The big gear gets all the attention, batteries, fridges, shelters, but it's the small stuff that leaves you frustrated when you forget it. Lighting that lasts more than one night, pest control that means the kids aren't covered in bites by morning, and a fan that somehow does three completely different jobs. These are the accessories that stuck.
This gear originally lived in our power setup blog, but it's not power gear, it just charges off it. So we gave it its own home. Everything here is USB rechargeable from our battery box, which means no disposable batteries and no messing around with gas canisters.
None of these items are expensive. The entire accessories kit costs under $200, and most of it has lasted us years already. Here's what works, what's questionable, and what we'd buy again tomorrow.
What's in the accessories kit
- Kings Lithium Rechargeable Turbo Fan (inflator, blower, fire starter)
- Zempire Megadome 500 Lantern (main campsite lantern)
- Rechargeable Outdoor Mosquito Lamps (bug zappers for tent and cooking area)
- Thermacell Mini Halo Tabletop Mosquito Repeller (silent mozzie defence, maybe)
We paid under $200 AUD for the full accessories kit. Prices change daily, check the links for current pricing. Most of these charge off our power setup.
Kings Lithium Rechargeable Turbo Fan, ★★★★★
What it is: A rechargeable lithium fan with multiple nozzle attachments that turns it into a mat inflator, a blower for cleaning, and a bellows for getting the campfire going. USB rechargeable.
Why it does three jobs: I bought this for one job, pumping up sleeping mats. Then I realised it blows dust and sand out of hard-to-reach spots in the car and tent. Then I used it to get a stubborn fire going on a wet morning. Three jobs from one $72 tool, and it does all three well. No drawbacks worth mentioning.
Pros:
- Pumps up sleeping mats quickly, no more lung-busting manual inflation
- Blows out sand, dirt and debris from the tent, car boot, and storage boxes
- Gets the campfire going when kindling is damp or airflow is poor
- USB rechargeable, tops up from the battery box overnight
- Compact and light enough to toss in the accessories bag
Cons:
- No issues after multiple seasons of use
Verdict: Quietly becomes one of the most-used things in the kit. Five stars, no caveats.
View product at 4WD Supacentre ↗
Zempire Megadome 500 Lantern, ★★★★★
What it is: A USB rechargeable LED lantern with multiple brightness levels, a glow-in-the-dark shell, and strong battery life. Our main campsite light for the table and standby beacon overnight.
Why it's our main camp light: A single charge lasts roughly two nights with conservative use, that's better than most lanterns in this price range. The glow-in-the-dark shell is the standout feature: when the lamp is switched off, the shell gives off a soft ambient glow that's gentle enough to not wreck the stars but bright enough to find your tent in the dark. Multiple brightness levels mean you can set it low near sleeping kids without lighting up the whole campsite.
Pros:
- Strong battery life, ~2 nights per charge with sensible use
- Glow-in-the-dark shell provides soft ambient light even when switched off
- Multiple brightness levels including a low setting safe for sleeping kids
- USB rechargeable from the battery box, no disposable batteries
- Bright enough for the dinner table, dim enough for overnight standby
Cons:
- Bigger and heavier than a head torch, this is a base camp lantern, not a hiking item
- Battery drains quickly if left on high when not needed
Tip: Turn them off whenever not in immediate use, battery drains too fast otherwise. Treat it as a "need it now" light, not an all-night ambient lamp.
Verdict: Our go-to lantern for camp. The glow-in-the-dark shell is actually clever, it solves the "where's the tent" problem without leaving a light running all night. Solid buy.
Rechargeable Outdoor Mosquito Lamps, ★★★★★
What it is: Cheap USB rechargeable bug zapper lamps. We run one inside the tent and one over the cooking stove. They attract and zap mosquitoes on contact.
Why we use them: Because they actually work. We've had ours for years and they still perform every trip. Summer camping on the coast or near rivers means mozzies are brutal, and these lamps genuinely reduce the carnage. USB rechargeable from the battery box means they cost nothing to run.
Pros:
- Cheap, ~$20-30 for a pair
- Actually effective at attracting and killing mosquitoes
- Still working after years of use, surprisingly durable for the price
- USB rechargeable from the battery box
- Light enough to hang inside the tent or from a hook near the stove
Cons:
- Audible "zap" sound when a mosquito connects, some find it satisfying, some find it annoying near sleeping kids
Tip: Turn it on in your sleeping area one hour before bed, by the time you crawl in, the tent is bug-free. Sleep without the bites.
Verdict: Best value item in this entire kit. Under $30 for a pair that lasts years and actually does what it claims. If you camp anywhere near water in summer, just buy them.
Thermacell Mini Halo Tabletop Mosquito Repeller, ★★★☆☆
What it is: A small tabletop mosquito repeller that uses heated mats to release repellent into the air around your eating area. No cables, no zapping, it's silent and compact. Sits on the dinner table at camp.
Why we use it: In theory, it creates a mozzie-free zone around the table during evening meals. It's compact, silent (no zap sound near sleeping kids), and the refillable mats are cheap. The problem is we genuinely can't tell if it works, there's no obvious before-and-after we can point to. The mozzies might be slightly fewer, or the wind might have changed. Hard to say.
Pros:
- Compact and silent, no zap sound, won't disturb kids
- Easy tabletop placement, no cables to trip over
- Replacement mats are cheap and widely available
- Simple to use, turn it on and forget about it
Cons:
- Hard to tell if it actually works, no obvious proof it's doing anything
- Needs replacement mats periodically (consumable cost)
- Effectiveness seems weather-dependent, wind blows the repellent away
Tip: Get these repellent types started 15 minutes before food goes down on the table, they need time to build up the zone.
Verdict: Recommend with caveats. It's cheap, it's silent, and it might be helping, we just can't prove it. We still bring it because the downside is minimal, but we wouldn't rely on it as your only mozzie defence. Pair it with the zapper lamps above and you're covered either way.
What we paid
- Kings Lithium Rechargeable Turbo Fan: $71.96
- Zempire Megadome 500 Lantern: ~$50-60
- Rechargeable Outdoor Mosquito Lamps (x2): ~$20-30
- Thermacell Mini Halo Repeller: ~$30-40
- Total: ~$170-190 AUD
Nothing in this kit breaks the bank. Prices change daily, check the links above for current deals.
The bottom line
Accessories don't get the glory, but they're the difference between a good camp and a comfortable one. A lantern that lasts two nights means you're not fumbling around in the dark. A fan that pumps mats, cleans gear, and starts fires means three fewer single-purpose items in the car. And mozzie control that actually works means the kids aren't scratching themselves raw by day two.
The whole kit is under $200, most of it is USB rechargeable, and nearly all of it has lasted us years. If you've already sorted your power setup and your cooking kit, this is the layer that rounds it all out.
All of these items charge off our off-grid power setup. See the full kit at Our Setup.