The BioLite BaseCharge 1500+ is the kind of power station I’d bring when I’m heading out with a bigger group for a longer trip — like if we’re camping off-grid for a few days and someone’s definitely bringing an air mattress or charging a bunch of gear. It’s a 1,500+ watt capacity system, but surprisingly easy to carry for its size I’ve used heavier units where I needed help moving them, but this one, at about 26.5 pounds, has solid handles that make it feel way more manageable. It also looks really sleek and modern, which is something I appreciate when I’m already packing a bunch of other gear.

What really stood out to me was the variety of ports and how thought-out the layout is. You've got AC, DC, USB-A, USB-C, a 100W PD port, and wireless charging for your phone. I tried the wireless charging up top it only fits one phone at a time, but it's super convenient if you're trying to free up space in your USB ports. The display is bright and easy to read, even in studio lighting, and it gives you all the info you need: time to empty, battery percent, input/output power, and more. Whether I was plugging it into the wall, using a USB-C charger, or testing it with a solar panel and MC4 adapter, everything just worked. If you're like me and love being prepared but also want something that doesn’t feel like a chore to use or carry this is a solid choice for your off-grid adventures.3390883

My intent was to run a tiny crockpot to warm soup or a kettle to warm water for coffee pour-overs or tea. Both pulled too much power for this product, so it kept kicking off. It did work well to run the air mattress pump and charge phones. The top surface is big enough to set multiple iPhones on, but it will only charge the one that's positioned in the center of that surface, so that was disappointing. We had extra cables though, so everyone at my site was able to keep their phones charged. Had I taken my camera with me, it would have been wonderful for keeping those batteries charged.

It was rainy and chilly the weekend we used this, and I'd brought an extra large heating pad to throw across the bed under our sheets. The Biolite was fantastic for powering that! We warmed the sheets before we went to bed, and the pad has a 90-minute timer on it, so it stayed warm as we went to sleep.

I like that you can easily see the power remaining and the watts it's pulling. My biggest lesson learned is to make sure to check the wattage of the devices you want to power and make sure they'll work with this before you pack them along. This unit is probably going to be fine for phones over a 2-day weekend, but if you plan to use it for anything else, you really need a source of power to charge it up, or go with a larger unit. We did borrow the Biolite Solar Panel BL57ZR but with the rain it was useless. If it weren't cloudy and raining, the portable power panel would have helped repower the unit.

Honestly, it would probably be fantastic for charging the Biolite headlamps we carry too. I wish I'd thought of all of these things when I went to the beach in late May. We like to go crabbing and play music, and such. The basecamp would have let us hang on the beach a little longer before we needed to juice up our phones.

The only suggestion I have for improvement is to make that Q-charge feature cover the entire surface. Anything else that I didn't love was my own fault.3395375

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The BioLite BaseCharge 600+ has become my go-to for weekend camping trips and solo adventures, especially when I’m out in my rooftop tent. It’s compact and lightweight enough that I can lift it up into the tent on my own—which isn’t always the case with bigger units—and it’s just the right size for charging phones, lights, my camera gear, and even inflating a mattress when friends tag along. I love that it has modern ports, including USB-C input/output and wireless charging right on top. For a trip where you don’t need massive capacity, it really hits that sweet spot between power and portability.

What also stood out for me is how intuitive everything feels. The screen shows battery percentage, input/output watts, and hours until empty, which is super helpful when I’m planning out how long my gear will last overnight. I’ve used it with an AC wall charger, and even tried it with a 100-watt solar panel. In good sun, it takes about five hours to get to 80%, which works great when I’m parked during the day.

It has that classic BioLite polish—sleek, but rugged enough to get jostled around at camp. If you’re going on a weekend rock climbing trip like I often do and don’t need a ton of capacity, this is the one I’d throw in the car every time. But if you’re planning to be off-grid for a full week or more, you might want to look at the BaseCharge 1500+ instead.3390895

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I took the BioLite BaseCharge 600+ on a floating trip with some friends in Steelville, MO, where we didn’t have many options for an electrical hookup and I’m so glad I brought it. It didn’t take up much space in the car, was super easy to carry, and turned out to be one of the best decisions I made for the trip. I had two phones plugged in plus a portable fan, and the unit powered all of them for over eight hours and still had 50% battery left. The charge time was quicker than I expected, too.

We’re still getting good use out of it even after that trip. Right now, we keep it in our Cushman utility truck—affectionately called “Bumble Bee,” the little yellow truck we cruise around in. Since the truck doesn’t have A/C or much airflow, I brought a small fan and mister and plugged it right into the USB port on the BaseCharge. It gives us just enough breeze to stay cool while riding around in this hot Missouri weather. My boyfriend and I also toss it on our golf cart to keep our phones charged and run a fan while cruising around Wentzville. It’s turned into one of those "grab-it-every-time-you-leave" kind of products.3393907

I LOVED the basecharge would give 5 stars hands down. it was super easy to use, and still had plenty of charge after using it for 2 days straight. and it had enough power and plugs for more than one person to use it.

I was a fan of biolite stuff after taking the classes so i was super excited to try it out. It was pretty heavy duty it wasn't like the cheap chargers you see on the market currently I loved that multiple people could charge on it, the only improvement would be a carrying case for travel.

We went camping so it allowed us to charge things we needed to be comfortable. would definitely use again.

This is for anyone who likes the off grid feeling but also enjoys indoor plumbing or needs to contact their kids.3260916