This is an idea I had around 20 years ago - don't know if it has ever been developed or patented. It would be used by campers or in developing countries or remote locations where electricity supply is scarce.
Imagine a camper has set up a tent near a river. He would select a location where the river runs faster and use a small turbine/dynamo/generator that would sit partly below the surface to provide power to his tent.
The unit would have floats (could be inflated by the camper) so it sits at the optimum depth in the water. In a remote river or stream not used by others it could be held in place by ropes anchored either side of the river with tent pegs. Alternatively, it could be suspended by rope from a horizonal rod canterlevering over the river from a raised bank on one side. A cable (obviously waterproof) would run from the unit to the camp site.
I am not expecting it to produce a huge amount of energy, but it would be intended to provide lighting, power for a radio and to recharge mobile phones etc. The unit could come in several sizes (I envisage the size and shape of a 5 litre can of paint would be most popular) or there could be many units floating on the same stretch of water for a larger camp site.
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It seems to me a sensible idea if it can be made small and light enough. Any extra weight in carrying basics for camping is likely to be irritating and perhaps solar or wind electrical generating units could be lighter, smaller and not require a source of flowing water to generate energy.
I like this idea. I think that a water turbine would be much smaller and lighter than a wind or solar generator for the same power output. Moving water has far higher energy density than air for the same volume due to the water's greater mass. Solar energy has even lower density. Also, rivers tend to run very steadily, while wind is unpredictable and solar only works during the day.
Anchoring it with stakes on the bank sounds like a good strategy. Another possibility would be to attach it to an anchor (similar to a boat anchor) with a chain or cable. You could simply toss it out into the water from the bank. When you're ready to leave, you would haul it in by the power cable. The advantage of this method would be that you don't have to be able to reach the far bank or carry a large canterlever pole. If the anchor gets stuck it could be a big problem, but in many places you could just wade out into the water to free it by hand.
Thank you Sand and Dwane for your comments. Yes weight could be a problem. If a lot of walking was involved and only staying one night at each location this may not be desirable. I did not think of an anchor. I like that idea. Maybe the camper can fill the anchor with water on site to keep it lighter to carry.