There are so many use for generators in addition to the standard appliances you may want to run while camping – and one of the best ways to use them is the share the gennie across multiple people and multiple camp setups – that way you’re making the most of the power and using the least fuel possible, compared to running multiple generators at the same camp site. You’d be surprised just how much you can run, even from a compact 2kVA gennie. Running a generator really adds a whole lot of options to your camping tool kit too – whether you want to charge up your tool batteries or even run an angle grinder!

One of the best ways my mates and I have ever utilised a generator while at camp was to run all of our camp fridges with the gennie during the heat of the day while we were out exploring in our 4WDs. Back at our base camp we had the one gennie running 5 or 6 individual fridges without missing a beat. The 2kVA gennie can power 2000W of appliances and when an Adventure Kings Camping fridge only uses around 100W it means you could in theory run about 20 camp fridges off the one gennie. The huge benefit with a setup like this is you can keep your camp fridges running cold even if it’s super warm outside – we were camping up north and were taking advantage of shade wherever possible, so our solar wasn’t as effective – particularly as we were heading out exploring and fishing and wouldn’t be with our cars. We loaded up one portable fridge with snacks, food and cold drinks and took off – when we finally got back and the afternoon had cooled down a bit we just plugged the camping fridges back into our second battery systems, cut the gennie and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Although that’s the other nice thing about a small gennie – they don’t make much sound anyway and when you combine them with a long extension lead you’ll barely hear them! Running one gennie to power multiple fridges and campsites gives you plenty of power, without using much fuel! Of course the ultimate setup if you get good weather is solar, but you can always rely on a camping generator even when it’s cloudy!

Another really obvious use for a gennie when you’re out in the sticks is running power-hungry tools. Hand tools are no competition for power tools no matter where you are, and if you’re trying to fix a major problem or need to do some serious repairs having a generator and a few tools on hand can turn a 2 hour job into one that only takes 20 minutes. It’s the reason that many tradies will keep a generator in their ute or tradie trailer, because they know the value of having reliable power wherever they are. A 2kVA generator is powerful enough to run most hand tools whether it’s a drill, angle grinder or even smaller inverter welders – having those on hand can make any job much easier! Stepping up to a larger generator like a 3kVA model will allow you to run much more powerful tools and appliances – larger welders, more powerful grinders and appliances with large induction motors. Even if you use battery powered tools, then you’ll know how much faster it is to charge them from a 240V source like a generator compared to the equivalent vehicle 12V cig socket charger.

Having a generator of course allows you to run your appliances and your tools, but it also gives you the power to charge your 12V system back up if it ever needs it! If you’ve been camping in the same place for a week or two with minimal driving and little to no sun then your alternator and solar haven’t had the chance to charge your batteries and 12V system back to full capacity. That’s where a generator has two massive benefits – not only can it run your appliances and necessities to take any further load off the batteries but you can also charge your batteries back up at the same time. With a properly sized charger you can have your batteries back to full capacity in around 5 hours – that’s even with a compact 2kVA gennie – it’s able to charge your batteries with 20 or even 40 amps per hour (depending on your charger) at the same time as running all the gear that would otherwise be drawing power from the battery. Compared to idling your vehicle, a generator is going to use much less fuel too – and combined with an extension lead and a bit of distance it’s a lot more pleasant compared to having to listen to the contact din of a big diesel engine right in your camp.

So whether you want a way to run your power-hungry tools and appliances (or lots of little ones!) it’s hard to beat a camping generator. They are fuel efficient, powerful and compact enough to be easy to move around and transport. Combined with an extension cord and a power board you can run them nice and far from camp to enjoy the peace and quiet – and you know you can rely on them to provide power even when the weather doesn’t want to play ball. The hardest part is almost choosing which size is right for you, because there’s sometimes the thought that bigger is always better, but in most situations, most campers will get away with a 2kVA generator – it’ll allow you to run most, if not all, of your most popular appliances and tools. However if you’re expecting to run really power-hungry gear like an air conditioner, or multiple things at the same time then a 3kVA gennie is the way to go!