Power Generation

I have looked at every conceivable power source available to mankind and have come to one conclusion. There are no cheap sources of reliable, usable power. The gas generator is nice, but has one major downfall...gas. Gasoline, since the takeover of unleaded fuels, is a short term storage item. Sure, you can add a stabilizer to it, and maybe get a year or two out of it, but then you have numerous other storage and hazardous issues to overcome. Underground storage is probably the best bet as far as concealing your hoard and for safety issues, but a container large enough to hold a decent amount of fuel that can handle being buried for an extended period of time is not an easy item to come by, not to mention condensation and several other issues that need to be worked out. Diesel seems to keep better, but the storage issues are the same.
Solar, wind, and hydro energy can all be reliable sources, once the initial expenses are overcome. From most peoples standpoint, they work great to supplement your current power bill, but you have to become very energy conscience to convert completely over and get off the main power grid. I know several people that live solely under solar power, but they are single, work all day, and still have to occasionally start a generator after extended periods of cloudy days. This may not be such an issue for those that do not live in the Northern states. Those of you that rent, or even live under a homeowners association, solar, wind or hydro are not even an option.
Also, the concealable factor comes into play. If your area is without power for an extended period of time and you have your roof lined with solar panels, it could bring some unwanted attention.
I've also looked into steam power. Living with a national forest in my back yard, I thought converting a BTU from wood to electricity would be a no-brainer. No way. The initial cost and engineering is outrageous unless you are a machinist and the up keep is even worse. I have looked into the many rumors of building them out of old 2 cycle engines and air conditioner compressors and have yet to see one that will reliably function on steam. You-Tube videos are full of "steam" engines that run on compressed air, but add the heat and moisture from steam, and your in a whole different ball game.
Also, stay away from the "build your own" magnetic generators. Small ones make great toys, but as of to-date there is not a large enough, reliable generator run by free magnetic power.
What it boils down to is that providing minimal power to run small items is best accomplished by 12 volt power - Automobile batteries. If you tune your power needs towards 12 volt power, then you can use an automotive battery or several of them wired in parallel. The 12 Volt battery is fairly easy to come by, can be stored for long periods of time, and takes surprisingly little to recharge. If a battery were to be used for emergency purposes only, it could be recharged with a 2 amp solar panel available at any auto parts or RV dealer. For more frequent use, a simple charger can be built from an old 10-speed bicycle and a car alternator. I built one for my boys to use out by their tree house, and as long as you can pedal, you can get about 45 amps of juice to your batteries. By adding more batteries, and wiring them positive to positive and negative to negative, you basically double the amp hours of your batteries. This is called wiring in Parallel. If you wire positive from one battery to the negative of the other, and then draw your power from the two open posts, you will get 24 volts. LED lights work great, and put very little drain on your battery. Also, by picking up a JC Whitney catalog, you will not believe all of the 12 volt appliances that can be had. From coffee pots to refridgerators.

The slower you recharge a battery, the better it is on that battery. Never store a drained battery, and keep them from freezing and they will last for years and years.