrigerator ran for a full six hours before the LT was out of power.
Again, if it were being charged by the sun during the test, it would have lasted longer.
The LT is also handy for medical devices.
Many adults struggle with sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and rely on a CPAP machine to keep their airways open while they rest.
The LT could power a CPAP machine, an oxygen machine, or electric blankets to keep the user safe and comfortable through the night.
With power outages impacting more Americans more often, a solar generator is a powerful tool if you’re relying on electrical medical devices.
If you’re considering a Safari LT for your adventures or your survival arsenal, use code ITT to save 15% on your purchase. Check out Miller’s full video review of the Lion Energy Safari LT below.
We do not accept payment for tech reviews. Sometimes, we make a small profit from the sale of an item if you purchase it with an Innovation & Tech Today discount code.
