Start with the two numbers that actually matter
- Watts (W): how much power your device needs right now to run.
- Watt‑hours (Wh): how much energy the power station can deliver over time (your “fuel tank”).
Rule #1: Inverter watts determines what you can run
If your device needs 600W and the power station’s inverter is 300W, it won’t run—no matter how big the battery is. This is why “small battery but big inverter” vs “big battery but small inverter” can feel confusing.
For typical camping and travel, the usual winners are phones, lights, cameras, fans, and small laptop loads. For emergency preparedness, you’ll care more about routers, medical devices, and sometimes a fridge (which has high startup surge).
Rule #2: Watt‑hours determines how long you can run it
Real runtime is never 100% efficient. Between inverter losses, cable losses, heat, and battery management, a simple planning assumption is:
Usable Wh ≈ battery Wh × 0.80 (a conservative, easy estimate)
Then estimate runtime:
Runtime (hours) ≈ usable Wh ÷ device watts
Quick examples (realistic, not marketing math)
| Device | Typical watts | What this means |
|---|---|---|
| Phone charging | 5–20W | Small power stations handle this easily; ports matter more than inverter size. |
| Laptop (USB‑C) | 30–100W | Look for a 100W USB‑C PD port for simpler, more efficient charging. |
| Small fan | 10–40W | Great comfort upgrade for hot tents; low speed dramatically increases runtime. |
| Mini‑fridge / compressor cooler | 40–80W average (higher surge) | You need enough inverter headroom for startup and enough Wh to last overnight. |
| Wi‑Fi router | 8–15W | Easy win for outage prep: internet + communication. |
What size should you buy?
Instead of a single “best” size, think in trip styles. Our ranked picks by use case live here: Best Portable Power Stations.
- Short tent trips: 250–500Wh is often enough for phones, lights, and a fan.
- Weekend car camping: 500–1,000Wh covers phones, cameras, a fan, and laptops with margin.
- Outage basics: 1,000Wh+ is where you start powering “household rhythm” devices longer.
Don’t forget “power-adjacent” planning
During outages, power and water protection go together. If you’re building a simple resilience plan, consider pairing your backup power with leak prevention: Best Smart Water Shutoff Valves.
