Why You Should Take a Generator on Your Next Camping Trip

Camping is one of the great holiday experiences, and practically a cultural tradition in the UK. Many of us will fondly remember our childhood summer jaunts, and the breezy nights spent with family in crowded tents on sublime camping sites in the Cotswolds or Lake District.

Camping has never ‘gone away’ – and, indeed, camping is more popular than ever. Not only are people becoming more interested in wilder holiday experiences in rural paradises, but the tightening of family budgets up and down the country have seen many trading international flights for a packed car and a drive into the sticks.

A Dangerous Pursuit

But camping has changed over time, and there are various things now available that weren’t in the ‘good old days’. There are also some serious dangers inherent to camping, that are even more so to someone who hasn’t camped in a while, or ever before. Not only are there some basic skills and techniques new campers should learn before taking off to their chosen campsite, but also some essential items of equipment that could be life-saving on-site – both figuratively and literally.

One such item of equipment comes in the form of the backup generator. This might seem like a counter-intuitive thing to bring along, especially on a trip designed to take you away from the creature comforts and modern conveniences of life at home. However, even the most ‘unplugged’ of camping trips may see you in dire need of charge.

How Do Generators Work?

Generators are portable devices that generate electrical charge, generally by converting energy derived via an internal combustion engine. Quintessential generators are diesel-run; a diesel motor engine produces rotational kinetic energy, which in turn rotates a conductive coil between the poles of a powerful magnet. Through a principle called electromagnetic induction, a high voltage is generated across the coil – providing power in the form of electricity.

Generators come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with different functions and even different methods of fuelling. Generators provide DC power, whereas alternators – which are also used in cars to feed energy back into the battery – provide AC power.

Why Bring a Generator?

Bringing a generator on your camping trip may seem like overkill, but it can be crucial to ensuring your stay is a comfortable one. You can use the generator to power better lighting, for example – meaning your campsite is better illuminated for safety. This could also enable you to set up camp later on if you were delayed in your travels.

If anything were to go wrong on your trip, your generator means you can charge your devices wherever you are – eliminating the chance of being uncontactable in the field. You could even use your generator to jumpstart your vehicle if its battery happens to die mid-trip.