Wow, another year has passed, and it’s time for college football. I’ve been in youth football, High School football, and now college football. The only regret I have about all those years is not having a River 2 Pro to keep me warm during the brutal cold games. This year, I’m prepared and I suppose I could bring an extra heating blanket for my daughter, I have plenty of batteries.

The EcoFlow River 3 Plus, combined with the EB300 and EB600 expansion batteries, has completely transformed how I approach off-grid power. Whether I’m camping, road-tripping, or preparing for power outages, this setup gives me reliable, flexible energy I can count on.The River 3 Plus on its own is powerful and compact, with fast-charging capabilities and enough ports to handle everything from phones and laptops to small appliances. But when you add the EB300 and EB600, you get a serious boost in capacity without sacrificing portability. I love how seamless the expansion is – just plug them in and you instantly triple your runtime.The build quality is solid and rugged, yet the whole setup is still easy to carry and pack. The smart display keeps you informed at a glance, and the EcoFlow app makes remote monitoring and control a breeze. It’s also whisper-quiet, which is a huge plus when you’re in nature or trying to sleep during a blackout.This system has powered my cooler, lights, fans, and even my coffee maker without breaking a sweat. I no longer worry about running out of power during long trips or extended outages.If you’re looking for a scalable, powerful, and user-friendly portable power solution, the EcoFlow River 3 Plus with EB300 and EB600 is worth every penny. Highly recommended for anyone who needs dependable energy on the go!

The EcoFlow River 3 is an absolute game-changer for portable power. Despite its compact size, it packs a serious punch with fast charging, multiple output options, and enough capacity to run all my essential devices. Whether I’m camping, working remotely, or prepping for a power outage, it keeps everything running smoothly without the bulk of a traditional generator.I love how quickly it recharges—going from 0 to 100% in under an hour with AC input is just insane. The app integration is intuitive, giving me full control and real-time monitoring wherever I am. It’s also surprisingly quiet, making it perfect for both indoor and outdoor use.If you’re looking for a reliable, portable power solution that combines convenience with serious performance, the River 3 is it. 👍👍

The EcoFlow Trail 200 fills a unique niche — it’s lighter than nearly every power station on the market and purpose-built for USB-centric outdoor use. If your use case stays within USB‑powered gear and you value weight savings, this is a compelling choice.Lightweight and Portable: At just 4.03 lb, the TRAIL 200 shrinks outdoor power into a palm-sized companion, easily slipping into backpacks or sling straps—ideal for hikers, photographers, and solo campers who demand minimal weight. Designed for USB-Only Essentials: With a 192 Wh LiFePO₄ battery and up to 220 W DC output across multiple USB ports (one port maxing at 140 W), it effectively powers modern gear like phones, tablets, cameras, portable Starlink, lighting, and other USB-powered devices.Fast Recharge Times: Thanks to the 140 W USB-C PD input, TRAIL 200 charges to ~80% in about one hour, so you’re quickly back on trail with power. Built to Weather the Trail: EcoFlow touts a five-year usable life and incorporates an intelligent Battery Management System (BMS) with five layers of internal protection. The rugged design handles bumps and drops, and a waterproof case (sold separately) is expected later in 2025.Who Should Consider It?Solo travelers, hikers, photographers, and campers who rely entirely on USB-powered gear. People wanting minimalist gear lighting, small fans, tablets, or Starlink. Anyone valuing a compact, fast-charging power station for short adventuresThe EcoFlow TRAIL 200 DC delivers on EcoFlow’s promise to bring efficient, ultra-light power to the great outdoors. It’s not about replacing full-size stations—it’s about unplugging without compromise. If you’re heading out and all you need is portable power for essential DC-only gear, the TRAIL 200 is an excellent choice.

Strange little scenario happened today. I went to go charge my River 3 Plus with EB300 attached by plugging in the AC power cord. The batteries were off. Then I turned them on after plugging in both ends of the AC cord. Charging started for a bit, but when I returned 2 hours later, I saw the charging had stopped for quite some time as the % barely moved. I looked at the display and app, and both showed 0w input. Strange.I couldn't get the AC charging to restart until I noticed there was a firmware update. After completing the update, it auto restarted the AC charging up to 100%.Then I switched the cord to also charge my River 3 Plus Wireless. It charged at first from 16% to 20% on AC power. But then it also stopped all of a sudden. 0w input. There was no firmware red dot notification to show any new firmware available. But when I clicked the word firmware, it said my internet network was no longer connected to my battery. So I reconnected the wifi, then the red dot for the firmware showed up. I updated, and then AC charging restarted by itself again up from 20% to 24%.Then it stopped charging again. Firmware is now up to date.I began randomly changing app settings from charging speed to turning off backup reserve. Not sure what did it, but I finally got it charging again.So weird that simply plugging in the AC cord wouldn't start the charging and keep it going until it reached my set maximum charge limit.

Starting off the new school year in style. Its so nice not having to sit close to a power outlet. These in-service days tend to be long.

There are plenty of these River 3's left at this Costco in Houston!

