Powering up your tent, with the Outwell Mensa Mains Roller
We show you seven simple steps to getting power into your tent using, and demonstrate using the Outwell Mains Roller.
Review Score
Our Score: 9.5/10
We've given the Outwell Mensa Mains Roller the Thumbs Up award.
PracticalityValue for Money
The good
- A good length of cable that winds up and kept tidy and doesn't end up in a mess that needs untangling.
- Three power sockets plus USB Sockets.
- Useful addition of a built-in light.
- Stands upright, keeping your power sockets away from the damp ground.
- Built-in trip switch for added safety.
The not so good
- None.
This was a hands-on product review. The product was supplied to us to test and conduct the review.
Price Guide
Outwell Mensa Mains Roller has a recommended retail price of £133.00.
The best price we've found so far is £45.00. That's £88.00 off the RRP of £133.00.
Outwell Mensa Mains Roller Videos
Outwell Mensa Mains Roller Photos
Powering up your tent
Our Review
Electric Hook-Up points are appearing on more and more campsites these days.
Hooking up and getting electricity in your tent is straightforward.
7 Steps to Getting Electric in your Tent
We show you how easy it is to get electricity in your tent.
We're using the Outwell Mains 3 way Roller Kit (more details below), but the process is the same regardless of what electric supply you use.
7 Steps to Getting Electric Power into your tent
- Make sure everything is unplugged for added safety. If you're just setting up your tent, you probably have nothing plugged in any way:-)
- Unroll all of the cable. This is another safety measure to make sure the cable doesn't overheat.
- Pass your electrical cord through the cord outlet in your tent (or the door if you don't have one).
- Plug into your pitch's Electrical Hook Up.
- Turn the EHU's circuit breaker on. (Make sure it's yours and that you don't turn off your neighbour's electricity!)
- Turn on the power on your electric unit's circuit breaker.
- Plug in and use.
Safety tip: Test your circuit breaker to make sure it works :-)
Special Considerations
OK, so it's quite easy getting power into your tent, but you can't just plug anything in.
You have limited Amps on the circuit that is powering your tent. That means electrical appliances that consume a lot of power aren't going to work and will trip the electrics (and on some campsites, that could even mean tripping the electrics out on a whole block of tents, and you may have to pay a charge to get them to reset).
Fortunately, we have a guide on using an EHU and what appliances you can use.
How to use an electric-hookup
Tap the button below for more details on using an electric hookup with your tent and what appliances and devices you can use.
The Outwell Mains Roller
There are a number of mains supplies you can get for your tent.
The most important thing when choosing one is to make sure they are designed for the job and meet the IP44 standard.
I know you know, but I'm going to say it anyway: Electrical accidents can be fatal.
One thing you may find is that you soon run out of power sockets, especially with the amount of phone and device chargers the average family carries around with them these days.
The Outwell Mains Roller - the one with the light and USB - solves that problem.
The Outwell Mains Roller Features
Not only do you get three power sockets, but you also get two USB sockets, which provide enough power to even charge larger tablet computers like iPads.
It also has a built-in light, saving you another socket from being used up.
This light can be used in full brightness mode or just as a nightlight, which is handy if you have small kids that don't like the dark.
It also stands upright to keep the power sockets away from the floor...as tent floors can get wet...and it has a built-in circuit breaker for added protection.
It may be a bit more pricey than basic Electric Hookup power units, but it's worth it for the extra convenience of the light and USB chargers.
The only problem with this roller was that the rubber cap over the light switch had come off after a few uses. Not a great problem, but I would have expected it to stay on. We also had to use an extension when we pitched at a site where the EHU was quite away from the pitch.
Product Update
The version on sale has been updated slightly to address these issues of the original sample we received.
Watch our video below for more details on the Outwell Mains Roller (before the switch protector came off).
Details
| Attribute | Outwell Mensa Mains Roller |
|---|---|
| RRP | £133.00 |
| Best Price | £45.00 |
| Product Info | Brand Web Page |