We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Summer is right around the corner, and today, I am excited to share one of my favorite products with you! Are you looking for the best portable projector for camping? Or maybe you are searching for ideas to maximize your summer fun, hunting for an extra special gift, or just want to take your backyard to the next level.
Well, it’s an add-to-cart kind of day, so hang out for a second while I tell you about one of our favorite purchases!
Our Favorite Portable Projector for Camping
If you have followed us for any length of time, you know that we love getting out and camping. And, while I wish I had an RV or travel trailer, we are tent campers for now. Every time I post a photo of a campout, I get asked about our tent, so I want to quickly mention that it is the Coleman Hampton 9-Person Tent, and it is no longer made.
I just did some research so that I could recommend an alternative one, and I think that this Magellan 10-person tent at Academy Sports best fits the bill. It has the same layout and open top that we love.
So, now that we got that out of the way, I want to share about the Anker Nebula Capsule projector because it’s out our favorite thing to bring on our camping trips besides the tent, of course! This Andriod mini projector is basically a portable smart TV and a game changer for sure! We love to let the kids unwind with a movie in the evenings while we enjoy an extra glass of wine by the campfire.
Anker Nebula Capsule Projector
The best way to learn about any new product is word of mouth, and it was actually my brother-in-law who got us hooked on this!
I was visiting them in Texas a while back when brought out his new Anker Nebula Capsule Projector. At first, I didn’t know what it was because it looked just like a soda can. But he quickly set it up, and within minutes, we were watching live TV on the wall of a neighboring townhome. This was not the bulky and hard-to-focus projector that I was imagining in my head. It was sleek, sharp, and had great sound!
Once I got home, I bought one of my own! Father’s Day was approaching, and I knew that this would be the perfect Father’s Day gift! Matt really enjoys things that we all can use, and this is right up his alley.
The Anker Nebula Capsule is a smart Wi-Fi mini projector that fits in the palm of your hand. Available in both black and red, this 100 ANSI Lumen portable projector boasts a 4-hour video playtime, 100-inch picture, and its own 360-degree speaker!
The Anker Nebula Capsule uses an Andriod operating system and can be controlled via your phone. OR, you can use the USB or HDMI ports to use your favorite streaming stick – we love the Roku Streaming Stick +, and I pretty much always use that with it, mainly because it has all of the logins and favorites saved.
So, in my camping photos and videos, you often see it being projected onto our tent from the inside, but can be projected onto a variety of surfaces, and we have used it on everything from our living room wall to our backyard fence.
And since a lot of people ask me this, I wanted to talk about screens for your portable mini projector for a minute!
Do You Need a Screen with a Portable Projector?
The short answer is no. We actually don’t use one the majority of the time. However, there are a few options when it is helpful!
For example, in the Fall, we love to bring it out into the center of our cul-de-sac and stream the SEC Football games. It makes for such a fun night with our neighborhood friends. In this case, I don’t have a flat surface to project onto, so the screen is helpful. We bought this one, and it folds up in a small pouch for easy storage. It’s wrinkle-free, and we’ve been happy with it!
Should I buy the Anker Nebula Capsule or the Anker Nebula Capsule II or III?
Good question! You may have noticed that there is a newer version of the Anker Nebula Capsule, as well as several other models available. So, I can only speak about the one we personally have, which is why I am writing about that specific one today.
I am very happy with it! If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, there is a good chart that shows the differences. The newer version is a little bigger and does have an automatic focusing option, whereas the one we have has a manual wheel that you turn to focus on. It’s super easy, though!
The key difference is a higher resolution, with the Anker Nebula Capsule II and the Anker Nebula Capsule III providing HD. I am not 100% sure how important that is to me, especially when using it on a fence or tent, but if you are hosting big outdoor movie nights or need professional-level tools, you may want to consider splurging for the newer version.
When on sale, you can often get the original Anker Nebula Capsule projector in the mid to high $200 range while the newest versions are running in the mid $700s.
In my personal opinion, if it’s just for fun and personal use, the original Anker Nebula Capsule is a great buy for the price!
Can you use a portable projector inside?
Yes! This is actually one of our favorite ways to use this. I have been known to use it on a small wall in the kitchen, and we have even taken up a whole wall in the kid’s bedrooms with it! Now that makes a sleepover extra fun! Depending on how close or how far the projector is from the wall, you can make the picture as large or as small as you want.
Tips & Tricks for the Best Experience
Here are a few things to keep in mind when using your portable projector.
WIFI: You need wifi to stream shows, so make sure that you have a portable hotspot if camping or if you are planning an outdoor moving night. Have the projector nearest your home for optimal Wi-Fi connection
BATTERY LIFE: I almost always have our Anker portable battery charger in the mix, either connected to my phone or the projector. If you don’t have a portable battery, make sure to have your devices fully charged.
TIME OF DAY: If planning to use your projector outside, make sure to check what time sunset is. You will need it to be dusk in order to use it. The darker the sky, the brighter the picture.
FLAT SURFACE: The projector is small and can fit almost anywhere, but you do want to make sure that the surface is flat for optimal picture quality.
Interested in Hearing More About Our Camping Adventures?
We have a category right here on our blog where I try to share as many of our campouts as possible, including some of our favorite state parks in the Florida panhandle! Click here to check it out!
FOLLOW
OurLittleLifestyle on Instagram
OurLittleLifestyle on Facebook
PIN THIS: The Best Portable Projector for Camping
I was super intrigued when I saw the title of this post! Wow! This little gadget is amazing, and I have to say that after reading your article, I am definitely convinced to buy one. Thanks for all of the tips too because you answered everything I was wondering!!
What a great idea, I’ve never even thought about bringing a projector camping! Thank you for all of the trips and tricks for using one, and also for the suggestion on how to use it at home (watching sports outside). I think I’m sold, and will be adding this to our list of camping gear!