off the grid tent camping/cell phones/power banks [View all]

I am able to connect my battery powered laptop at home to my phone's wifi signal . I have several battery packs that keep the phone charged if the power is off for more than 4 hours. I also do this while tent camping when there is no power but yet a wifi signal. If your cell phone does not have this feature you could connect to someone's else's phone that does.

I decided to upgrade all of my technology for tent camping "off the grid"

I now have portable solar panels ----brand Goal Zero --to recharge the battery packs

I replaced my old/tired Dell laptop with a new LG "Gram" laptop that weighs less than 3 pounds and easily connects to my cell phone. It also has a battery that last 12 hours.

The campgrounds cost about $20 per night so I don't really have a big lodging cost. I can easily afford the newer technology.

I must confess that I watch Youtube videos --Amazon----Netflix and get my email and do Zoom meetings with all of this on a fixed SS only income. You might also be able to "pool" the wifi signal through the "hotspot" feature.

My attitude is that communication is the most important part of my life and I create a budget that provides for the best technology. I do not have cable TV for over 15 years now. I got rid of my land line also 10 years ago. Some people ask me "Where do you get your news if you don't have cable TV" ? I ask them where do the 'NOT GET" theirs when they are captive to whatever a "program manager decides to put on cable tv. I have "boots on the ground" reporters at ----https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/ukraine-russia-crisis/

I have over 50 different news websites bookmarked on my laptop----Google Chrome browser" I also use Facebook messenger instead of my phone to call around to my children in London, New York and Charleston. If I ever have to go to assisted living the wifi signal will be the first consideration , but I always plan to have the Iphone. and Ipad as a backup to the laptop.

I am extremely grateful for the people on DU who usually have a pretty good take on current happenings