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How Much Battery Capacity Do I Need for a Weekend Camping Trip?

For a light two-person trip, 500–800Wh is a sensible starting range. Add a cooler, CPAP, laptop-heavy work, or electric cooking and 1,000–2,000Wh may be more comfortable.

List each load, multiply watts by hours, and include a 20–30% reserve. Continuous loads matter most: a fridge or cooler cycles through the day, while a phone charger is intermittent.

Solar input, a vehicle charge cable, and a second battery can reduce the capacity you need to carry, but only if you have a realistic recharge opportunity.