In the past, we all got by with air and love when camping; today, it can be a little more. It might be the zeitgeist, or that we're (almost) all not 20 anymore, whatever. When camping, with a tent or in a mobile home, at a festival, on a fishing trip, or in the allotment garden: having electricity is better than needing electricity. A power station does exactly that: it supplies electricity wherever you need it.

The heart of every power station is the battery. Usually, it is a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) or lithium-ion (Li-Ion). A Li-Ion battery is often installed in smaller models in particular. We know this from everyday life - laptops, e-bikes, etc., are equipped with it. LiFePO4, on the other hand, is our preferred battery technology because these batteries do not explode or burn. That is why they are always used as mobile home batteries. Li-ion batteries are smaller and lighter, often used in portable power stations. Safety and longevity are more important, so we only sell LiFePO4 power stations!

Purchase criterion: The well-chosen battery capacity decides whether (in the middle of the party) you run out of electricity. Whether the parking heater in the camper van goes off at three o'clock in the morning because it's no longer getting electricity. So the following question arises: How much electricity do I need? How long should the power station supply me with electricity before I have to recharge it?

It's called a power station and not a battery. So there must be more to it. Namely, ways to take and add power from the battery:

Consume electricity: 5V, 12V and 230V

A battery comes with only two battery poles (plus and minus), and you have to tinker with these power storage options for power consumption - that's how all the do-it-yourself builders do it, who electrify their camper or mobile home themselves. The power station does this work. In addition to the battery, some sockets are in the housing: USB, 12V, and 230V. Behind the 230V socket is an inverter, which generates the 230V AC voltage as we know it from the battery voltage (usually 12V – 36V DC voltage).

Purchasing criterion: The power of the inverter must be high enough so that the desired devices can also be operated on it. For example, a hair dryer with 1000 watts or a coffee capsule machine with 1300 watts cannot be operated on a power station with a 500-watt inverter.

Whereby: A hair dryer with 1000 watts works on a smaller power station like the Ecoflow River Max with 600W continuous output power. The power station then reduces the voltage - so it no longer supplies 230V, but maybe only 150V. In practice, the hair dryer generates hot air, but not much of it. So more of a hot breeze than a hot stream of air. Unfortunately, this trick does not work with the coffee machine.

Charge power station: solar, car, socket

A lithium battery is a memory. And if I draw electricity, this storage will eventually run out and has to be recharged. For this purpose, the power station has integrated several chargers.

There are three ways to get electricity back into the power station:

• Solar module: for example, connect a solar bag directly to the power station. There are two things to consider here: firstly, you need the right plug, and secondly, the no-load voltage of the module must not be too high for the built-in solar controller. Regarding the plug: there are adapters. Concerning the voltages, you should compare the bifacial solar panel and the power station's nameplate or product data-sheet.

• 12V cigarette lighter: Every car and camper has a 12V socket in the dashboard. Here you can charge the power station. It may take a little longer, but you also drive longer.

• Schuko socket: Power stations also have an integrated battery charger. Here, too, it depends on the technical data of the respective power station and how much charging current is possible. So how slowly or quickly the power station can be charged?

Purpose of the power station

Let's get to the fun part: a power station's purpose. The principle is easy to explain: have electricity without a socket. Or where no electricity comes out of the socket.

Portable power supply for camping, festival, and fishing

The classic is the weekend trip - you drive somewhere by car, alone, with family or friends. And he doesn't want to spend his free time behind the moon on technical matters. How to live off the grid? A mobile power storage device makes it possible to use the amenities of modern technology: the cold beer from the cool box, the good sound from the bass box, and, if you like, the fun with the X-Box. Surely everyone has their ideas. Anglers can chill the fish they've caught, and when the party moves from the campground to the festival stage, just lock the power station in the car to keep it locked away.

Off-grid in the allotment garden - self-sufficient in electricity thanks to the mobile power supply

We use the power station ourselves on our off-grid property in Portugal. In the garden shed, she charges the lithium batteries for RV, turns on the lights, and occasionally runs the oven for the pizza evening. And even a shredder with 2,500W should run with it.

Power station as an emergency power supply for house and apartment

With increasing uncertainty regarding the stable power supply, we have seen an increasing interest in a backup power supply in case of a blackout. So what do you do when no more electricity comes out of the living room socket? If you have a power station at home, you know how to help yourself. Depending on the capacity and the installed inverter, devices, including the freezer and washing machine, can be operated with it. But be careful: you need a large model with (various) expansion batteries. Plus, a way to recharge those batteries (solar power, generator, etc.).

Now everyone has to assess how great the risk of a prolonged blackout is. And what he is willing to invest just in case. The nice thing about the power station as an emergency power supply is that it can also be used for other purposes in everyday life. Coupled with a solar system, it could supply the home office with electricity and thus reduce daily power consumption and monthly electricity bills. You can take them on family weekend trips and camping. So not only does she stand around, but she also has something to do.