7 Tips To Choose The Best Portable Camping Generator
While planning for a camping spree, the most important thing is to keep every essential equipment you’ll require. Since you’ll be away from the comfort of your house, it becomes even more vital to pack everything you need.
During outdoor camping, one of the biggest requirements would be a power source. If you want to enjoy a hassle-free trip, you need every necessary thing to make it possible. And getting a portable camping generator is amongst those necessary amenities.
But choosing the best generator according to your needs can become a daunting task. To lessen your worries, you can check out these best inverter generators for camping. Furthermore, we’ve provided 7 tips for you to choose the generator best suited for you and your exigency.
Consumption Requirements
The first and foremost thing to consider while making any investment is its consumption and usage. While choosing a generator for camping, first make a list of the things you’re going to power with it. Make sure you check its watts requirement and add up the values if you’re planning to power multiple appliances at once.
For powering devices like an aircon, a microwave or freezer, you’d need more power, so it’s better to buy an inverter generator instead of a standard generator. For sensitive gadgets like laptops and phones, you’d need sine wave power so they don’t get damaged. Accordingly, make sure to get an inverter generator instead of a standard one to power these, because a standard generator has an unequal power distribution.
Moreover, if you only need a generator for camping, it’s a smart idea to invest in a portable inverter generator only since you can carry it around easily. And these are more efficient and cost-effective as well. These small generators also come with extensive cords and other essential accessories required for set-up. Some of them also have wheels attached for easy and portable options.
Electrical Output
As mentioned earlier, while buying any appliance it’s only appropriate to check it’s power output. And match it with the power output you’d require for your consumption. You need to check the watt power output of the generator and for multiple device consumption, multiply the amp and voltage of every device and add them.
Typically, most inverter generators have a power output of 0.9-5.5kVA to the maximum of 1-6.3kVA. Plus, standard generators have a slightly different power output of 4.5-5kVA to maximum of 5.2-5.5kVA. Usually, generators with higher electrical output can power more devices and equipment efficiently.
But you need to keep in mind that electronic devices fitted with electric motors require more power output at start-up. So make sure you get an inverter generator which can take the load of the start-up wattage without any shortage. Along with that, you should also check the peak power of the generator, and if it can power more than one device at a time. Normally, the sellers only provide you with power output at 50% usage and not at 100% usage, so make sure to check the power output’s efficiency at 100% usage.
Size & Weight
For camping out, you should definitely look for a small and light-weight inverter generator which doesn’t require a lot of space. Typically, a standard generator weighs around 20-30 kgs while an inverter generator only weighs 10-20 kgs. And standard ones are much larger than a portable inverter generator, which won’t help.
Budget Conscious
If you’re planning to only use the generator for camping season, it’s best to choose the most cost-effective option. Most people think that a generator powered by gasoline is their best bet, but you might be wrong here.
Normally, a gasoline fueled generator would require almost 18 gallons of fuel for 24 hours usage. On the other hand, a fuel or diesel powered inverter would need less amount and is cost friendly. But the most safest option is an inverter generator that runs on propane, it’ll run much smoother, runs cleaner and is the safest to transport as well.
Environment Friendly Alternatives
Since you’re already going camping in the wilderness, you’d understand the importance of a cleaner and healthier environment. If you’re a responsible and environment conscious individual, you’d want to invest in an environment friendly alternative.
Generally, most people use standard gasoline powered generators since fuel is easily available on the go. But it might not be the most cleaner option. It affects our environment, and you probably don’t want to affect the greenery of the countryside like the cities. So it’s best to choose an inverter generator that runs on propane which is more safe and has a longer shelf life. Additionally, there are some inverter generators that run on natural gas like the ones powered with solar energy, hydro energy or wind energy. These are the most environment friendly alternatives to your standard inverter generators.
Stability & Dependability
Every electronic device requires proper maintenance and preservation. But you also need to make sure that the one you’re buying is dependable for a longer period of use. You’d not want to buy a new one every year just for going camping.
If you need to power higher energy requiring equipment, make sure your generator doesn’t get interrupted and you can completely rely on it. To avoid any difficult situation, it’s a good idea to invest in a cutting-edge inverter generator with a superior and modern technical build.
Noise Level Consideration
We can’t stress this point enough, but you need to consider the noise level of your generator. The old graded and standard generators used to have a sound production of up to 100 decibels which sounded horrific. This sounds similar to a jet, motorcycle and other like noises. But you can’t use these for camping outdoors.
You’d most likely be camping in a national or camping park, or any other public camping site. You can’t carry a generator that’ll annoy or disturb other campers and your neighbors. The portable inverter generators are usually constructed with minimizing noise-levels. But you should also make sure it doesn’t exceed 60-70 decibels. Otherwise, you’ll be the recipient of many complaints.
We understand that buying a generator is a huge investment to make, but this might be the best choice for you. If you want to relish a luxurious trip and don’t want to stress over not having enough battery in your phone and camera, getting a generator for camping is a worthy investment. And we hope these tips help you to make that choice.
Author Bio
Res Marty is an expert advisor in camping and hiking. From his cabin-crew days till now, he’d been on uncountable hiking sprees. He loves to share his experience with the world through his blogs.