How a solar generator can power your gadgets while camping

Even though we are enjoying the great outdoors, most of us have a hard time living without our devices. Whether we’re on a quick hike or camping deep in the woods, who doesn’t want their phone fully charged to take photos or make important calls in an emergency?

The good news is, this is entirely possible, even if you’re miles from the nearest electrical outlet. A solar generator—essentially a portable power station connected to a solar panel—can charge your devices and absorb extra energy from the sun.

“Ultimately, it’s a convenient power bank that allows us to live a mobile life, whether we’re camping, off-grid or on an extended vacation,” said Shawn Budiac, vice president and president and divisional sales manager of Batteries Plus.

Here’s what you need to know about how a solar generator can be a part of your next camping trip.

Solar generator and camping

If you’ve never heard of a portable power station, it’s essentially a large battery that you can carry around and use to power your electronic devices. These portable batteries are considered “solar generators” when paired with portable solar panels, which in turn can power a power station to keep the power running.

It has many uses when you are camping. You can plug in your phone to keep it charged, or power up your laptop if you find yourself working remotely in the woods. Or you could install some LED lights to illuminate your campsite, or an oscillating fan to keep bugs away.

“It’s not just comfort, it’s peace of mind, depending on where you’re camping,” Budyak said.

Choose the solar generator that best suits your camping needs

The best solar generator for you depends entirely on what exactly you want to get out of it. Here are some technical specifications to help you decide.

battery capacity

There’s a pretty big battery range out there. Solar generators can provide power as low as 300 watt hours and as high as 1,500 watt hours or more.

For example, Budiac says 300Wh can handle about 25 phone charges, run a fan for a few hours, or run an LED light for a few days. As power goes above 600Wh, all of these capabilities increase, but the generator becomes larger and heavier.

“It’s just a portability issue,” Budyak said. He recommends thinking about what you really want to use it for, and getting the right amount of power so you’re not lugging around extra weight.

solar capacity

There are plenty of options here too. 100 watt solar panels are common, but can be as high as 300 watts. “The wonderful thing is there are so many options now,” Budyak said.

But there’s also a trade-off between functionality and portability. Larger panels can power a generator faster, but are also more bulky. Budiac says that under perfect conditions with plenty of sunlight, a 100-watt panel will take about three hours to fully charge a 300-watt-hour generator.

Keep in mind that unless you are very careful about the timing of your solar charging, you may not get 3 hours of perfect sunlight every day. So, assuming that in most cases, your panels may take longer to charge the power station.

output

Battery capacity isn’t the only factor you need to consider. There’s also power output, and while larger batteries tend to have more output, there are some limitations. If you want to run energy-intensive equipment, you’re going to need plenty of power – especially when starting up.

For example, if you want to plug in a coffee machine, it might draw an initial 1,200 watts of power when starting up, but drop back to 500 watts when running. In this case, a 600-watt solar generator might be able to handle the unit because the operating wattage is low enough despite the brief start-up time.

Budiac recommends considering the type of device you want to plug your generator into. Make sure the model you buy has a high enough power output to handle the power consumption of these electronic devices. Also consider the type of output port you want: For example, it might be a mix of USB and standard A/C outlets.

charging speed

Under peak conditions, solar panels may be able to charge a generator in about the same amount of time as a wall outlet, Budyak said. But most of the time, you won’t be lucky enough to charge your panels when the sun is at its strongest. In this case, “charging from the outlet will always be faster,” Budyak said.

Also keep in mind that you may not always drain your generator’s battery to zero. So if you only need to charge from 60% to 100%, the charging time will be shorter.

longevity

How long will your battery last? “The longevity of it depends on how and how often you use it,” Budyak said.

Many solar generators come with a two-year warranty, but they usually last much longer than that. Budyak said a solar generator that is used intermittently while camping and kept fully charged during storage can last more than five years.

weight

You probably understand by now that these things can be heavy. Make sure you don’t overbuy battery capacity, which will cause the solar generator to become unnecessarily heavy.

Budiac says smaller models can weigh as little as 10 pounds, while larger models can weigh 40 pounds or more. Consider whether you can (or want to) carry that weight around a campsite.

How much does a solar generator cost?

Budiac said portable power stations typically cost about $1 per watt-hour. For example, this means that a 300Wh generator costs about $300. Prices may drop slightly for higher wattage models. Expect to pay several hundred dollars more for portable solar panels.

Frequently asked questions