Often, it’s not just me camping, though. I may have my family or friends with me, and not everyone appreciates completely giving up the modern world. Even I see the need to keep devices like my phone and radio powered in case of emergency.
That’s why I always carry a small camping generator with me on my trips. I want to share with you my tips on finding the best portable power for camping.
I recommend having a portable camping generator for the following reasons:
Having an electric generator for camping is, quite simply, convenient, especially if you like camping without all the hard work. Instead of dealing with melting ice, you can bring a mini-fridge. Too hot in the tent? Get the electric fan running. Like I said, even if this doesn’t apply to you, you might be camping with someone who wants their modern conveniences.
When it comes to picking the best generator for camping, there are numerous factors to consider.
These are low-cost options that will power a few critical devices without requiring any kind of fuel. They are also completely silent, perfect for the still of the night.
If you’re looking to power more appliances continuously, you’ll want to choose a larger recreational camping generator. Add up the starting watts of everything you want to power, then find a portable generator that produces enough juice to meet your needs. Always oversize the generator by about 20 percent since you never want it consistently running at 100% load.
If you own a camping RV, you may be interested in an entirely different class of generators that are built into your RV. A generator for camper will provide constant power, day or night, including for your RV air conditioner.
You don’t want to be that person with the super loud generator that everyone hates on the campground. Beyond this, there might be specific decibel limits where you’re camping, and you could get kicked out or heavily fined for not following them.
When it comes to the quietest camping generator, no gas-powered unit beats an inverter. They are typically enclosed and run at varying speeds to reduce noise. Some can run as low as 52 decibels, which is about as loud as a normal conversation.
The quietest camping generators are solar camping generators, which don't have an internal combustion engine and don't make any noise. These truly noiseless generators act more like battery packs and are sometimes called portable power stations.
Camping generators can be gasoline, propane, or solar powered. When deciding between them, check fuel price and availability in your area to see what makes most sense.
Some of the most important devices you would want powered on your camping trip—like your phone—operate using clean power. Such devices need a generator with a total harmonic distortion (THD) of less than 5 percent. Anything higher could fry your equipment.
Only inverter and solar generators can guarantee this clean power. They’ll let you use your smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc. worry-free.
Please note that you can’t simply combine ANY two inverter generators with a generator parallel kit. Capability varies by manufacturer, and you can find more info in our parallel generator guide.
By now you might be noticing a theme that inverters are the best portable generators for camping and other recreational activities. Another benefit is they are highly efficient, able to match engine performance to the power load. As demand goes up, engine speed increases for improved fuel economy and runtime.
This energy efficiency helps offset some of the extra upfront costs of inverter generators because you will have to refuel less often over the generator’s lifetime.
Sure, there's a reason you go camping, and it's probably to get away from technology. At the end of the day, though, a camping generator can be turned off.
Just knowing that you have available power in case of emergency can offer amazing peace-of-mind as you gaze up at the starry night sky.