The 5 Best Portable Power Stations for Charging Devices While Camping

Let’s be honest: most of us rely on our phones, tablets, and laptops more than we’d like to admit, even when we’re camping.

Whether you’re heading out for a weekend at a campground or spending a week off-grid, it’s still important to keep essential devices charged. And if you’re running a portable fridge, camp lights, a CPAP machine, or even a coffee grinder, having a reliable power source can make a big difference in comfort.

The Best Portable Power Stations for Camping by Category

• Best Overall: Anker SOLIX F2600
• Best Expandable System: Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus
• Best Easy-to-Use Option: BioLite BaseCharge 1500+

The 5 Best Portable Power Stations for Camping

Here are our top picks at a glance:

If you’re looking for more detailed reviews about the best portable generators to take on your next camping trip, keep scrolling.

The Anker SOLIX F2600 Portable Power Station is a high-capacity portable power station built for campers who want serious power without giving up convenience. While it’s heavier than smaller units, the built-in wheels and telescoping handle make it surprisingly manageable for car camping, van life, and basecamp-style setups.

With a massive 2,560Wh battery and a 2,400-watt pure sine wave inverter with 3,600-watt surge capacity, this portable power station can handle nearly everything you’d bring camping. That includes fridges, induction cooktops, laptops, Starlink, power tools, and even small air conditioners.

The Anker SOLIX F2600 also stands out for its fast charging. It can reach 80% in under two hours via AC power and supports solar charging for off-grid camping. If you need more capacity, you can expand the system up to 4,608Wh with an optional expansion battery, making it a solid choice for longer trips or higher power demands.

Unlike many portable power stations, this one includes a robust app that lets you monitor usage, customize charging speeds, and receive low-battery alerts via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Combined with long-lasting LiFePO4 batteries rated for a 10-year lifespan, it’s built for campers who want reliability over the long haul.

The Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Portable Power Station is a high-output portable power station designed for campers and off-grid users who need serious wattage and long-term scalability. It’s especially appealing for RVers, basecamp campers, and emergency backup users who want the option to grow their system over time.

With a 2,000+Wh base capacity and the ability to power devices up to 6,000W in parallel setups, this power station can handle high-demand appliances like refrigerators, power tools, induction cooktops, and medical devices. It uses LiFePO4 batteries rated for a long lifespan, making it a more durable option for frequent use.

One of the biggest strengths of the Explorer 2000 Plus is its expandability. You can scale the system dramatically with add-on batteries, which makes it well-suited for longer trips or situations where grid power is unreliable. It also supports solar charging and is built with Jackery’s battery-protection technology to help extend overall battery life.

That said, this unit is more of a power-first solution than a portability-first one. It’s best for campers who prioritize output and future expansion over compact size or minimal weight.

The BioLite BaseCharge 1500+ is a solid mid-to-high capacity portable power station that’s a great fit for campers who want a quieter, more user-friendly “camp power hub” feel, without jumping up to the huge, heavy units.

It delivers 1,520Wh of capacity with up to 1,200W AC output (2,400W surge), which is plenty for weekend trips, running a CPAP, charging laptops and camera gear, and keeping smaller appliances going at camp. One thing BioLite does really well is the interface. The extra-large display and “message center” make it easy to understand what’s happening in plain English, which is nice if you don’t want to mess with techy menus.

It also has a few convenience touches that are genuinely useful in real life, like wireless charging on the top deck and a smart dashboard that shows real-time usage and estimated time remaining. If you pair it with solar, it uses MPPT, which can help pull in more energy than basic controllers.

The main downside is that for the price, it’s not the most powerful unit in this category, and some users mention it can be surprisingly loud while charging with the included wall charger. Still, if you want a portable, easy-to-use station that feels designed for camp life, it’s a strong pick.

This smaller Yeti Goal Zero 500 is a popular choice for campers who want quality and efficiency, but don’t need loads of excess power. Costing around half as much as larger portable power stations, this unit is a fairly affordable option, too.

Featuring a 300-watt continuous, 600-watt surge pure sine wave inverter, the Yeti 500 can charge up to 7-10 devices simultaneously. There’s plenty of power here to charge your phone and laptop several times, as well as run a portable fridge for hours. Plus, the Yeti 500 has the classic Goal Zero front panel which makes it easy to keep track of how the battery is performing.

The Yeti 500 is available with either a lead-acid or lithium battery. The main benefit of the Lead-acid battery is the ability to daisy-chain multiple batteries for a longer run time.

This best small solar generator for van life charges in 5 hours from a wall outlet, 13 hours from a car’s DC socket, and in as little as 8 hours if you’re using Goal Zero’s monocrystalline solar panels. You can use other manufacturers’ panels, but you’ll need to buy an adaptor.

The BioLite BaseCharge 600+ is a compact power station that hits a nice middle ground for campers who want more capacity than the typical 500Wh units, without jumping up to the big, heavy “power your whole campsite” models.

With 622Wh of capacity and 600W AC output (1,000W surge), it’s a solid pick for charging phones, laptops, camera gear, a drone, and running small 120V items in short bursts. It also has a couple of “nice to have” features that make it feel very camp-friendly, like the 10W wireless charging pad on top and a large, easy-to-read display that tells you what’s happening in plain language.

