I’ll share my literal setup and my justification for why I use each device at each power station. Nothing to do with this contest, just sharing for knowledge.
Bluetti AC180 #1
DC
Iceco APL55 Dual Zone Fridge (located in backseat of my truck)
AC
(None)
Bluetti AC180 #2
DC
Mifi Router
12V Charge source for EB70S (piggybacked)
AC
Mainstays 0.7cu microwave
Midea 22 Pint Dehumidifier
Western Digital EX4100 File Server
Dell Inspiron 3670 Desktop
Bluetti AC70
DC
Surface Laptop (over USB Type C)
Small media consumption tablet (USB Type A)
Phone (USB Type C)
AC
Dreo CF511 (air circulator)
Asus MB249C 24" Portable Monitor
Bluetti EB70S
DC
Maxxair 4050K
HardKorr LED Lights
AC
(None)
Bluetti EB3A
DC
12V Air Compressor (to pressurize 3.8 Gallon Self-Pressurizing WaterPORT Day Tank)
IcyBreeze Ultimate (circulates cold water through a heat exchanger and water pump to cool you down)
AC
Laundry Alternative Ninja 3200 RPM Centrifugal Spin Dryer (located in backseat of my truck)
Ryobi battery charger for 18V power drill (PCL206B), sprayer (P28140VNM), and handheld vacuum cleaner (PCL700B)
Solar Charging Sources
Bluetti AC180 #1 is charged by 360 watt solar blanket, Bluetti AC 180# 2 by Bluetti PV350, Bluetti AC70 by another Bluetti PV350, and Bluetti EB70S by Bluetti PV200.
Justification
I dedicated Bluetti AC180#1 to just running my 12V fridge. It is the most power hungry device I own and having a large battery bank with large solar potential is critical for my set up. In an emergency since both my Bluetti power stations are parallel to each other against the back of my truck bed, I can unplug the 12V cord from Bluetti AC180#1 and plug it into Bluetti AC180 #2 to keep the fridge alive if I have ample power left. I can sacrifice not using the dehumidifier or microwave for that day for the sake of keeping my food cool. My truck has a 400W outlet and I utilize a Bluetti T200S 200W charger to car charge the AC180#1 while driving. Idling the truck for an hour or two may give me JUST enough juice until Sun comes out to top it off the following day.
For Bluetti AC180 #2 I mostly use this to run my dehumidifier (on cool humid nights only mostly), and my microwave. The reason I use the larger AC180 is inverter efficiency for higher load appliances is greater for larger inverters than smaller ones. In other words, if your load is 200W or more, use a larger powerstation like an AC180. If your load is smaller (50W or less) use a smaller inverter (i.e. AC70/EB3A/etc).
For the Bluetti EB70S, this was the 2nd Bluetti power station I ever purchased and was looking for a way to repurpose it. So I partitioned it to run just my Maxxair fan and lights only. Since the lights and fan max out at around 50W DC, a 200W solar panel can easily maintain a net charge during the day. Generally I can get away with even less if I don’t run the lights during day and put fan at around 50-70%. It will only use about 15W then! If for whatever reason I need to supplement a bit more charge, I piggybacked my AC180 #2 into the EB70S through a parallel y splitter connection (DC7909) and all I have to do is simply enable the DC port to charge the EB70S from the AC180 #2. It’s less efficient granted, but otherwise wasted energy if I DONT use it. Think about if I wanted to run my lights at night and my fan, but I only had 20% left on the EB70S. If I knew it was going to be Sunny out the next day, who cares if I drain the AC180 down 50%, I’ll get it topped off the next morning anyways. A 100% full battery is wasted energy if you don’t use it.
For the Bluetti AC70 this mostly serves as my power source to run my air circulator in my Moonlander. The fan is AC powered, but the inverter is more efficient than my AC180, and still has a large enough capacity that I can last through a night. The added bonus of 500W solar charging allows me to top off the battery quicker too. I have a larger portable monitor as well that acts as a nice large viewing screen for entertainment (if I don’t want to look at a small tablet or phone), but since the portable monitor uses less than 50W, the inverter is ideal for this type of load as well over the AC180.
For the Bluetti EB3A this is my portable/take anywhere power station. If I want to take my camping chair outside and sit on my laptop I can utilize the USB Type C port. Likewise I use this power station to carry it to the backseat of my truck to run my spin dryer. The spin dryer uses about 400W when in use so the 600W inverter runs it no problem. Inverter efficiency is poorer, but the trade off is worth it for portability. Since you can only run the spin dryer at a max of 5 minutes per load, I only consume less than 10% per session.
Why so many power stations?!
My floor configuration is specifically optimized for the amount of space the two Bluetti AC180s, AC70, EB70S, and EB3A take up in the truck. Originally when I bought my two Bluetti AC180s it was because they perfectly fit in the back wheel well of my F-150. I wasn’t thinking anything else other than maximizing my use of my space. But then I realized there are two key advantages here! REDUNDANCY and WEIGHT SAVINGS. Way easier to carry two 35lb power stations than one heavy one like an AC200 (60+lbs) or Elite 200 (53lbs). Because I have two power stations I can easily transfer duty from one power station to the other (like in the case of my fridge) and simply take the other power station out and fast charge it when the opportunity arises. So I can stop by McDonalds and get a bite to eat, transfer my 12V fridge from AC180 #1 to AC180 #2, then take the AC180#1 inside McDonalds and fast charge it at 1440W! Finally nice to have a redundant failover if one power station fails, there is no interruption. I can send the unit back for repair while still using the other one for my needs.
Elite 30 V2 (ultra-portable)
The Challenge:
Pick ONE BLUETTI Elite model as your power core (Elite 100 V2 or Elite 30 V2)
Build your ideal setup with no more than 5 devices (coffee maker + string lights or projector + mini fridge?)
Share a 1-minute video OR some of your real camping photos! Don’t forget to submit your topic with #EliteMiniCamping
Prizes List:
Submit by July 6! Power your perfect minimalist camping with the Elite 100/30 V2 Tiny Gear.
Pro Tip: Going full #glamping? Check out our Apex 300 + B300K combo for luxury outdoor power.
I might learn something as well.
Story: “The Night We Lit Up the Forest”
Our 5-device minimalist setup:
While the forest slept, we enjoyed a night of cinema, good food, and the kind of peace only nature can offer. The Elite 100 V2 powered it all seamlessly.
As the lights dimmed and silence returned, one thing was clear: less really can be more.
