Almost everyone overbuys here, because the marketing talks about running a microwave and you only want your phone to work on day four. Do the arithmetic once and the answer falls out.
The daily number
Work in watt-hours, which is capacity, not watts, which is how fast you can pull it out.
| Device | Rough daily draw |
|---|---|
| Phone, full charge | 15–20Wh |
| Tablet | 30–40Wh |
| Laptop | 50–90Wh |
| Camera or drone battery | 20–90Wh each |
| Headlamps, camp lights, a fan | 20–60Wh |
Two people with phones, a tablet, a laptop and lighting land between 100 and 250Wh a day. Then add 30% for conversion losses and cold weather, and multiply by the number of days before you can recharge.
Three sizes that fit
- Around 300Wh — a weekend, or a week of phones only. Our Elite 30 V2 listing states 288Wh with 600W rated output, nine outlets including a 140W USB-C PD port, 80% in 45 minutes, and a standby draw of 4.5W. That last figure matters more than people expect: a station left switched on between trips can quietly empty itself.
- Around 1kWh — a week for two, or a weekend once a fridge, a CPAP or a satellite internet terminal joins the list. The Elite 100 mini listing states 1,004.8Wh at 700W output, and quotes 34.4 hours running a portable fridge and 39.2 hours keeping Wi-Fi online. The Elite 100 V2 gives similar capacity at 1,800W output for heavier things, at 25lbs.
- A backpack unit — if the charging has to happen away from the vehicle. The Handsfree 1 listing states 268.8Wh and 300W in a 42L pack rated for a 30kg load, with a folding panel attachable to recharge while you walk.
The recharge plan matters more than the size
A station with no way to refill is just a large battery. Decide now which applies:
- Vehicle or shore power between trips — the simplest case, and the cheapest.
- Solar at camp — a folding panel. Our PV200 listing states 200W, monocrystalline, folding with its own kickstand, IP65. Expect meaningfully less than the rated figure in real conditions, and plan on repositioning it through the day. Bluetti does not recommend mounting its folding panels permanently on a roof or vehicle, so if you want permanent panels, that is a different product.
If you are flying anywhere with it
Check the airline before you buy, not at the gate. Our own X60 listing states that Bluetti does not permit that unit as carry-on for flights. Lithium capacity rules are set by the carrier and the aviation authority, and they apply to the whole category, so treat any station in this article as ground equipment unless your airline has told you otherwise in writing.
We stock these as genuine BLUETTI, shipped from Bluetti's US warehouse, and we are in Upland, California if you want to talk the sizing through first.