BioLite also builds in MPPT for better solar charging efficiency, and you can charge via wall power or a car outlet. If you like planning your power use, the energy odometer is a cool touch.

What Is a Portable Power Station for Camping?

A traditional generator produces power by burning fuel, whereas a portable generator stores electricity that’s been generated either by charging the unit with a wall outlet or DC socket, or by using solar panels.

Campers ho’d rather not embark on designing and installing a complex electrical system in their camper vans can have everything they need in one convenient box:

• A battery. This stores energy you’ve collected so you can power devices and appliances when you’re off-grid.
• A battery charger. This allows you to charge the battery from a mains supply or solar panels.
• A battery monitor. This allows you to keep tabs on your battery’s health and efficiency.
• A charge controller. In most cases a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller is used to regulate the energy produced by solar panels, so the battery charges safely.
• Cabling/wires. Everything is already connected.
• An inverter. This will almost always be a pure sine wave inverter that allows you to power appliances that use AC power.

You should be aware that, in most cases, portable power stations don’t come with solar panels included. You’ll need to buy solar panels separately and each manufacturer will have recommendations on the best panels to use with their unit.

The Benefits of Using a Portable Solar Generator for Van Life

• They don’t require elaborate setup. A portable solar generator for van life is a plug-and-play device that’s incredibly easy to use. You won’t need to spend time creating an elaborate electrical system when you’re building out your van.
• They’re portable. Although some of the portable power stations on our list are quite heavy, most of them are fairly easy to carry around. That means you can take your solar generator down to the lake shore and work on your computer outside!
• They’re environmentally friendly. What could be better than getting all the power you need for van life from the sun? Portable power stations can be charged with solar panels, making them as environmentally friendly as it gets.
• They’re cost-efficient. Although you might have to invest a chunk of money up-front, once you have solar panels installed and you’re getting free power from the sun, you’ll appreciate how cost-efficient your portable power station really is.
• There’s no smell/fumes. A traditional generator produces stinky fumes that can be annoying for you and your neighbors in the next campsite. The noise is no joke, either. You’ll worry about none of this with a solar generator.

The Drawbacks of Using a Portable Solar Generator for Van Life

• They’re expensive. Depending on how much power you’ll need while camping, a portable solar generator can be quite expensive. It costs way less to install a DIY electrical system in your van, although it’s much more difficult.
• You’ll have less power. No matter how powerful your portable power station may be, it’ll never come close to providing the power that a bank of deep-cycle leisure batteries will provide.
• They can be slow to charge. Again, it all depends on which solar generator for van life you buy, and how you’ll be charging it. Some of the units on our list can be charged really quickly using a wall outlet, but things slow down once you’re relying on solar panels.
• They’re not as easy to fix. When you design your own electrical system for your van, it’s often the case that batteries or parts can easily be replaced if a problem occurs. If something goes wrong with your solar generator, you might not be able to fix it yourself. In a worst case scenario, you’ll have to replace the whole unit.
• They have a limited lifespan. The batteries in a portable power station don’t last forever. After as few as 500 full charges, lithium-ion batteries begin to decrease in storage efficiency and eventually die. On the other hand, some manufacturers, such as Goal Zero, do offer replacement batteries.

Some portable solar generators, such as the Goal Zero units, have all outlets conveniently located on the front panel. Others have outlets on the front, sides, and back. Depending on where you plan on putting your power station, it could get really annoying if you can’t easily access outlets without moving the unit.

How To Charge a Portable Solar Generator

In general, portable power stations can be charged in three ways: with solar panels, from a household outlet, or from a vehicle’s cigarette lighter socket. In some cases, a portable generator can be “super-charged” by using more than one method simultaneously.

Solar Panels

Using solar panels to charge your power station is definitely the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to create power for your van. It’s also the best way to generate power if you’re staying off-grid, so you’ll need to buy a power station with a high enough input capacity if you plan on staying out for long periods.

The Goal Zero Yeti is an excellent choice, and can be charged with up to 300W solar. Remember, though: conditions have to be perfect for maximum solar efficiency.

12-volt Cigarette Lighter Socket

Not all solar generators can be charged this way. But for those that can, this method works, in a pinch. It’ll take a long time to charge a battery this way, but if you’re going to be doing a lot of driving, it’s worth plugging in. One thing to remember, though: don’t charge your solar generator from the 12-volt socket while your van is idling as it can cause damage to the engine.

Household Outlet

This is the fastest way to charge your solar generator. Plugging in to a 110V AC outlet can charge some power stations in as little as an hour. It’s usually the case that you’ll be a blessing to plug in at RV parks and bigger campgrounds, so every now and then it can be worth pulling in for a night to get a good recharge.

We Hope You Find the Best Portable Power Station for Camping!

Whether you’re using it as your main source of power, or as a backup for extended wilderness excursions, a portable power station is a compact and efficient solution. Some people find that a small solar generator is ideal to power a bedside CPAP. Even the smallest solar generator will power a CPAP device for up to 8 hours.

Although you’ll need to invest some money upfront, a solar generator is really easy to use, and doesn’t require hours of installation. Deciding on the best solar generator really comes down to personal choice. Still, with so many options available, there’s a solar generator that’ll work for any kind of van dweller.