A power station gives you normal sockets and USB ports in the middle of nowhere — silently, with no fuel and no fumes. The question is not whether you want one, but how big it needs to be. Buy too small and you run out on the second night. Buy too big and you carry 20 kg from the car for nothing.
Start with what you will actually plug in
| Device | Typical use per day |
|---|---|
| Phone charge | 10–20 Wh each |
| Bluetooth speaker | 10–30 Wh |
| Camera or drone batteries | 20–60 Wh |
| LED camping lights (5 hours) | 25–50 Wh |
| Laptop (3 hours) | 100–180 Wh |
| 12 V cool box (running) | 300–600 Wh |
Add up a day, multiply by the number of days, and add about 15% for conversion losses. That is the capacity you need in watt-hours (Wh).
Three typical trips
The weekend: phones, speaker, lights
Two or three people, two nights. You need roughly 150–250 Wh. A 300 Wh station covers it with room to spare and weighs about 4 kg — easy to carry from the car.
The long trip: add a laptop and a cool box
A cool box is what changes everything: it can use more energy in a day than everything else combined. For several days with a laptop and a cool box, look at 500 Wh or more, and plan on a solar panel.
The van or caravan: a fridge running for days
Here you need 1 kWh or more plus a solar panel, so the fridge runs overnight and the battery refills during the day.
Watts matter too
Watt-hours tell you how long it lasts. Watts tell you what it can run at once. Phones, lights, laptops and cool boxes all need little power. Anything that makes heat — a kettle, a hairdryer, a heater, an induction hob — needs 1,000 W or more, which only larger stations can deliver. At a campsite, boil water on gas.
Weight: the number people forget
A 300 Wh station weighs around 4 kg. A 1 kWh station is usually 12–15 kg, and a 2 kWh one well over 20 kg. If you are walking from a car park to a pitch, weight decides more than capacity.
Charging while you are away
- From the car: charge from the 12 V socket while you drive to the site.
- From the sun: a folding solar panel keeps you going for days. Match the panel to the station's solar input rating — a bigger panel will not charge it faster.
- From a campsite hook-up: plug in overnight when you have one.
See our guide to charging a power station with solar.
Cold weather
Batteries deliver less in the cold. LiFePO4 cells cope far better than ordinary lithium-ion, which is one reason they suit Nordic and Baltic summers, where nights can be cold even in July. Keep the station in the tent or the car overnight rather than outside.
Why LiFePO4 is worth paying for
A cheap power bank or station with lithium-ion cells may manage a few hundred charges. LiFePO4 is rated for 3,000 or more. Charged every weekend, that is over ten years of trips.
FAQ
Can I take a power station on a plane?
Only very small ones. Airlines allow lithium batteries up to 100 Wh in the cabin, or up to 160 Wh with approval. Most camping stations are larger.
Is it safe to use inside a tent?
Yes. Unlike a generator it produces no exhaust and makes almost no noise.
How many phone charges will I get?
Roughly: capacity in Wh × 0.85, divided by 15. A 300 Wh station gives about 17–22 charges.