Every camper would be excited to hear about a portable rechargeable heater for their tents. However, are there battery-powered heaters for camping?
Well, yes and no. Unfortunately, there aren’t models you can buy in stores that are directly powered by small batteries. However, with some adjustments and adequate gear, you can adapt some devices and make them work perfectly.
What gear would you need? A small heater (preferably under 250W) and a camping battery with adequate size.
Let’s go into detail and explain it below.
Why there are NO battery powered heaters for camping?
You won’t easily find a heater powered by retail batteries (AAA, AA, and other batteries) because of the high power consumption of the heating devices.
To further explain so that you can better understand, one AAA battery can provide up to 1.87 watts per hour. In contrast, our preferred tent heater (Dreo Space Heater) consumes 1500W in its highest output capacity.
To run Dreo Space Heater, for example, you would need approximately 800 batteries per hour (not considering the voltage difference between the equipment and batteries). This would be impractical for any camper or even a house owner.
So, what are the alternatives to make a battery-powered heater for camping work? Let’s see below.
How to run a battery powered heater for camping, then?
Essentially, you would have to work on two fronts:
- find smaller heaters (personal models)
- find bigger batteries.
Is this possible? Fortunately, yes!
In the case of small heaters, let’s concentrate on options that have energy consumption around or below 400W per hour. As for batteries, our recommendation is to buy a camping power bank with its capacity of at least 3-4 times the amount of power required to run the heater.
Options of small portable camping heaters that you can run from batteries
After reviewing some options available in the market, we recommend these 3 compact models to make it possible to run from a camping battery.
Option 1 – Lasko space heater 200W is a very compact heater that only consumes 200W per hour. Measuring only 1.8 x 4.3 x 6.1 inches, this equipment already comes with over-heating protection and cool-touch housing.
We like this option’s size and the relationship between heating capacity and power consumption.
Option 2 – Vornado VH202 has two different heating settings (375W and 700W). You would have to stick to the lower setting to make it run longer.
It is slightly bigger than Lasko space heater 200W and measures 7.2 x 7.9 x 7.1 inches, but it also provides almost double heating capacity. What we like about this model is its quietness – it produces less than 10dB while operating.
As for safety, Vornado VH202 also comes with auto-shutoff mechanisms for tip-over incidents and cool-touch cases.
Option 3 – Honeywell Heatbud is our choice. This device is very affordable and comes with tip-over protection and a cool-touch handle, mitigating burning risks.
With dimensions of 5 x 4 x 7.75 inches, Honeywell Heatbud provides up to 250W, making it an excellent option for a portable electric heater for camping.
Its quality and durability are second to none, with outstanding reviews from customers.
Big camping batteries (Solar models)
When it comes to camping batteries, we recommend choosing solar-powered units for obvious reasons – you can recharge them during the day and use them every night to warm your tent up.
We chosen 3 options to suit your needs below.
Option 1 – Bluetti Solar Generator – This super solar generator has solar panels that allow fast recharging and a 2048wH output (more than enough to provide power to all small heaters above).
The solar generator comes in different capacities, from 700W to 4000W. The Bluetti Solar Generaor 2000W option is our preferred one, which is more than enough for a large group of campers.
What is incredible about this solar generator is its expanding capacity. You can buy extra cables and batteries and double the generating capacity of your device.
Bluetteti has multiple output ports, a wireless charging pad (ideal for your phone), and multiple voltages outputs (USB, Car Port, AC, 100W PD, and so on), which makes it compatible with various equipment.
Option 2 – Jackery Solar Generator – Jackery is known for its high quality and reliable products. Similarly to Bluetti, it comes with different power outputs, which you can choose to suit your needs.
With products ranging from 240W to 1800W, Jackery has created a functional product that is very easy to operate and recharge. We recommend picking options with more than 1000W if you plan to use your small heater.
The Jackery Solar Generator 1000 weighs only 22.04lbs and has multiple output ports (AC output, DC, 1000W, USB, USB-C, etc.). Its design facilitates transportation, with a robust handle to carry the equipment around.
You won’t be disappointed with this piece of art for campers!
How long a battery powered heater for camping will run for?
As you might already imagine, this will depend on which battery and heating device you choose.
The rough calculations are straightforward – get your battery’s power capacity and divide it by the heating power requirements (this is an approximation and might vary according to other conditions, such as if the battery is being used to supply power to other devices).
For example, Honeywell Heatbud required 250W per hour to run, and it would smoothly run for up to 4 hours with Jackery Solar Generator 1000 (250 x 4 = 1000W) and up to 8 hours with Bluetti Solar Generator 2000W.
Remember ALWAYS to check the voltage of your equipment and connect to the correct power outlet.
FAQ
Are electric heaters safe in a tent?
Yes, you can put an electric heater in a tent – they are the safest tent heating option. However, pay attention to overheating, which can melt your tent and ignite a fire.
Conversely to propane heaters, electric heaters do not release carbon monoxide. Therefore CO poisoning risks are inexistent.
However, try to keep small openings so that there is small ventilation.
Is it worth buying a solar generator to create a battery powered heater for camping?
Well, a solar generator can dramatically help you when camping. Apart from heating, it can help you with laptop, camera, and other electronic devices recharging. We highly recommend having one.
However, if you only intend to buy it for heating purposes, we recommend using other portable heaters, such as:
- Propane Heaters (gas heater)
- Butane Heaters (gas heater)
- Kerosene Heaters (liquid heater)
- DIY Tent Heater (Candle Heater)
How to heat a tent without electricity?
We wrote an article with detailed tips on how to heat your tent without electricity. The heating measures include:
- Choose the appropriate tent material
- Pitch your tent at the right spot
- Use warm blankets
- Bring the adequate sleeping bags
- Intake enough calories
- Use a hot water bottle.
- Try light exercise before going to bed
- Drink hot beverages
- Insulate your tent
- Use a portable heater.
What heater size do I need for my tent?
You should read this article if you want to know what size your heating device be. But as a rule of thumb, consider the data in the table below (remember that 1watt = 3.41BTU).
Where to place a heater in a tent?
We recommend placing your heater on top of a fireproof mat, in an isolated area and not close to your tent walls (at least 20cm), and away from any flammable material (remove any flammable gear from your tent).
Conclusion
Even though most of the electric heater options in the market would be impractical to run from conventional batteries, you can use a camping power bank (solar-powered) to run a small portable electric heater.
As for options, we recommend the following equipment
- Portable heaters (electric):
- Solar generators
