I went camping in a heat dome, and these five gadgets saved my vacation

Aug 9, 2025 - 14:48

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I went camping in a heat dome, and these five gadgets saved my vacation

A portable power station underneath an RV. — This EcoFlow portable power station was a huge help in making sure my family didn’t breakdown during sweltering temps in the Tennessee mountains. | Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

I recently returned from a family camping trip to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I live in South Carolina, so in mid-July, a trip to the mountains is usually an excellent way to seek out cooler temperatures. Not this year.

Thanks to this summer's heat dome, I was facing a week of feels-like temperatures upwards of 100 degrees - and no air conditioning. I went into planning mode.

We were camping in our Rockwood Mini Lite RV, which meant we had a fridge, access to power outlets, and water. But the campground didn't have electrical or water hookups, so we needed our own power and some portable cooling.

Normally, y …

Read the full story at The Verge.