What is it? The Inergy Kodiak Solar Generator is essentially a large Lithium Ion battery (it holds 1.1 Kilowatt Hour) partnered with a pure sine inverter. The result is a package that will allow you to use even your most sensitive electronics with reliable power. The Kodiak is called a solar generator because it can be recharged both from 120V power, 12V power, and from Solar Power (from up to 600W of solar panels). The Kodiak can also be wired in sequence with traditional lead acid batteries to expand your battery bank. For all these reasons the Kodiak has been popular with the Prepper community and the van dwelling/dry camping community.
Who would be interested in this? The Inergy Kodiak Solar Generator is going to hold appeal for anyone that needs power on the go. Those who might be interested include: Construction workers, Outdoor Theater operators, Campers, folks with medical needs, people who live off the grid and people who live in areas at high risk for natural disasters and power outages.
Portability: Relative to traditional generators, the Inergy Kodiak is very, very portable. Roughly the size of an ammo can, or oversized shoebox, the Kodiak doesn’t take up very much space. It is also relatively light, weighing only about 20lbs, which is less than half the weight of my Honda Eu2000i generators, before you even factor in gas. There is a rugged handle attached at the top and two retractable mounts where you can attach the included shoulder strap.
Construction: The Inergy Kodiak has a very rugged construction. Encased entirely in metal, inside it is still a sensitive piece of equipment, but the exterior is pretty rugged. I would still be discriminating about where I operated the Kodiak, but it could definitely survive a few bumps and scrapes. The Inergy Kodiak has cooling fans on the side of the case, this is nice because you can operate it on the grass without fear of it sucking up debris. That being said, I would still recommend you keep your Kodiak up off the ground. The generator features 4 USB ports, 2 12V ports, 6 120V outlets, and a 30 Amp Service that allows you to plug and power your RV (I think this is one of the coolest features).
It also has a screen that displays the current load on the battery as well as the power going into the battery when being charged, this lets you know the effectiveness of your solar array. The Kodiak also has small line of LEDs that shows you the current charge level of the battery, it is rudimentary but works. Internal to the Kodiak generator is a monitor that ensures that your battery won’t discharge itself fully or too far, it will cut power before you do damage to the internal battery.
You could build something on your own, maybe even for less money, but I have to say I think there is a lot of value in the compactness and ruggedness of the product Inergy has put together.
Operation: The Inergy Kodiak is super easy to operate, there is literally just one button to push. You can use the 12V ports on the front without turning on the device, since the inverter isn’t required. To operate you simply push the one button, you will see the screen light up and the fans turn on. The fans are very, very quiet, akin to the fan on a desktop computer. This is nice, because it means that you can use the generator in an RV park during quiet hours, when more traditional generators have to be turned off. It also means that you can sleep with it, if you needed for a CPAP machine. The screen and button do glow bright blue which would be disruptive in a bedroom environment, but a towel could help solve this problem.
SAVE 20% OFF EVERYTHING WITH COUPON CODE “BACKYARD”
Accessories: There a limited number of accessories for the Inergy Kodiak, but they ones they do have are pretty cool! The ones I have purchased are the 12V charger, so that I can charge it in the truck or in my camper using my solar panels, and a high speed charger. Inergy also offers a portable solar panel and Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) resistant bag in its lineup (another reason it is big with preppers).
Inergy Kodiak Solar Generator
Charging Time: The charger that comes standard with the Kodiak will charge the battery in approximately 12 Hours. With the high speed charger you can charge the Kodiak in about 6 hours. In my experience, the company’s claims on charging times are accurate. Charging times with solar power will depend on the size of your array and the strength of the sun. I think the bang you get your buck is amazing, but these charging times still require some preplanning.
Operating Time: Like solar charging time, the operating time of the Inergy Kodiak is going to be variable. Inergy says that you can operate a 50” LED television for about 16 hours with the battery. You can also run a 1000W microwave for about an hour, or literally charge your cell phone, over and over again for days. This is the limitation of the Inergy Kodiak, if you don’t have a power source or a solar array, this is just a battery. Unlike a traditional gas generator that can run indefinitely with the addition of more gas, you do have a finite amount of power you can provide until you are going to have to recharge the system.
Backyard Movie Application: Recently, I have seen a fair number of conversations of how to power your outdoor theater setup when you aren’t close to power. The Inergy Kodiak immediately came to mind. I know some people have large pieces of property and want to go to a far corner to have a bonfire and a movie, but they don’t want to run miles of extension cords to do it. The Kodiak makes this a possibility! I wanted to test this and I was able to charge my phone, run my Optoma HD141X Projector, Gemmy Deluxe Screen with Blowers in the feet, and Roku stick, for several hours and still have over half a battery left. I didn’t run my sound on the Kodiak because I used my Ion Block Rocker, which runs on it’s own battery. I have no doubt you could do a double feature without fear of losing power. Due to the almost silent nature of the Kodiak, I was able to keep it right be the audience without disturbing anyone and with six outlets, there was plenty of space to plug in every device. The Inergy Kodiak passed my little field trial with flying colors and I don’t have any hesitation in referring it for this purpose.
Pros:
Quiet
Well-Built/Durable
Relatively Portable
Tons of outlets
Simple Operation
Versatile
Safe for sensitive equipment
Perfect for Backyard Movies
Cons:
Very Expensive
Slow to recharge
Bright Light
Conclusion:
While not perfect, the Inergy Kodiak is an amazing product that has lived up to all my expectations. I look forward to taking it camping and being able to leave my larger generators at home. I also feel more comfortable having it at home, knowing in the event of a power outage or emergency I can keep my fridge or laptop powered up. I have no qualms about recommending it.
YOU CAN PURCHASE YOUR OWN INERGY KODIAK SOLAR GENERATOR HERE
SAVE 20% OFF EVERYTHING WITH COUPON CODE “BACKYARD”
Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I receive a small percentage of the sale. My goal is to provide you with my personal experience with products whenever possible and I will always disclose whether or not my knowledgeable is based on the input of others.