If you have a River 3+ and want an extra battery but have limited room, you may be interested in the difference of the size difference between the EB300 and the EB600. The holding capacity and weight difference between the two is obvious. Written dimensions are somewhat helpful, but sometimes not enough.The EB600 is just under 5.5" tall - the same height as the River 3+, for a combined total height of just under 11". Pictures can be a bit deceiving and there may be the illusion that the EB600 is taller than the R3+, but they are the same height.The EB300 is just under 3.5" tall, when attached to the River 3+ the combined height is around 9" tall.Pictures in order:1) Side by side comparison of R3+ with EB600 (L) and EB300 (R).2) R3+ with EB300 in a stereo cabinet with 13" between shelves with laptop next to it3) R3+ with EB600 in the same stereo cabinet 4) R3+ with EB600 running my laptop

Never been a camper so every unit I have works somewhere around the house and sometimes it might go to work with me or even to cook out (picnics). I like to show my R2P off and get other people interested in EcoFlow.On Saturday mornings, I will pull my R2P into the Blue room (front room) to watch tv and pay some bills. R2P runs a 65in OLED tv I run it on eco mode to get good timings.2nd pic is when I had a blackout, and I used it to run my Wi-Fi and security system.3rd pic is me using it in my home gym to run the TV surround sound and the fan.4th pic is me running the R2P in my bedroom that ran the TV and heating blanket during the winter.5th, 6th, and 7th pic is me showing off at work what a R2P can do.💪🏽#EcoFlow4Life

When I started accumulating power stations, it was for backup in case of power outages. At that time, my absolute needs were for my pellet stoves during winter. As long as I could keep the house warm, I would be fine. Disclaimer: I have several LED battery operated lights that I know for a fact can get me thru more than 3 days, I'm the only person in my household, and I grew up in the 60's/70's and drank water out of a hose, so my needs and situation may not be the same as the average family's needs.Seriously, computers and wifi were way down on my priority list a couple of years ago. But then late 2024 I got a couple of D3+ stations to perform lighter duties than my D2M and DP. During winter , I used one to back up my computer, modem and router with a D3. And it gave me treat peace of mind that I could check on the house, even if there was a power outage while I was 1600 miles away on vacation. The only issue was that it took up a whole lot of room under my desk and I constantly kicked my feet into it since I tend to have restless legs.Then EcoFlow released the River 3+, with the Extra Battery that pins onto the bottom. Although the R3+ is a bit wider than the D3+, the depth is much less - and that is what I needed, so I ordered a set and am so happy I did. My feet can roam wherever they want under the desk, and I rarely touch the R3+ set up. Pictures show the difference of the form factors.

So I like having a universal experience with USB-C cables but it’s insane the amount of variations there is. Some don’t realize a simple “usb-c” could deliver 140w or 0w and look identical.ok rant over, for the real question, with 2 bidirectional usbc ports on 2 units, it used to be if you re-seat the cable you would end up eventually getting the target and source device right. Lately that hasn’t been working at all, they just fight forever lol. Has anyone else still had luck with this practice of unplugging and replugging in the cable and eventually one charges the other?Im using 2 river 2 units btw. 🤔

Sadly I had to return my R3+W to Costco today. One of the RAPID 5K power banks died and was completely unresponsive. I tried to get a replacement from EF but was told that they cannot send just the pogo pad R5K and I had to get a replacement from Costco. So I went to the local Costco and because I bought it online, they cannot do any sort of in-store swap-out, but they had to process it as a return and if I wanted another one, I could order one online and possibly talk with an agent to get the $60 discount since I had to return my discounted item.-At this point I am tempted to just not buy another R3+W as the last month and a half of ownership caused me to realize that I wanted to because it had everything, but in reality, I never really used the W part nor do I barely use the RAPID 5Ks. I still have an R3+ sitting in my off-grid barn powering lights and come winter I hope to replace it with a DELTA 2 with BLADE EB and use my second BLADE EB to swap back and forth as I charge them from the home in case the solar inputs cannot keep the D2+EB charged while powering a bucket water heater. - So now I have my eyes on the RAPID Pro X, the RAPID desktop charger, and the TRAIL Pro 300 to pseudo-replace this R3+W + RAPIDs.

I was pleased to find this new forum and start exchanging ideas with a new group of people, after being a long-time poster on the Facebook Groups.My EcoFlow journey started almost 4 years ago. For years, we had lived with frequent power outages, with times ranging from a few minutes to days. Every time it was windy, our lights would flicker. The problem: the main power lines run down a nearby tree-line road, with the trees much higher than the lines, so heavy winds or lots of snow would send branches into the lines. After trying a small, slow charging, unit from another brand, I realized that having a units that could be recharged quickly was key. Searching around, I learned about the River Pro, and went ahead and bought one with the Extra Battery and a 160W panel on an Amazon sale in 2021.Since my initial purchase, my collection has expanded to include 8 River units (from a River Mini Wireless to my newest, a River 3 Plus Wireless with EB600), two Delta units (a Delta 2 and Delta 3 Plus, with Delta 2 EB), and a pair of EcoFlow 100AH batteries, with lots of panels and other EcoFlow accessories. And all our power problems went away about the time the first River arrived - not because of EcoFlow units, but because the power company had received so many complaints that they sent our crews to clean up all the trees near the power lines! We did have one 5 hours outage during a work day last year, and within 15 minutes I had my Internet back up and was able to continue working from home without any issues.So, I have many years of experience with EcoFlow River systems, and I'm happy to help out anyone with questions.

