It’s great to get away from it all when you go camping. But going without being able to use some essential or entertaining electrical devices can be no fun at all. In more trying times, you might yourself at home during an emergency with no power and no way of charging a phone.
The solution is a portable generator. These useful devices can run small to medium electrical devices and recharge your laptop, tablets and phones when there’s no electrical hook up in sight. Usually based around a lithium-ion battery which you can charge from a solar panel, car 12V socket or an AC outlet before you leave, these portable power supplies are more than worth their modest weight and size when car camping. They vary in how much power they can output so it’s worth considering what appliances you want to plug in from a smartphone (6 watts) to a TV (100 watts) to a mini-fridge (700 watts). For a typical solar-powered generator you should be able to recharge small devices up to 20 times or run a mini-fridge for 24 hours, depending on capacity. Unlike a gasoline or gas-powered device, these generators have the advantage of being quiet to run and safe to use, producing no fumes - a big consideration when you are camping or using them inside. Here are the outdoor generators we recommend:
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 160
Quiet, efficient and reliable
This outdoor camping battery provides eco-friendly clean power with no gasoline, fumes or noise. The 167 watt-hours lithium-ion battery will run appliances like TVs and laptops. It has one USB-C, two USB-A ports and a standard DC 12v port to recharge your devices. You can use solar panels to power it or connect to an AC outlet or DC carport. An LCD screen provides information.
OKPRO Portable Power Station
Battery management and mood lighting
OKPRO’s power station has a battery management system to protect against overload and improve battery life. Controlled with touch screen buttons, there are three ways to charge through a DC adapter, car cigarette lighter socket or from a separate 50-100W 18V solar panel. Pure Sine Wave output will run even the most sensitive device and there’s even a mood light for your campsite.
BUTURE 266Wh Solar Outdoor Generator
Extensive ports and flashlight
The 266Wh lithium battery in this power station is powerful enough to run a TV for four hours or charge a smartphone over 20 times. It features two Pure Sine Wave AC outlets, a 12V DC port, two USB-A ports, one Quick Charge 3.0 USB and a USB-C port. A built-in silent cooling fan keeps it running quietly and there’s a convenient flashlight with an emergency SOS function.
WAWUI Portable Power Station 84Wh
Panels and lights included
This mini energy station comes with solar panels and a string of three lights for a complete camping power kit. Charge the 42Wh power bank with the included solar panel, from your car or a wall charger before you head out. It then provides lighting from a built-in flashlight or the three LED bulbs and will recharge your small devices like phones, topped up by solar power.
Bottom line
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The best outdoor generators let you take your own power supply with you wherever you go. By choosing a solar generator you have fewer safety concerns and no noise to annoy your neighbors either. For most people, we would recommend the Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 160. It’s got a good capacity and performance for the average camping trip, can run a small fridge or a TV for a big game, and will eliminate any worries about dead phones.
If you want a power solution with solar panels and some lightning included the WAWUI Portable Power Station 84Wh is a good pick. You have everything you need to go off-grid at an excellent price and while it’s not powerful enough for big devices, it’s enough for camping.
