6 Best Portable Generators for Camping in 2023

Boiling water over a firepit or recharging a flashlight via solar energy may not be everyone's cup of tea. That shouldn't keep you from camping though. In fact, if you want to enjoy the beauty of nature without compromising on the convenience brought about by modern appliances, you should invest in one of the best portable generators for camping.

Portable generators let you run your coffee machine or light up your campsite with pretty lights. Besides that, some portable generators also double as backup solutions for your home in times of power outages or winter storms. The cherry on top is that you can also pick up a generator with solar charging chops, which is an added plus.

It goes without saying that generators are expensive and they will surely add to your camping costs. Needless to say, these are long-term investments and will add value to your camping trips or RV trips.

So, without further ado, let's get going, shall we? But first,

Buy

If you do not want to spend too much on a portable generator, then the MARBERO power station is the one you should buy. The highlight of the device is that it offers an ultra-compact footprint and lightweight design, thereby making it a great travel companion. It's affordable, however, the overall capacity is a tad on the lower side.

That said, this 88Wh generator is apt for small devices like recharging tier phones (not laptops), inflating your air mattresses, or lighting string lights. Again, note that it's a low-power generator and is not designed to power heavy kitchen appliances.

The number of ports is adequate and you get your share of conventional ports and USB ports. It can be recharged in two ways — Solar and AC power.

The MARBERO power station is not the one for you if you want to run high-power appliances. Plus, a few users have reported that the device stopped working after a few months. That said, the majority of buyers are seemingly happy with their purchase.

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The ALLWEI Portable Power Station is an upgrade over the portable generator prefaced above. It brings a capacious power backup to the table and despite that, it costs a smidge more than MARBERO's offering. On that note, the ALLWEI Power Station is a 280Wh generator that lets you run small household appliances like coffee machines and mini-fridges with ease.

Moreover, it has a modern design and packs in DC, AC, and USB ports. More importantly, it's lightweight. And the handle at the top makes it a breeze to carry it. And, staying true to a camping generator, the device also packs an LED light at the front for emergency use.

Compared to the ones above, the ALLWEI portable power station has received rave reviews, primarily for its battery life, lightweight design, and its price-for-value proposition. It's a versatile device and can charge low-powered hand drills, electric blankets, and even fridges. In fact, the company claims that the portable power station can power a 60W mini fridge for four hours.

Aside from that, it supports four charging mechanisms – Solar, AC, 12V/24V car socket, and through a secondary generator. It has more than 70% positive ratings on Amazon. Long story short, if you are looking for a small generator that is both reliable and powerful, you can't go wrong with this one. And yes, it has a small LCD at the front, which can give insights into the battery level.

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Jackery is known for its quality portable generators, and the Explorer 240 is no different. It's an ultra-compact power station that can easily power CPAP machines, lights, and TVs, among others. The small form factor makes it a top-notch pick for portable power stations. The best part is that it's actively cooled as it features a fan on the inside.

It's quite popular on Amazon and has more than 15,000 user ratings. It's powerful, and the folks at Apple Insider have opined that this mini power station can easily fuel laptops, TVs (60W) as well as drones. Way to capture your camping adventures!

Like most of its competitors on this list, it also provides backup power to houses in times of need. While it can't power all your appliances, it can keep your internet and laptops running for a few hours.

Last but not least, it recharges fast, whether it is through AC power or solar panels.

Buy

Another portable generator for your off-grid adventure is the WEN 56235i. Unlike the ones prefaced above, the WEN 56235i is a gas-powered portable generator. As such, you will have to break it in to ensure smooth running before you take it out for your camping trips. That said, it's light and portable and peaks at 2,350W. To give you a better picture, the ALLWEI generator peaks at 600W.

The high power output means you can run appliances and equipment without worrying about a power cap. Unsurprisingly, the generator can handle its share of load. That's partly why you need not limit the generator solely to your camping appliances. It's a versatile device and can be used to power your house during an outage, power your RV's batteries or provide the needed juice to refuel other battery generators.

Despite it being a gas-powered portable generator, it produces minimal noise, and several users have backed this up in their reviews. However, there's no start button, and the device requires a manual recoil.

If you often go off-roading in your RV or love to go out on extended camping, you will find this one a practical purchase. The folks at Adventurous Way had quite a few positive things to say about it. Add to that, the company bundles important accessories like a funnel (among others) with the generator too.

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The Honda EU2200i is another oil-backed portable generator that you can take for your RV trips and camping trips. As you may already know, Honda is a revered name in the generator biz. The highlight of the Honda EU2200i is its silent operation and lightweight form factor. As such, you can carry it effortlessly on your camping trips.

The EU2200i is quite fuel-efficient and the 2,200W generator can run up to 9.6 hours on a single fuel tank. As per the folks at Generator Grid, the Honda EU2200i can operate for around three hours at 100% power on a full tank. That makes it apt for both your household needs as well as for your camping needs. Lest we forget, the Honda EU2200i's GXR120 engine is unbeatable when it comes to efficiency and performance.

Do note that the generator is a little on the expensive side. So, the Honda EU2200i is an apt buy if you also plan to use the generator at home frequently (be it owing to frequent power cuts in your area or voltage fluctuations).

Buy

If power is your main priority, then you should check out the BLUETTI AC300. The highlight of this portable generator is that it's part of a modular system. On its own, it has a capacity of 3,072Wh. However, the capacity can be increased up to 12,288Wh by pairing it with four other B300 modular battery units.

At the same time, it's compact. The modular batteries can be stacked up on top of the others to save space too, which is great. The huge power capacity makes it a perfect pick for portable generators for RV camping. And, that's not all – it even has a companion app for remote control and monitoring.

Not only does the generator ship with a bunch of ports but it can be recharged via AC, Solar, car, and other generators. Lastly, the BLUETTI AC300 is powered by LiFePO4 battery cells, which are known for their long lifecycles. And did we tell you that it packs a wireless charging pad too?

These were some of the best portable generators for camping. The mantra is to gauge the number of appliances that you will run and the cumulative power consumption of these devices. Once done, you can zero in on some of these small but top-rated portable generators.

Last updated on 22 May, 2023

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Namrata loves writing about products and gadgets. She has been working for Guiding Tech since 2017 and has around five years of experience writing features, how-tos, buying guides, and explainers. Previously she worked as an IT Analyst at TCS, but she found her calling elsewhere.