I have kind of a redneck system for running smaller stuff like that during power outages. I have a deep-cycle marine battery, small charger (2 amp) and a 300 watt inverter. I think my total cost was about $160 but that was a few years ago. That's been enough to run laptops, charge phones, and even occasionally run a 12-volt fan during outages lasting a day or two. The charger is underpowered for a battery that size and needs days to recharge it. In a pinch I could jumper-cable the marine battery to a running car to charge it quicker. (The battery has also been handy to go the other way and jump start a car.) The inverter is also too small for a few things I'd like to run but it was a bargain at the time. I'd get a decent generator but I'm cheap and our neighbors and nearby family both have good ones.

I have a similar battery-based system, but it's a bit more portable and can usually be had a bit more cheaply:

Portable Car Jumper Battery

I don't have this particular setup; just wanted to link an example. In a nutshell, get one of these car jumpers and either an inverter (90 Watt should be enough) or get one that has an inverter built-in. It will power your devices for a good long while, you can also use the inverter in your car cigarette lighter (mind you don't drain your car battery), and you can usually recharge this system from your car when the power is out for a long period.

I used a setup like this during Irene's aftermath to charge my cell phone and recharge my laptop battery as needed. It also has enough oomph to run a lamp with CFL bulb and a small fan.

I have a Xantrex Powerpack 400. Two 120V/60 Hz outlets and a 12V outlet for your car. Charge from the wall outlet when you have power or from your car when you don't.

I have that same powerpack and keep it charged with a 30-watt solar cell set in a south-facing window. Free energy!!
-Blast

I keep it plugged into the wall. The solar charger I have for it is a foldable 25W from SUNLINQ that I keep for emergencies. A small solar array that I can use continuously would be a good investment. Thanks.

Good choice. My ongoing experiments indicate that a 20 amp-hour batt is the minimum practical size.

I hope you guys using solar (PV) panels are watching the voltage closely or using a charge controller. It's quite possible to fry these batts with a 2A+ (30W) input -- don't ask me how I know, I don't wanna talk about my dumb-ass lapses.