Best Generator for Camping [2023 Update]

The Honda EU2200i is a portable inverter designed for high-energy demands.

If you need to use big camping appliances like AC units or fancy grills, this Honda generator has you covered thanks to 2,200 surge watts and 1,800 running watts. Other user-friendly features include a fuel shut-off valve, a thick carrying handle, and parallel capability.

Despite its generous output and fuel-efficient engine, the Honda is surprisingly quiet and portable. In fact, it offers one of the lowest noise levels of any inverter on our list.

The Yamaha EF2000iSv2 is a highly-portable inverter generator that’s perfect for campers looking for a lightweight yet potent power supply.

Weighing in at just 44lbs, it’s one of the lightest, non-solar generators on our list. Despite its small size, its running power output registers at 1600-watts, giving you more than enough juice to power your stuff.

If you’re looking for a super-quiet generator, it’s hard to beat the Yamaha EF. It’s so quiet, in fact, that the US Forest Service has approved it for use at all their sites. Its rated noise level is only 61dB and scales down to 51dB at a quarter load, making it one of the quietest generators out there.

The only drawback to the Yamaha EF is its hefty price tag. But if you’re looking for a reliable, quiet camping generator to get you through years of camping trips, the Yamaha’s compact size and ultra-quiet energy output is worth the investment.

Rugged, reliable, and affordable, the Goal Zero Yeti 400 is an all-in-one power station that will charge your camping gadgets with clean and rechargeable power. On top of charging the unit with solar energy, you can also power it up through a carport, making it the ultimate car camping solution.

With the Goal Zero, you won’t have to deal with the usual nasty fumes or noise pollution of other generators. While the Goal Zero does have minimal power capacity when compared to a conventional or portable inverter generator, it will offer up more than enough energy to power small, personal appliances.

If your power demands are minimal, consider choosing the Jackery Power Station instead. You’ll sacrifice half the energy output, but you’ll save on half the weight and half the price when compared to the Goal Zero.

In the market for a budget-friendly and environmentally-friendly power source? The Jackery Portable Power Station is for you!

The Jackery is a solar generator that has no running costs and requires very little maintenance other than occasionally replacing the battery. One of its best features is that this model is chainable, so you can keep your gadgets going for longer.

If you want to power up a bunch of high-energy appliances at your campsite, the Jackery isn’t a good fit. But if you’re the type of camper looking for a small and compact solution for powering up small gadgets like your smartphone and laptop, the Jackery is the best camping generator to get the job done.

The Champion Power 2000 is a great portable generator with inverter technology that offers up to 11 hours of run time. Its stackable, space-saving design is parallel-ready and can be hooked up to another device to double input.

What we love about the Champion is that despite its modest price tag, you’ll still enjoy a number of impressive features. Cold start technology means you won’t find yourself without power in the cold while a smart economy mode allows you to reduce the electrical load, allowing for quieter operation.

If you’re only looking to charge a few gadgets at your campsite, consider the Champion Power 2000 over other inverters on our list. Both the Honda EU2200i and the Yamaha EF2000iSv2 offer more output, but that extra power comes at more than double the price tag!

The Renogy Phoenix is a solar power system that’s ideal for campers looking for a lightweight and clean power solution for their camping energy needs.

The Renogy Phoneix’s standout feature is the flexibility of its 3-power-source design: the unit can be charged by solar power, AC power, or car power. A replaceable 16Ah lithium-ion battery bank offers up 20-watts of power and is expandable to 120-watts through the use of additional solar panels.

If you’re a minimalist camper, then you’ll love the Renogy’s ultra-portable briefcase design and sturdy handle (although it’s still twice as heavy as the Jackery Power Station). As an added bonus, it’s the quietest generator on our list.

The Rockpals Power station is one of the most affordable portable generators on our list… but don’t let that fool you! Thanks to a 280-watt rechargeable lithium battery, it’ll still pump out enough power to charge your small gadgets and appliances.

On top of its small, compact size and light weight (only slightly heavier than the Jackery Power Station), the Rockpals features a 12-volt port, your typical AC outlet, and 4 USB ports, two of which are fast charging. No more fighting over who gets to charge their phone first at your campsite!

The Champion 3800-Watt RV generator is a dual-fuel generator that allows users to choose the fuel they prefer. Thanks to a hefty 3.4-gallon fuel tank, you’ll get about 9 hours of running time from one fuel tank and a bit more from propane.

If it’s your first time operating a generator, have no fear. A handy toggle switch powers the device and the push-button power with cold start technology means you’ll have no trouble running it in cold weather.

All that power comes at a price. The Champion 3800-watt is quite heavy at 119lbs (compare that to the lightest generator on our list, the Renogy Phoenix, which only weighs 11.7lbs!)

Despite its size, this Champion model is quite portable thanks to thoughtful features like never-flat tires and fold-away, easy-grip handles. Other useful perks like a low-oil shut-off sensor and 4 surge-protected outlets just seal the deal.

Yamaha wasn’t kidding when they called this their “most powerful inverter ever”!

Many inverter generators only produce enough power to run one low-demand appliance at a time. The Yamaha EF6300iSDE really does earn its title thanks to its four-stroke engine which can produce a whopping 6,300 surge (starting) and 5,500 rated (running) watts of power.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a 6,000-watt device that’s small, but the Yamaha inverter generator does a good job of making its bulky size portable with never-flat rolling casters which makes moving this 200lbs beast more manageable.

One downside is that the Yamaha EF6300iSDE isn’t parallel compatible, which is surprising for a Yamaha. But with all the power surging through this one, it’s unlikely you’d need a second model for camping anyway.