You really have to plan for your generator as you say. Storing enough gas or diesel to make it useful and also spark plugs etc. Long term you might want to investigate a wood gassifier.

I saw a propane powered generator in Princess Auto the other day and a couple question came to mind.
Is this machine of good enough quality.
and
Does propane have a shelf life they was gasoline does.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Sounds like a good reason to look into making a gasifier. You got wood, you have gas.

I saw a propane powered generator in Princess Auto the other day and a couple question came to mind.
Is this machine of good enough quality.
and
Does propane have a shelf life they was gasoline does.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks.

The biggest advantage to propane is that is has an indefinite shelf life...on the other hand, the storage vessels are much more expensive.
As to the quality of the machine, I can't really say...try looking for reviews online to get a sense of how other owners feel about it.

Steve Harris at Solar1234 has good generator advice.
Bulk propane is pretty cheap and will store forever but not everyone has a 500gal propane tank in the yard. Propane and natural gas will run your genny so clean the oil won't even discolor.
If you have natural gas fed in already this is just as good but not portable.
Princess Auto has cheap stuff but in this case you want good stuff. Check Steve's choices. http://www.solar1234.com/

Yamaha makes TRI-FUEL generators. They'll accept gas, propane or natural gas. They're also sine wave inverter generators so they are quieter and use less fuel.

I think that will be my generator purchase.

There are conversion kits available for all major gen manufacturers..
http://www.propane-generators.com/
I have a honda 5000 watt gen and she runs great..
As for propane storage.. Contact your local wrecking yard to see if there is an RV, bus or taxi with propane..buy the tank, Usually recert for less than $100..

Great options... so much to consider.

I went this route:

http://www.portableuniversalpower.com/juicebox-mk2-new/

I must get some good solar panels.

This is also silent. I knew nothing when I started looking into the variables but in the end this I am certain with keep us warm. For me that is hightest priority. I got low wattage electric blanket and low wattage heater 400 w. Enough either way to keep us warm in only one room. I also got tons of blankets... and I mean tons.

I hope this helps someone else....

Any ideas on where to get best solar panels?

Bazinga

I have a propane generator for the house, setup through the panel ,ready to go.

However, eventually I will run out of propane. Would have to keep it off and go dark
alot because of the noise, and the need to conserve the propane.

Solar is something I have wanted to also add . There was some talk on this forum
about taking batteries and hooking up inverters etc, but it seems quite involved for
the less than handy person.

So this juicebox is interesting, as it is all in one . Are there other
brands ready to use ?

And the idea of using electric blankets is wonderful idea. However don't
forget " HOT WATER BOTTLES " and there are also some " FOOT or BED WARMER ROCKS "

We really need more discussions on SOLAR power. Other options will be needed
as in the winter there may not be enough sun to recharge . If there was any
volcano eruption fallout , that would also take the solar recharging down for awhile also.

The need for various backup plans is always there. I would like a multifuel
pellet fireplace insert, however there is the need for a battery backup on it to
run the auger during any power outtage.
If I could get a solar charged battery backup on such a pellet stove , then I might move forward
with this idea.

These solar powered generators can be kept in the house and used inside so can be
very well hidden .

Even if my propane generator never ran out of fuel ( lets just pretend ), in a SHTF my
oil tank would run out of fuel to heat the house , time to run depending on how
full your tank was at the time of SHTF.

I am also really liking the concept of heating with special ROCKS that you heat
up and then they emit heat for hours in a small area.

Bazinga, where did you get this unit in Canada ? Or, did you have it shipped
from USA ?

How long will it last to run your electric blankets before using up the power
in this generator and needing to be recharged ?

Will it run 1 or 2 hours or quite along time with electric blankets ?

I am looking on their website and I am very interested . The one I saw last year
online was Goal Zero . Not sure how this one really JuiceBox MK2 compares to it ?
But I got a good feeling of quality from watching the JucieBox video.

Did you get a manual? I see no downloadable manuals on their website and
I like to read them before purchasing. What battery does it take ?
I like to know which battery also because then you can research how hard it
is to get replacement batteries.

Did you notice that they even have for $ 40.00 BATPAC for use with RBC batteries ?
Still have to buy the battery, however they might be useful to have here and there for
use with led lights.

However I am not sure how you charge the battery up using one of these ?
http://www.portableuniversalpower.com/batpac-mk1-2/

And do you need some sort of inverter to use them with a standard household lamp
that plugs into a wall socket.

A neat idea...but I'd like to see more added such as a built in LED light, a couple of USB outlets, 1 or 2 12v car style plugs...

Denob are you referring to that MK2 or the batpac

The batpak.
The MK2 is OK...just seems like a lot of money for the power.

http://www.portableuniversalpower.com/juicebox-r2/

this unit has alot of more and is cheaper than MK2 reasonable pricing, just the battery
is not as long lived and different type of solar hookup.