Every traveller knows how important battery power is when hitting the road. Energy is needed to do all sorts of important things – keeping your brews cold, charging electronic devices and appliances, or using navigation apps on your phone. Not all set ups are equal though, and everyone has different energy needs. Tailor your battery set-up according to what type of trip you’re going on and your individual needs and budget.

Solar power

Solar power as a source of energy is increasing in popularity because of its sustainability. The downside to solar power is that you need sufficient sunlight or else it won’t be effective – for example, if there is too much cloud cover then your solar panels won’t work as well.

You can opt for either a solar panel, solar hubs or power kits with controllers. Solar hubs and power kits are more portable and ease to store but may have less capacity than solar panels. You will want them to be lightweight, waterproof, and have sufficient power sockets for your devices. Make sure that they have sufficient regulators/controllers to protect your battery.

Camp site power

If you’re on a camp site, the easiest option is hooking your vehicle to any of its electric points. This usually means an extra cost for your pitch, but the convenience is worth it – you’ll even be able to run the most power-hungry devices. Just make sure you have a cable and connectors for your vehicle and electric points, and that your cables are long enough. Keep these cables tidy with a cable bag.

If your vehicle doesn’t have an electric socket or you’re camping in a tent, you can still connect to these electricity points. You will just need an extension reel with the appropriate socket connector on one end.

Keep it portable

Portable chargers are the perfect device for charging a phone, camera or tablet. They’re easily stored and lightweight. When shopping for chargers, look at the mAH (milli-ampere hour). The higher the number, the more charge you will get out of it but just keep in mind that the higher the mAH, the heavier the charger tends to be. Passthrough charging is also a useful feature – it means that you can charge a phone and the charger itself at the same time.

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