Great idea on the lil Power Supply. Keeps it simple and versatile.
For my last expedition, I updated a few things on the cheap; cheap being a goal of the trip. For 12 VDC Cig Lighter Plugs, I went to the local version of Habitat For Humanity, and Salvation Army. They have a bucket full of cords and plugs. I got some fused 12 VDC Plugs w/cords for a $1- each. Then, I can solder on the other end whatever I need.
Various lil Adapters/Power Supplies that supply up to ~1 Amp are also handy and cheap. Yeah, they take up some room on the Power Strip and they represent 'phantom loads' of current draw, but sometimes a lil low voltage is all that's needed. Switch off the Power Strip as req'd. 'Switching'-type Adapters, as sometimes used for Cellphones, are nice and compact. However, they output current only when a certain size of load is put on them. This tradeoff is how Designers get the Adapter size down. So, some of these Cig Lighter Adapters from old Cellphones can be re-plugged to run other gizmos; sometimes not.
A handy lil item I've had for years is this multi-voltage Adapter:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3875413
Pals from Scotland left us a lil Battery Charger they bought here. ~Half the size of a Pop Can, it plugs into 115 VAC and charges 4 x AA and 4 x AAA Batteries. I went to rechargeables on all my toys, including 2/$5-, very kewl lil LED Flashlights the size of a Pill Bottle that use 3 x AAAs, bought at discounter 'Big Lots'. These flashlights were easy to hold by mouth when both hands were busy, and got a real workout in dark skies around Camp. Using some Cig Lighter plugs/cords can cut down on the number of Lantern and other batteries while utilizing the high capacity Trailer battery. In my case, I took a spare Deep Cycle and recharged it while charging other batteries simultaneous with running this Laptop. The 'right'-sized Solar Panel from HF or elsewhere is another charging option that doesn't burn dead Dinosaurs.
This ~$ 26- Inverter got rave reviews from RVers for durability and a quiet fan, and outputs 'enough' 115 VAC to power most anything [like a 115 VAC Soldering Iron]. You can also charge/run 115 VAC items while driving while having modest backup for Home power loss 'events'.
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-400-Watt-12-Volt-120-Volt-Inverter/dp/B001RNOHBC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289048810&sr=8-1
A cheap, end-of-Season Tiki Torch from HD burning Citronella Oil was perfect for Camp light when the ole Coleman was overkill in dark skies.
