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When you're out camping, having a reliable power source is an absolute must. You can take your pick from batteries, solar panels, or a generator. Using portable generators for camping can give you the best possible in a reliable power source. These handy units can deliver a big punch when it comes to power, they are often able to run several devices at all times, with enough power left over to charge several large batteries. Portable generators for camping are an excellent idea, and while they do produce noise, the ones from Outbax are extremely quiet. At a distance of 7 metres, they only produce approximately 58dB of noise (about the same as a household dishwasher). At night, you can pair it with a good lithium battery to keep your lights on when it gets dark. Our suggestion would be the 100Ah or 200Ah lithium battery.
Although they are perfect in a camping situation as these are lightweight and can be easily carried from site to site, portable generators are also ideal for the worksite. In fact, when you need power but do not have a mains connection, a portable generator will get the job done! You can start up the motor and have access to 2 x 240v AC outlets, which can power your appliances or any of your tools. These small units can run most of the day on a single tank, from 5.5 hours up to 9 hours. They are truly the workhorse you've been looking for! While there are larger units, the bigger you go, the heavier they can become and for one person, they can almost become too large to handle. Meanwhile, portable units can weigh as little as 8.5kgs up to 18.5kg.
At Outbax, all our items have been selected for their suitability to handle the tough Australian outdoors. We are happy to back our units with a 12-month warranty. If you have any problems with the unit, please contact our team to sort it all out for you. All orders are shipped from our warehouse in 24 hours, and it'll arrive on your door in as little as 3-7 days.
How do portable generators work?
Portable generators for camping work very similarly to the alternator of a vehicle. Portable generators provide electricity by running a gas-powered engine that turns a built-in alternator that is able to generate electrical power. While it can appear that a generator is creating energy, it actually is not, but instead it is transferring power, and while there can be some energy loss, these engines are reasonably efficient at what they do. Burning a fuel source to gain electrical energy has been done for generations, and while there is a move away from this method, it is still highly usable in many situations, especially when many environmentally friendly options are not able to meet expectations.
When you need a backup energy supply, or a supplemental energy supply, a portable generator can do the job admirably. It is entirely possible to run your camping site on solar power (with the use of fixed solar panels or foldable solar panels). However, if the day is cloudy, you may not be able to get a full charge in your system. This is where petrol-driven generators can take over the load and quickly recharge your lithium or LiFePO4 batteries, so that your campsite is ready for the day, or powered up for the night.
What size portable generator do I need for camping?
The exact size of any power unit, including portable generators for camping, will largely depend on what you need to run. However, you may also consider how much petrol you prefer to use in a day, and find a suitable unit that fits between these two ideals. To work out how much power you need, you need to do some calculations. Have a look at all the appliances you’re planning on running and make a note of the watts or amp hours (Ah) that they’ll use; this number is based on running that appliance at full load over an hour. Once you have that, you’ll need to work out how many hours you think you’ll run them and multiply the hourly rate, then add up all the numbers to get a good idea of your daily power consumption. From there, you’ll know your approximate power requirement. You may find that it is well below the capacity of most portable generators for camping, and often, it could be best to use the generator to charge a lithium battery and use that as your main power source. This can help limit the amount of time you’ll need to run a generator and make the amount of petrol you require less of a concern.
However, if you’re into glamping, or have a cabin that requires a lot of energy consumption, then a heavy duty portable generator can be ideal for your power needs. In addition to the size of the generator, you may want to consider the noise they make. Some of the cheaper models are very noisy and no matter where you place it, you’ll still hear it. All of the portable generators for camping stocked at Outbax have been selected for their low noise capabilities, and if it is placed around seven meters from your campsite, the noise is not very noticeable. Running a generator to recharge your batteries before the camping solar panels kick in is often the best use for these handy units.