BioLite’s BaseCharge 1500 Power Station is the Camping Essential I Never Knew I Needed

Need to power anything and everything on your next weekend getaway in the outdoors? This next-generation power station by BioLite is the really ‘good bit of kit’ we’ve all been waiting for.

‘Is this from the future?’ was my first thought when unboxing the BioLite BaseCharge 1500, which looks and works like camping gear from decades ahead, sent back to improve our sorry present-day camping experiences.

After about four hours of initial charging recommended by the manual, we chucked the new sleek black power station in the boot of our old family 4WD – it looked a little out of place among our well-used camping gear.

Topping up charge in the boot

Having checked its power credentials and capabilities, we also threw in a few extra battery-powered items for that little bit of extra ease and comfort.

The plan? To bush-bash over to a very familiar spot on our family’s property for the weekend to get out and camp without the summer holiday crowds in Northern NSW.

Setting Up Camp

As we set up, I simply placed the BaseCharge 1500 on the ground and threw my phone on top (which I forgot to charge at home or in the car) and it instantly started getting juice from the wireless charging deck. Nice.

Next, I plugged in my laptop (I still had to answer some emails and start writing this article), my battery-powered chainsaw for firewood, and if it gets cold and rainy later, we’ve also got a 12v electric blanket and video game console to keep us entertained in the tent, with no chance of running out of power.

Simple plugs and wireless charging

Of course, the camping fridge is already humming away, keeping our food and drinks cold. According to the BioLite website, this rig will keep the fridge going all weekend (almost 40 hours), charge my laptop at least 20 times, or a smartphone well over 100 times.

But we found that was a rare product underestimation. The BaseCharge kept our 55 litre Dometic camping fridge at 1 degree celsius for 72 hours and still had about 50% battery capacity remaining – meaning it could have run for just shy of a week. Very impressive!

The clean and simple display notes how many hours of charge are left, under the current load, which is also spelled out on the screen. A level of tech is unheard of in this paddock.

Incredibly Portable

I’ve done a lot of camping and 4WD-ing all over Australia and all the battery set-ups I’ve seen (of this capacity) have been confined to the vehicles, due to their weight and need to be charged by the car’s alternator.

The mobility of the BioLite BaseCharge 1500 is also very useful, not only to move around during the day, or find a quiet place to work, but quite often the best campsites are a short walk from your car!

Easy to move around

While the BaseCharge isn’t small or light (think of a heavy household printer) it is less than half the weight of traditional AGM or lead-acid battery power stations, with the same capacity. Essentially that means double the power, half the weight.

While you couldn’t take it on a hike, you could certainly take it anywhere you’re willing to lug a carton of beer.

The BaseCharge is also a sealed unit so it doesn’t risk emitting fumes or leaking like other batteries, making it safe for use in tents or carting around in the car.

Powerful Credentials

The BaseCharge 1500 is a lithium-ion battery with 1521 watt-hour capacity, with 1200w max output and surge protection.

As mentioned, it has built-in inverters so you can use all your usual 240 volt home accessories. If you want to get really nerdy, these are pure sine wave inverters.

Basically that means the best, fanciest type of inverter that provides smooth, efficient charging, that most closely matches household powerpoints.

Staying cool

No Tangly Mess

What’s great about the BaseCharge is that it’s all there ready to go. No messing around with extra cords, adaptors or external inverters, and all the ports are placed on a simple panel including, USB, USB-C, 12v barrel, regular household 240V (technically 230V), as well as solar and charging inputs.

Unfortunately there’s no cable storage, get yourself a nice bag or box to keep your essentials organised.

Ready to charge straight away

No More Guessing

Possibly my favourite feature of the BaseCharge 1500 is the ease of reading the simple, yet important details, on the display.

On our old battery box, there is a simple indicator that shows voltage, so the remaining power is more or less a guessing game or some complex calculations.

Easy to read display

On the BaseCharge, the display is clean and clear indicating exactly how many hours of use are left at this load, the exact remaining battery percentage, and your power usage so far in real-time.

How can you charge it? And how long does it take?

On your household powerpoint, the BaseCharge 1500 will be fully charged overnight. According to their website, in ideal conditions the BioLite solar panels (sold separately) can charge the system in about 4 hours.

On your car’s 12 volt socket it will probably take about two full days of driving to charge the power station.

Charging from the car

Keep in mind this beast has a much larger capacity than your car’s battery. That being said, for road trips where you’re constantly topping the battery up and not running it flat, this could be perfect.

What else can it power?

Anything really. BioLite claims it will power a household microwave for an hour, a circular saw for almost an hour, or even a household fridge for almost 24 hours.

They’ve even listed sleep apnea machines on their website.

The strength of the BaseCharge 1500 is its adaptability. It’s great for camping and road trips, while also being a genuine off-grid or emergency backup power solution.

Powering the outdoor office

Final Thoughts on the BioLite BaseCharge 1500

To sum it up, the BaseCharge 1500 is truly an awesome piece of equipment that’s both very useful and very easy to use. A battery that will keep your lights on, beers cold and speakers pumping over a weekend camping adventure.

Or power your house in an emergency. Or become an off-grid power solution if you need to use power tools, lights, or hit the digital nomad tools and work properly off-grid.

While the unit comes at a high price point $3349, if you get a chance to use one (like I have) you’ll quite quickly start wondering how you ever lived without it.