Had to take the whole fam to Idyllwild for a photoshoot. Loved staying at Eleven Cabins, but I think the EcoFlow fam really worked well with the great outdoors.I've seen every generation of the Rivers grow, from my first trusty River Bank to the River Pro to the River 2 Pro and now the River 3 fam.I gotta say each new generation has really upped their game. Sleek styling with great app controls.

I have used other units (River or Delta) to run CPAPs, and the power lost through the inverters meant that it was important to purchase a DC adapter and run them by 12V -otherwise the 20-35WH per hour loss at the inverter reduced run time significantly. The River 3 series AC inverter has a low-Watt mode (for loads under 100W), where inverter losses are 10WH or less per hour, and so I was curious whether this would remove the need to use a DC adapter with a CPAP.We have two CPAPs in nightly use,which I know pull less than 100W, even with the humidifier turned on. I tested them with the River 3 units - in one case comparing run times by AC and DC. I used AC and DC Watt meters to measure loads and run times. The inverter losses with a CPAP are very low (under 10WH per hour), as I suspected - low enough that there isn’t much advantage in using a DC adapter with my CPAPs.I need to do more testing (especially with the Phillips CPAP and DC), but the general recommendation to get a DC adapter for a CPAP doesn’t necessarily apply with a River 3 or River 3 Plus.

I made an earlier post in the Delta section about solar charging my Delta 3 Plus. Well later on River 3 Max Wireless needed charging, so why not use solar. First, I needed to confirm that that the River 3 Plus (the base of the River 3 Max Wireless) could take the voltage output of the two panels connected in series. The pair of rigid 100W EcoFlow panels each has an Open Circuit Voltage (VOC) of 20.3V, so in series the two would give 40.6 volts. Finding the max DC input of the River 3 Plus was a bit of a challenge. Normally, I look up the specs on the website but the max DC voltage for this unit is not shown on the EcoFlow site. Next I checked the port on the unit: unlike the newer Delta models, there is nothing about the max voltage near the ports. Finally, I went down to my basement and pulled out the User Manual and finally found the max input is 55V - well above the VOC of my combined panels - all good. (I've since found out that the max input is on the label under the unit - not where I expected to find it!)After confirming I would not risk damaging the solar controller on the unit from over-voltage, it was time to connect. I was very pleased to see the pair of 100W panels charging the unit at 170W, quickly taking the River 3 Max Wireless to 100%. Nice to know that I can use the pair of panels in series for my River 3 Plus set ups, and not have to switch them to a parallel set up.

Our 6 year old often gets bronchitis after a cold, bad enough to require a nebulizer. But she's 6, and hates to use it. Letting her sit on the couch and watch TV while she gets her treatment helps to get through this, but there's no convenient outlet nearby. Fortunately, I have River units, and the little River 3 can easily power her nebulizer. Sure, a River 3 won't keep your freezer running through an overnight power outage, or run an airfryer - for those, you'll want a bigger unit, but the little unit can come in really handy at times.

I've been working from home since COVID, taking over our former dining room table for my laptop and external monitor. Initially, that meant running an extension cord across the room - a trip hazard. My River 3 Max Wireless was a great solution. It can top up my laptop battery by USB-C and run my external monitor with the low-loss AC output, plus I can drop my phone on top of the unit to keep it topped up. I can get a full day of use (or more) from a single charge. When it is time to recharge, I can bring up and connect a solar charged unit (I have several other units), making my work station solar powered. (I recharge by USB-C, 12V DC, or AC, depending on the unit and needed recharge speed.) A few months ago, we lost power while I was working one afternoon. My workstation didn't even notice except for the dropped Internet connection, but I quickly connected a River 3 to the fiber/coax adapter box in the basement, and a River 3 Plus to the router, and was able to get back to work without anyone knowing I'd lost power.I really like the River 3 units.

I attached a new EB300 to my River 3 Plus Wireless and noticed the indicator in the app about a firmware update. Going to the firmware option in Settings, it reported that the firmware in the EB was older than the one in the main unit, and a few minutes later everything was up to date.But a couple of words of caution, learned from 3 years of doing firmware updates:1. Never do a firmware update on the device powering your Internet connection! During the update the unit will turn off all ports, which can disconnect from the Internet and corrupt the update. Make sure your router (or other Internet source) will remain on during the update.2. Keep your phone/tablet doing the update near the unit being updated - don't be tempted to start browsing on it or wander off with it, interrupting the connection.3. Be patient. Don't press any buttons on the unit during the update - most importantly, don't turn it off until the app reports the update is complete!

Just curious, what are some things you'd want to see on the next generation of the River series?More USB C !Removable 12v plug coverAny changes? Form factor? Light? Would you get the Trail instead of a River?