ArkPak Power Station Video Review and Solar Test
First Impressions unboxing the Arkpak revealed a substantial battery box made of thick black plastic. No battery is included for obvious reasons I suppose. As you can imagine shipping a 70 lb deep cycle battery is really expensive. Also I imagine some users would like to use a battery they already have. The unit has large battery leads that attach to the screw posts on a deep cycle battery. http://www.arkportablepower.com
Potential uses:
These are popular with Offroaders with 4×4 vehicles as a alternative to duel battery systems. It’s more versatile because you can move it to where you need power outside your vehicle for portable winches, air compressors or tailgating.
ArkPak Field Test:
The Arkpak can power your:
- TV
- mini Fridge or freezer
- cpap breathing machine
- cell phones
- camera batteries
- rotisserie for your must have meats
- sat phone
- vhf radio
- CFL bulb lighting all night
- winch
- trolling motor
- jump dead vehicle batteries
- Plus more!
This would be great for camping or tailgating where users want extra power but don’t want to run their vehicle battery down. Readers will be yelling “buy a gas generator” at this point, but no one wants to be next to you tailgating or camping, while you run a loud gas generator. The ArcPak provides hours of clean silent power that won’t piss off your neighbors, letting you enjoy the outdoors. Wait some generators are quiet you say, yes the Honda an Yamaha Inverter series “suitcase” generators are much quieter but they are $1000 – $2000 so they are not really comparable. Most of the $300 generators people are talking about are the construction variety and are loud so I won’t compare it to a gas generator anymore.
People have been buying the Goal Zero Yeti 1250 for their medical breathing CPAP machines while they sleep while camping or in grid down situations. Those are over $1300 and don’t have the storage capacity that the ArkPak does. The Arkpak doesn’t have as big of inverter but it does have more storage capacity and is 1/3 the price. If 150 watts is enough or you have your own inverter I’d go Ark Pack over Goal Zero units.
Features:
- Maximum 130 AH capacity
- 50 Amp Anderson Power pole connector for solar charging or loads
- wing nuts for solar charging or connecting other loads
- Smart Charger for battery
- Advanced Battery Monitor Display
- 150 watt power inverter
- 2 – 12volt accessory sockets
- Fuse Panel
- Expandable to dual battery setup
My ArkPak Overview Video
Testing with 20 watt of solar power. I would recommend at least 40 watts but 20 is sufficient to charge the battery.
I’m giving away the ark pack May 31st to a lucky Solar Burrito Blog reader! Post a comment below to enter and I’ll notify the winner by email!
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Looks like a great unit. thanks for sharing.
I want one!
Great product and power source
Great power source, love the metered output via regulation. Awesome tool and power network for electrical needs and emergency use.
Mike
Only a couple days left until I draw a winner! So great to see so many comments. I’ll be drawing a winner at random and including people who signed up via email as entrants too. I’ll email the winner and will post who it was only if they want me to.
Good Luck!
Living in Hawaii where some people still think we live in grass shacks. I’d love to be the winner so I can power up my small shack I call a home and finally live with accommodations others take advantage of.
Too often in my NAPA career, I see campers stocking up on multitudes of deep cycle batteries to keep fifth wheel electrical operations going. This is a much more sustainable option to the power drain/environmental issue with decreased battery purchases (therefore less lead, etc., to contend with recycling). I own a small Solio solar charger that I like a lot, but it doesn’t have nearly enough “juice” to cover 3 people’s electrical needs when camping. This would be really helpful to have! Great review, thank you!
Awesome review! Wouldn’t mind winning that Ark Pak either.
That is pretty neat. We have been looking for something like this in an emergency or to use once we get into camping mode again. 🙂
ArkPak seem great for a beginner car camper and as a back up power source at home during storm system.
Thank you for the great review!
Definitely a great alternative to a hard wired dual battery system. Thanks for the info!
Thanks for the review. Looks like a cool product!
I’m fascinated by this. What a helpfull device.
Looks awesome to me!
I really need a set up like this! I would love to be able to head for the hills without worrying about keeping my laptop and cell phones charged.
Looks like a great contingency tool
agree will give you control of your life again
That would be very handy to have during storm season.
This sounds fantastic!!!
Cool set compact easy to use!
An ArkPak and solar panel combo looks like a great setup for back country adventures. Thanks for the thorough review.
Very nice review. I have the ArkPak & have been promoting it to all my friends, especially those concerned about having a stealty form of auxillary power if the SHTF. Just fired off your review to them.
Great review of its uses. Love the portability of it.
Great review. Great piece of kit for sure.
Looks like a great piece of kit! Would love to add it to my travels.
Looks like a great thing to own!
This will be great for our outdoor activities, offroading, eapecially when the electricity goes out.. Haha
Shared your review with a friend, he ended up ordering one the same day. Now hes on his way to death valley going to use it to charge camera gear and macbook.
Definitely on the ‘must buy’ list
ArkPak would be a real sweet addition to my VW Westfalia – fingers crossed!!
The ArkPak looks great. Been looking at using it as a more affordable option to some of the GoalZero options in our off-grid cabin. Nice review!
Arkpak looks awesome! Awesome review and pictures as well!
I’ve been looking at this for our honeymoon expedition.
Good review!
I saw this at the Overland Expo in Flagstaff last weekend. What a great product for 4×4 backcountry adventures!
great review, been toying with making my own but this is real nice. Only think is I wish it had a solar controller built in to make it more of an all in one unit. I currently use a Duracell power 600 with a 28 amp hour battery and 70 watt solar panel. For camping it is great but I dont think it would be enough during any real emergency.
Thank you for the excellent review. I have been working on researching power options for some long camping trips.
Having a silent source of renewable power would be very useful.
I like it.It is a good start towards setting up a small solar system.
It would be great to own one of these. My husband and I are cleaning up an old hunter’s cabin in the Adirondacks and we need some power here! I’ve been reading your blog and am excited about the possibilities at our own place on the other side of the country. Thanks for the great videos – keep’em coming!
I would love to win
Great review. I was shown the ArkPak and introduced to your Blog by the same person. After checking it out myself, I would like to have one in real life. It would be a perfect companion for my off-grid adventures. Cheers!
We don’t have ANY 240V imput on our bus… I’m thinking this would be a very handy little jigger.
Great write up! This or your DIY solar generator are on the list for this summers camping. Being able to bring the cpap will keep the wife from beating profusely in my sleep!
The ArkPak looks well make. Great review. It is really helpful to see how it could be used and your comments are exactly would I would have asked about. I am a HAM so I already use Andersen Power connectors with all my radio gear.
Thnaks
I just might have to try one of these out
Great write up, I am glad to know more about the ArkPak!
I really like the ArkPak! So handy if your electricity fails.