The 3 Best Camping Power Supply Options—Ranked!

April 21, 2021 Terri's Little Haven

A whopping 77 million Americans go camping each year. Now, it’s your turn to head out into the wilderness—but you need to pick up a few supplies first.

In this day and age, it’s important to have a camping power supply to keep your devices working no matter where you are. As you search for one, though, you might get overwhelmed. It’s hard to know which is the best portable power supply for camping without a little help.

We’re here to help with that. Here are three of our favorite options, ranked.

3. Goal Zero Nomad 10

If you’re looking for a solar generator, you’re in luck. The Goal Zero Nomad 10 gathers the sun’s energy and uses it to power your devices. It’s lightweight, which makes it the easiest to carry with you on hikes or longer treks into the wilderness.

There’s one major catch to the Goal Zero Nomad 10, though. It doesn’t have a battery pack, so it charges your phone by daylight only. In other words, you can only use it when the sun’s out—no charging your phone or other devices while you rest at night.

However, if the heaviness of your backpack is a concern, then the Goal Zero Nomad 10 could be perfect for you. But if you rely on nighttime charging, consider a heftier device with a power bank.

2. Jackery Explorer 500

Next up, we have the Jackery Explorer 500. This one’s got a trio of USB ports, an AV outlet, and a car outlet, as well.

On that note, you can recharge the device with a wall charger, in your car, or with an additional solar panel. That way, you can keep the device in working order even if you’re far away from outlets or even your vehicle.

Those who use the Jackery Explorer 500 say that it’s best for small devices, so don’t bring it with you to power any large electronics. That said, it does store enough power to keep a CPAP ventilator going all night long, so it’s still pretty sizeable.

1. Goal Zero Yeti 150

The Goal Zero Yeti 150 can hang onto a whopping 168 hours of battery capacity. In other words, it’s more than capable of recharging your phone, laptop, tablet, or any other small electronic device that comes with you while camping.

You might not want to carry it with you for longer treks—it weighs in at 12 pounds—but for a stationary camping trip, it will provide more than enough power for your getaway. You can bring along a solar panel to keep recharging it on longer journeys, too.

Keep in mind that the Goal Zero Yeti 150 isn’t designed to power any device continuously. So, for example, if you need it to keep a CPAP machine or a refrigerator running, it won’t be up to the task. For charging phones while in the woods, though, it’s got more than enough power.