Regardless of if you’re camping in a tent or at home, generators really can be an incredibly useful tool to have at hand. They can power anything from your outside lighting to just being able to charge your phone when you need it.
Although they are incredibly useful tools to have at hand, they can give the consumer a bit of a headache when it comes to purchasing one, this is due to perhaps not understanding exactly what it’s that you’re looking for.
This particular generator is a really good choice for you to consider before your next camping trip, it’s 20.04 X 12.24 X 17.36 and weighs in at 56.5 pounds. This is important to consider when camping because you don’t want to be lugging around something that feels like a pile of bricks.
Although in general terms, this might seem quite heavy for a generator ,this is considered a lightweight product. It also has a noise-reducing shell which will aid in sleep and general calmness of the area.
When camping, one of the main attractions is the peaceful surroundings, so the last thing you want from your generator is to make an extremely annoying noise; fortunately, this one doesn’t.
This generator also has a very convenient monitoring system. This means that when you need to change something like the oil because it’s running low, the LED lights will alert you of the issue.
This is a very helpful feature as it will help you maintain the generator massively. If the oil were to run out, the generator wouldn’t be able to run properly, and you would risk damaging it.
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Pros:
This generator has a noise-reducing shell.
This is considered a lightweight generator
Very good monitoring system powered by LEDs
Cons:
It may be too big for some people’s RVs or camping set up.
As this is quite a high-powered generator, it will produce a little more noise than some of the generators that are perhaps of lower power. It runs on either propane or gasoline. The tank capacity is 3.4 gallons, giving you nine hours of running time.
As mentioned, it’s a higher-powered generator, and while that brings plenty of positives along with it, it does mean that the item itself weighs a lot more than most. This generator weighs 122 pounds and is 25.3 X 24.8 X 22.9 inches. So it’s a little bigger, but you can understand why for the run time and power that it offers you.
This is also an extremely durable product as it’s fitted with a cast iron sleeve; this will ensure that the rough and tumble nature of the outside world doesn’t have a lasting effect on the generator and that it can be used for many years to come.
Cast iron is an extremely durable material in general.
This particular generator measures out at 20.3 X 12.5 X 17.8 and weighs in at 19.96 pounds. This makes it an extremely lightweight product and also a very portable one too. Portability is an incredibly important factor in your camping gear because you have to consider that you may be carrying it to your campsite. It also has a handle.
It has a tank capacity of 1.3 gallons which is gas. The run time is also 13 hours which is extremely long and impressive. It’s also an incredibly quiet generator that will aid your sleep. This means you can use the generator overnight to charge up any electrical appliances you might need for your day of camping.
A very handy feature of this particular generator is that you can join it with another of the same generator to give you even more power and extended running time, which may be very useful. To do this, though, you will need the Westinghouse parallel cord.
If you know that you will want to be using the generator quite a bit but don’t want to have to keep supplying it with gas, this may be a very useful tool for you and may actually save you money in the long run.
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Pros:
This generator is extremely portable both in weight and functionality as it has a handle you can carry it by.
Extremely long run time
Can be paired with another of the same generator, providing you have the Westinghouse parallel cord
Cons:
Runs on gas so you may find that it’s quite expensive to run based on your usage of the generator.
This generator measures 7.26 X 4.31 X 4.67 inches and weighs a total of 3.89 pounds. Its lightweight and compact design make it the ideal generator for camping. The lightweight factor of this product will make it extremely easy for you to carry to your campsite from wherever you have to park your car.
The compact design makes storage extremely easy too. For portability, it also has two folding handles on the top that, when extended, make carrying the generator a breeze. You also have three different ways of charging this generator if it runs out of battery life.
If you’re at home and charging it before your trip, you can simply plug it into a wall outlet and let the electricity do its thing. You will also be able to plug it into your car adapter and charge it that way, but if you want to be a real outdoorsman, you can even charge it by using solar power.
This means that no matter where you are in the world, you should be able to generate a charge. It’s also an extremely safe product to use, so you won’t need to worry about the product causing you any danger.
It has a battery management system that will ensure that the battery of the product is in the best possible shape.
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Pros:
Extremely portable design
3 different ways of charging the generator
Very safe product with a battery management system.
Cons:
Full charge is difficult to achieve with solar power.
This generator is a little bigger than the last one on the list. It’s 19.7 X 11.22 X 17.91 inches and weighs around 47 pounds. Compared to some of the generators on this list, this is quite heavy and on the bigger side, as mentioned.
That being said, the portable nature of the generator is made easier by the handle located at the top of the device. This makes carrying the generator a much easier task.
