{"id":2132,"date":"2026-06-14T21:08:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T21:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2132"},"modified":"2026-06-14T21:08:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T21:08:46","slug":"the-best-portable-generators-for-camping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2132","title":{"rendered":"The best portable generators for camping"},"content":{"rendered":"

Portable generators for camping<\/h2>\n

Portable generators allow you the freedom to use your RV in places that lack power or take electronics with you on your tent camping trip. A movie night in the woods is a pretty attractive idea, and thanks to generators, it\u2019s entirely possible.<\/p>

Read more Best Smith & Wesson knife<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Jackery<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n

Choosing the right generator can be a daunting task, especially once you begin looking at their price tags. Price is important, but there are several other factors you\u2019ll need to consider as well. Choosing a portable generator for camping is a lot less stressful once you\u2019ve taken the time to understand what you\u2019ll need and compared models within your budget.<\/p>\n

What to consider before you buy a generator for camping<\/h2>\n

How quiet do you want it to be?<\/h3>\n

Some generators can be quite loud, and depending on where you\u2019re camping, that sound can travel pretty far. A sound\u2019s volume is commonly measured using adjusted decibels (or dBA). The volume of an average conversation between two people is about 60 dBA. Believe it or not, many portable generators have an adjusted decibel rating of 60dBA or less from 20 feet away. Some generators are solar-powered or charged using other methods; these models can run silently in many cases.<\/p>\n

How much power do you need?<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re tent camping, you can get away with using a tiny generator, but if you\u2019re camping in an RV, you may need a 2500-watt generator or larger to power your appliances.<\/p>\n

If you plan to use your portable generator, you\u2019ll need to learn the starting wattage and running wattage of your most commonly used appliances.<\/p>\n

The most power-hungry appliance in an RV is typically the central air conditioner. A 7,000 BTU air conditioner can take around 1700-1800 watts to start and 600-650 watts to run. If your RV has a 15,000 BTU air conditioner, its AC may require up to 3500 watts to start.<\/p>\n

How heavy is too heavy?<\/h3>\n

Generators are often pretty heavy. Some generators can weigh as little as 40 pounds, but if you need 3000 starting watts or more, you may end up with a generator that is 100 pounds or heavier. If weight is an issue, you may have to plan to use fewer appliances or only one appliance at a time so that you can opt for a smaller machine.<\/p>

\n<\/div>\n

How much does a portable generator cost?<\/h3>\n

If you only need a generator with 1200-2400 starting watts, you can expect to spend between $350-$600. Generators with 3000-3500 starting watts can cost $800 or more.<\/p>

Read more Mitch McConnell is admitted to a hospital<\/a><\/p>\n

What is the best portable generator for camping?<\/h2>\n

\n

\"Westinghouse<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n

Westinghouse iGen 2200 Super Quiet Portable Generator<\/p>\n

This quiet generator can last up to 12 hours on a full tank of gas. The iGen 2200 has no problem powering many of the essential appliances in your RV simultaneously and has 2200 starting watts of power. At just 52 dBA, this is an exceptionally quiet generator.<\/p>

\n<\/div>\n

\n

\"WEN<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n

WEN 56380i Super Quiet 3800-Watt Portable Inverter Generator<\/p>\n

At nearly 100 pounds, this isn\u2019t the lightest generator out there. Still, this RV-ready model\u2019s 3800 watts of starting power ensures you won\u2019t have any trouble running your air conditioner or other power-heavy devices. At just 57 dBA, this option is also surprisingly quiet.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Briggs<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n

Briggs & Stratton P2400 PowerSmart Series Inverter Generator<\/p>\n

Although this isn\u2019t the quietest generator available, it is surprisingly quiet for its size. The easy-to-understand LEDs tell you when the machine is running low on oil. This machine can produce up to 2400 starting watts of power, but it weighs nearly 60 pounds.<\/p>\n

\n

\"A-iPower<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n

A-iPower SUA2301i\u00a02300 Watt Portable Inverter Generator<\/p>\n

At 2300 starting watts and 1,800 running watts, you won\u2019t have trouble running a few appliances and electronics with this generator. However, you may not be able to run your RV\u2019s AC unit. This incredibly quiet machine is engineered to last.<\/p>\n

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.<\/em><\/p>\n

Check out our\u00a0Daily Deals\u00a0for the best products at the best prices and sign up\u00a0here\u00a0to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.<\/em><\/p>\n

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.<\/i><\/p>

Read more 12 killed when skydivers\u2019 plane crashes in Missouri, authorities say<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Choosing a portable generator for camping is less stressful once you\u2019ve taken the time to understand what you\u2019ll need and compared models within your budget.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-reviews"],"yoast_head":"\nThe best portable generators for camping - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2132\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The best portable generators for camping - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Choosing a portable generator for camping is less stressful once you\u2019ve taken the time to understand what you\u2019ll need and compared models within your budget.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2132\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-14T21:08:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/db93e0a31bb0c9b6f54d3d326463cdba.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"585\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2132#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2132\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"The best portable generators for camping\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-14T21:08:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2132\"},\"wordCount\":741,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2132#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/2af64ffebf3745a6e114352212f89572.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Best Reviews\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2132#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2132\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2132\",\"name\":\"The best portable generators for camping - 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