The $30 Camping Accessory That I Never Leave at Home

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Rating: 4.4/5

As enjoyable as it is to spend much of the summer and fall outdoors, whether at sporting events, outdoor festivals, or camping, some pitfalls are hard to avoid—sweltering temps and dead phone batteries being two of the most common. As an avid camper, I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat around a picnic table chatting with friends while sweat trickled down my face and my phone battery slowly drained to zero. While the heat and lack of electricity may be enough to make you want to stay indoors, I’ve found a simple, inexpensive solution.

Enter the OnlyNew portable fan. I’ve been using this lightweight portable fan since June. My family and I go on short camping trips roughly every other weekend, which means it’s gotten plenty of use. It’s lightweight and easy to carry around, offers four fan speeds, a built-in USB charging port, and an integrated LED light that doubles as a lantern—perfect for late-night bathroom trips. Plus, it’s rechargeable and lasts anywhere from 10 to 30 hours on a full charge. 

Compared to large outdoor fans that can deliver cooling power to multiple people, the small size of the OnlyNew makes it more suitable for personal use. You might not feel a huge breeze from far away, but it provides plenty of cooling power when positioned up close. I usually set it on the picnic table in front of me or prop it up in my camping chair. 

Aside from using it as a cooling device, my teenage daughters have repeatedly used this fan as a portable power bank, topping off their phone batteries. It features a standard USB-A port, making it compatible with most phone chargers. It also has a type-C port on the back, but that is the inlet port for recharging the fan and can’t be used to charge other devices, so it’s important to make sure you have a USB-A charging cable if you’re going to use it as a power source. A charger for the fan itself is included, and depending on the battery level, the OnlyNew fan can be fully charged within 3 to 5 hours. 

For only $30, the OnlyNew portable fan has been a much-needed upgrade to my camping gear and has doubled as the perfect accessory to take to late-afternoon baseball games. I make sure it’s charged and ready to go before I hit the road, because if I forget to bring it with me, I definitely regret it. 

 

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