It has a tank capacity of 1.18 gallons, and on half, the load will run for 4.8 hours, which means that on a full load, it can run for 9.6 hours, making it an extremely long-lasting charge when it has reached its full load.
You can also add another generator using a parallel kit to increase the power output. By doing this, you will be able to have the generators run for a longer period of time which can come in very useful when you are camping.
This generator is 20 X 16 X 12 inches and weighs 32.8 pounds. This makes it an extremely portable and lightweight generator. It also has a handle which comes in very “handy” (apologies for that).
It’s also an extremely quiet generator which means if you use the generator overnight, you will still be able to get a good night’s sleep as it won’t be making noise that will keep you awake all night long.
It’s also an extremely fuel-efficient generator and can run for up to 8.3 hours on 0.6 gallons of gas. This will save you a lot of money in the long run.
It’s the perfect generator to power your outside lights when you need to, for late-night card games outside your tent or RV.
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Pros:
It has a handle for portability
Very quiet generator
Very fuel-efficient generator
Cons:
It weighs 32.8 pounds which might be heavy for some people to carry over long distances.
Buyers Guide – Generator For Camping and Home
Portability
Portability is an incredibly important factor to consider for any camping gear, not just generators. But it does so happen that portability is a massive factor to consider when it comes to generators, due to their general size and weight of them.
Many of the above-listed products have handles that are normally placed on top of the product. Some are even collapsible handles which make storage a little easier believe it or not. The handle placed on the generator often makes it much easier to carry in terms of functionality regardless of the actual product’s weight.
That means that basically, it’s easier to carry something by its handle rather than doing something like sticking your hands under it and carrying it that way. As mentioned above, portability is highly important to consider when selecting what generator is best for you and your specific needs.
So you should consider this highly important when it comes time to make your decision.
Durability
Durability is important to consider when purchasing any product. For those who don’t know durability will make the product long-lasting, this can be due to the materials used in the construction part of the product.
Regarding durability and camping, it must be a feature of the product. The reason is that it’s being exposed to many different environments, some of which are more unforgiving than others.
The above-listed products are all incredibly durable and made with strong materials, such as cast iron. Due to the fact that you will be perhaps camping in some harsher environments, durability should definitely be at the forefront of your mind.
When it comes to making your final decision, consider durability as a highly important factor.
Fuel Efficiency
Fuel Efficiency is another highly important factor when it comes to generators, providing they run from fuel and not a battery that can be charged.
The reason for this is that it could save you a bit of money in the long run. If the generator is not fuel efficient, you may have to supply more fuel, such as gas, more times than you would like.
This can make the generator quite expensive to run; when camping, you have to consider that the generator will be in use for quite a long time.
For that reason, when it comes time to decide on how fuel efficiency the generator is should again be at the forefront of your mind.
The above-listed products that require some form of fuel instead of electricity to be powered are all extremely fuel efficient.
Lightweight
The lightweight nature of a generator is, again, an important aspect to consider. Though having a handle can be very helpful, if a product weighs more than you can comfortably carry any way, then you are going to struggle with the portability side of things.
For that reason, if a product is lightweight is extremely helpful. Many of the above-listed products are considered lightweight.
When camping, you may have to carry your items quite a distance depending on where you are camping, so like many other things to consider, this should be highly important.
Tank Capacity
Tank capacity, again, is important to consider. The reason for this is that if you need to fill the generator up with some form of gas, if the capacity of the tank cannot store a lot, then you will need to replace it when it runs out continuously.
Again, many of the above products have a good tank capacity that will ensure that you do not have to fill it up to ensure the generator is running continuously.
Battery Life
Again this is one of the most important things to consider when purchasing your generator. This is because if a generator struggles to run for a long time, you will need to be continuously recharging it, much like the tank capacity scenario.
The run time you aim for should be a minimum of 8 hours. This will ensure enough time to power things like your phone or laptops overnight and give you time to recharge them in the day.
Generator For Camping and Home FAQ
Why Are Handles So Important For A Generator?
The reason that a handle is important with generators is that when you are camping, you may not be able to camp directly next to your car; for example, if you camp in the woods, then you may not be able to drive your car right next to your camping location.
A handle will make it much easier to carry the generator with more comfort for a longer period, for that reason it’s important.
Is 6 Hours A Bad Running Time?
6 hours isn’t necessarily a bad running time but it’s a little less than some other generators. 6 hours may still be long enough for you to get your full use out of the generator before you need to charge it up, it depends on your usage really.
