How to set up electrical power board when camping?

em1235

Going camping (at a holiday park with a powered site) for the first time next week and I am a bit stuck on the best way to setup the site so that I can have multiple areas to plug things in without daisy chaining. I ideally want to have a power board with all of our chargers and lower wattage equipment inside the tent and then to have an extension cord or additional power board for the patio area so I can plug in my air fryer for the kids and/or be able to plug additional things in while they are outside. I understand I could easily just get a 10A outlet extension reel and just ensure I do not exceed 2400 watts at a time, but knowing the kids they will plug appliances in at the same time not realising they are doing something wrong.

If someone could suggest a safer setup that still isn't too expensive that would be amazing!

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @em1235. It is great to have you with us, and many thanks for your question about setting up power while camping.

You're right to avoid daisy-chaining powerboards and extension leads, as this isn't good practice and can lead to overloaded connections.

One option worth considering is the Arlec 15A 4 Outlet Heavy Duty Power Block with Safety Switch. This gives you four outlets from the one connection point, so you could run separate extension leads to the areas where you need power and connect suitable powerboards at their ends, rather than connecting one powerboard or extension lead into another.

An additional benefit is that the power block incorporates an RCBO (Residual Current Breaker with Overload). This provides protection against electrical faults that could cause electric shock, as well as overload and short-circuit protection. That's particularly useful in a camping environment where you're running several appliances and leads, potentially outdoors.

The important thing to remember, though, is that having more outlets doesn't give you more available power. Your campsite supply can only provide a certain amount, regardless of how many extension leads or powerboards you connect to it. You'll still need to manage the combined load of everything being used at the same time.

Your air fryer will likely be one of the larger loads, so I'd avoid running other high-powered appliances at the same time. Chargers and other low-powered devices are less of a concern, but their consumption still contributes to the total.

I'd also recommend checking the holiday park's requirements and available supply before purchasing your equipment. Use appropriately rated outdoor extension leads, keep connections protected from moisture and off the ground with weatherproof safety boxes, and fully unwind coiled extension leads when they're carrying significant loads.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell