Your tent is the most important piece of camping gear you will own, and there are so many options out there, with some newer tent models offering e-ports. What is an e-port on a tent?
An E-port, or tent electrical access port, is a tent feature that allows an electric source such as an extension cord to be brought into your tent without letting moisture or insects in, bringing you the convenience of electricity inside your tent.
E-Port tents have become really popular thanks to the modern conveniences they bring to camping, and we’ll cover E-ports and their benefits in further detail below.
Benefits Of E-Port Tents
Easy Access To Electricity
This is pretty obvious, but the whole point of having a tent with an E-port is to easily get electricity into your tent.
Put simply, if you need electricity in your tent, you need an e-port tent.
Keep Insects And Pests Out
Running an extension cord into your tent through the zippered door or window can still leave a small space where insects, mice, or snakes could get in (or a hole that larger animals can easily expand).
Your tent’s E-port will fit snugly around the electric source and won’t expand, keeping bugs and other creatures out of your personal space.
No Leaks Or Moisture
When you try to run an extension cord into your tent through a window or door, you are breaking the seal and the tent will no longer be fully waterproof.
At best, this can lead to condensation inside your tent making your things moist, which is not good.
Worse, if it’s raining you can get water leaks that can soak your gear and make your trip miserable.
Running the extension cord into your tent through the E-port also seals out the moisture, preventing these issues from popping up.
Protect Your Extension Cord
The zippers on your tent’s openings can damage your extension cord, posing a safety hazard.
The E-ports on tents allow the cord to move through securely while not fraying the wires inside, which is a huge benefit.
Why You Need A Tent Electrical Access Port
Okay, so let’s be honest here: an electrical connection in your tent is certainly more of a luxury than a need, but the benefits are awesome.
Here are some great uses for tent camping with electricity:
- Run a tent heater or tent air conditioner to keep you comfortable
- Connecting a cooler or minifridge to keep your food and drinks cold
- Powering a light source or lamp in your tent at night
- Charging your personal devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops
- Hooking up entertainment options like TVs and DVD players
- Running small appliances like hair dryers or coffee makers for added convenience
- Allowing the use of medical devices like CPAP machines or asthma nebulizers
Also, having electric in your tent can help your camping-averse friends or family members feel more comfortable about joining you on the trip.
E-Port Tents Vs Electric Tents – What’s The Difference?
You’ll see some tents that are marketed as e-port tents, and others being sold as electric tents.
So what’s the difference between these two?
E-Port tents simply have a port to safely get the extension cord into your tent, and you can hook up whatever you want to that power source.
Electric tents offer features like integrated lighting, a ventilation/cooling fan, and even additional electrical outlets and USB ports in the tent itself, and the tent is plugged directly into the extension cord. Some electric tents can also be powered by rechargeable batteries.
Electric tents typically cost more than tents with e-ports because integrating these features is expensive.
Most people will want to go with a tent with an e-port because the additional items like fans, lighting, etc. they can add themselves to customize to their specific needs.
How To Get Electricity When Camping
There are three main ways you can receive electrical power while camping in a tent:
Electrical Hookup
The majority of campsites across the U.S. have electrical hookups for each campsite, which you can simply run an outdoor extension cord to.
Camping Generators
Camping generators are just like regular generators which rely on fuel such as gasoline to produce electricity when there is no hookup available.
Camping-specific generators produce a smaller output of electricity that would be needed to run the amount of power required by only a few devices when camping.
Many modern camping generators are quiet, fuel-efficient, and affordable, so consider grabbing one if you’ll be camping “off-grid” with any regularity.
You can pair this with an insulated tent when camping in winter for maximum comfort.
Leisure Batteries
Leisure batteries are similar to car batteries, but they provide power for 12 Volt equipment and appliances.
Leisure batteries (such as the Roadhawk Predator battery) can be round in RVs and campers, and can provide power over longer periods of time to run things like TVs, small appliances, or lighting.
Popular E Port Tents
Coleman Elite WeatherMaster 6 Person Screened E Port Tent
The Coleman Elite WeatherMaster 6 Person Tent has a spacious interior, with enough room to fit two queen air mattresses and has a 6’8” center height.
The integrated LED lighting system has three brightness modes and runtimes of up to 81 hours that’s battery powered, and even has a wall switch for extra convenience.
There’s a Coleman tent e-port, rainfly, and hinged door for easy entry and exit, and the tent sets up in about 20 minutes.
Core 9 Person Instant Cabin E Port Tent
The Core 9-person Instant Cabin Tent offers a ton of space at 14’ x 9’, and tons of features to boot.
The E-port is fully closable when not in use, and has a rain fly to keep you dry during wet camping trips.
There’s wall storage pockets and a room divider for extra privacy, and a 78” center height so it’s easy to move around in.
The ample windows provide lots of airflow and the advanced venting system allows you to adjust the air intake right from the ground level, which is extremely convenient.
Alpha Camp 3 Person Dome E-Port Tent
The Alpha Camp Dome tent is an extremely affordable e-port enabled tent that can fit a full-size air mattress and sleep up to 3 adults comfortably.
There’s plenty of storage pockets and 3 zippered windows for extra comfort and convenience, and this tent sets up in just 5 minutes.
Alpha backs up their dome tent with a 1 year guarantee as well.
Ozark Trail Family Cabin E-Port Tent
The Ozark Trail Family Cabin Tent package is a 22-piece combo set that packs a TON of value in one ready-to-go setup.
The tent itself sleeps 4 people and has a gear loft, pockets, and a rainfly to keep everyone organized and comfortable.
The kit itself rounds out the rest of your essentials with stakes, sleeping bags, chairs, an LED lantern, pillows, foam sleeping pads, and even a welcome mat!