Camping With Electricity
When it comes to camping, most would think of roughing it out in nature. A tent, campfires and food cooked over it – that’s the idea that most would have. After all, camping is all about returning to the basics right? That might have been true in the past. However, as technology has advanced, camping has similarly progressed. Today, if you desire a little more luxury or comfort, electricity can be included during camping if you need to use any electrical appliances. In this article, we will be providing a quick guide on all you need to know about electricity and how you can use it during camping. So without further ado, let’s get into it!
How Can I Get Electricity When Camping?
You have two main ways at your disposal when you want to power your electrical appliances when camping – one, a leisure battery and two, an electric hook up.
1. Leisure Battery
A leisure battery is similar to that of a car battery; it provides a 12V supply for your needs. This type of power source is more often used when you find yourself unable to plug into the main connection. It is far more portable than an electric hook up. With this battery, you can power lights, toilet flushers, televisions and caravan movers. However, as these batteries only provide a 12V supply, any appliances you try to run with it must be able to work using a 12V supply. Therefore, do make sure that your appliances run on a 12V supply before you plug it in to use.
If you are utilising a caravan, motorhome or folding camper, a leisure battery is most likely what’s installed. Therefore, any appliances you use in these vehicles should also run on a 12V supply. Also, do remember to take good care of your leisure battery. If you are purchasing a used caravan, motorhome or folding camper, do also remember to check the leisure battery. If it has been used often, you might need to replace it.
2. Electric Hook-Up
An electric hook-up is similar to the sockets you would have at home and it provides you with a 230V supply. If you are at a commercial or club camping site, electric hook-ups should be provided at most of their pitches. As these electric hook-ups are similar to what you’d have at home, you would be able to use them to power up many of the electrical appliances you use at home. However, this does not mean that you should use your appliances willy nilly. You still have to be careful as most campsites have restrictions. This may vary according to campsites so you should always find out when you reach a campsite.
If you use the wrong appliance, you may end up tripping the system and this could affect the whole campsite. You would want to avoid tripping the system because this will affect more than just you. If you are lucky, you would only have affected your pitch and you will only need to bother the site manager to help you reset the system, However, if you are unlucky, you might trip your neighbours’ electrical supply too. This will definitely annoy others and you would want to avoid that.
You can even search for specific Electric Hook up sites on Camping Sites in Britain.
How To Be Safe When Using Electricity During Camping Trips
Electricity is undoubtedly dangerous and it is important to be careful when handling electricity. This is especially as camping conditions can be wet or damp. Even if you are using a leisure battery, the 12V supply can still give you a painful shock. However, this does not mean that you should not use any electricity. Instead, you need to prepare for any unwanted eventualities and be careful when using electricity.
When using the electric hook-up at a site, you should use the purpose-built lead that is specifically designed to bring electricity into the unit. These kinds of leads are best because they have unique weather-proof plugs that are made to connect to the electric hook-up at the site. To connect your cables to the hook-up point, always plug the cable into your unit first before plugging it into the site’s bollard. This is to ensure that you don’t carry a ‘live’ lead into the unit. And hence, you will avoid electrocuting yourself. Additionally, it’s best if you have a cable that’s at least 25 metres long. This will ensure that even if you pitch further away from the hook-up bollard, you will still be able to connect the lead from the bollard to your unit still. Even if you pitch your tent somewhere close to the bollard, it’s best to uncoil your cable completely. This will prevent it from overheating and melting. Lastly, try to avoid using any extension cables. But if you do have to use one, remember to use some rain-proof connectors and to keep that connection away from the ground.
Remember to always keep everything dry to prevent electrocution. This can be hard when camping as tents and the floor might be damp or completely wet. Try to keep the ends of the cable of the ground. You could use special clips to fix it onto a frame tent pole and thus, keep it off the ground. When you plug your electrical appliances in, be sure to keep them off the ground too. In fact, if you are in a tent, do not use your appliance on the tent floor. This is because the tent floor could be damp with condensation. In essence, make sure that you work to keep everything dry and if that’s not possible, avoid using electrical equipment in these places.
Lastly, remember that you are camping. You do not need to use that much electricity and you should try to be thrifty in your electricity use. Therefore, do think about the appliances that you are planning to use. Remember to use appliances suitable for camping and that do not use that much electricity. This is to ensure that you don’t overload your hook-up and cause the system to trip.
In conclusion, it is a great boon that electricity can be used when camping now. However, remember to be careful and thrifty when using electricity when camping. Electricity can be dangerous and should always be properly and carefully handled.
Hi, I am Amy I have two loves in my life camping and writing. When I am not writing for The Expert Camper, I am usually camping. Lake District is one of my favourite spots, but really anywhere in the UK under canvas I am happy.
