Small Power Stations for Camping

Compact models between about 100 and 600 Wh usually weigh between two and seven kilograms. They charge smartphones, cameras, drone batteries and laptops several times over, and run LED lights, a fan or a small compressor cool box. They are not designed for heaters, kettles or hairdryers, however – their power exceeds the output of small units or drains the battery in minutes.

An example for context: a compressor cool box often draws 30 to 50 W on average, because the compressor does not run constantly. With 500 Wh, you can keep it going – roughly speaking and depending on the outside temperature – for a day or longer. The actual runtime depends heavily on insulation and surroundings.

With small units, the details decide how practical they are day to day.

Charge devices that use 12 V or USB anyway directly via those outputs – that avoids the losses of the 230 V inverter. Switch off the AC output when you do not need it, as even idling costs a few watts. Store the power station in winter at around 50 to 80% charge and top it up every few months. In the car: do not leave it lying behind the windscreen in blazing sun.

As a rule of thumb, LiFePO4 power stations weigh about 10 to 12 kg per kilowatt-hour, with small units weighing a little more per Wh because of the casing and electronics. A 300 Wh unit therefore usually weighs around four kilograms – easy to carry to the tent. Consider whether to take a larger power station or a smaller one plus a solar panel: on multi-day trips, the combination is often lighter.