Portable Power Bank Chargers

rmrwade

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Oct 16, 2018
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WY
bought the zmi power pak 10k qb810 not much experience here but my kid says it is fast. user friendly for me.
 
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Dec 17, 2019
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I have a 300000mAh solar power bank, very cheap but works great.
 

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Aug 23, 2019
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419
What portable chargers have you guys had luck with on backcountry adventures? I plan to use an iPhone with Onx as my main GPS, have a re-chargeable headlamp and Garmin watch that I will need to keep charged for 5-7 days. I have been looking at a Goal Zero Venture 70. If there are cheaper options out there that works just as well or better, I am all ears!
I have the Goal Zero and love it so far. It's a little on the heavy side, but I have had good results.
 
Joined
Oct 20, 2018
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613
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Montana
I have a 22k and a 10k mAh RavPower packs for a few years now and both work without issue. The 10k gets used every week for my phone as I fly a lot for my work and am always on it.
 

Backyard

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Jan 24, 2014
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Minnesnowta
So in every "what charger should I carry" thread that I've come across, there is never any mention of weight.
To me, that would be one of the deciding factors in choosing one for a backpack hunt in the back country. Any input on oz/mAh on a charger?
Curious as my entire solar system is 16 oz, and I may switch up if the numbers add up.
 
Joined
Oct 15, 2014
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Zuni, VA
So in every "what charger should I carry" thread that I've come across, there is never any mention of weight.
To me, that would be one of the deciding factors in choosing one for a backpack hunt in the back country. Any input on oz/mAh on a charger?
Curious as my entire solar system is 16 oz, and I may switch up if the numbers add up.

I posted previously that I am happy with my Zendure. Battery technology is fairly simple and there aren't a lot of opportunities to save weight in the battery itself. So the differences in weight that you see will be either from the capacity or it's waterproofness/durability.

You can buy a simple little phone charging stick at a big box store or drug store for less than $10 that will charge your iPhone about once before needing a recharge. The stick will be fairly light but not waterproof or durable at all.

Or, you can buy a Zendure/Anker/etc and you'll be able to charge your phone multiple times before recharging and it will be physically durable and last many years.

The decision is up to you. To truly save weight you want just enough charge to get your through your trip. So don't buy a battery with more capacity than you need.

Here is what I chose: https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Ext...sr_1_4?keywords=zendure&qid=1576759914&sr=8-4
 

Backyard

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Minnesnowta
I posted previously that I am happy with my Zendure. Battery technology is fairly simple and there aren't a lot of opportunities to save weight in the battery itself. So the differences in weight that you see will be either from the capacity or it's waterproofness/durability.

You can buy a simple little phone charging stick at a big box store or drug store for less than $10 that will charge your iPhone about once before needing a recharge. The stick will be fairly light but not waterproof or durable at all.

Or, you can buy a Zendure/Anker/etc and you'll be able to charge your phone multiple times before recharging and it will be physically durable and last many years.

The decision is up to you. To truly save weight you want just enough charge to get your through your trip. So don't buy a battery with more capacity than you need.

Here is what I chose: https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Ext...sr_1_4?keywords=zendure&qid=1576759914&sr=8-4
So let's say I'm out for 5 days with an Iphone that I use for gps and messaging the wife and a headlamp that I use daily that I want at full charge every day that I leave camp. Will "multiple times" of charges with one of these last me thru the 5 days?
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2015
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5,824
Very happy with my dark energy. Built tough. A bit heavy for the capacity compared to some less rugged ones. After using it a bit, it really is t a piece of gear that takes a beating. Makes me wonder if the extra cost and weight of the ruggedness are necessary.

On a recent trip a buddies charger failed and he bummed power for the res5 of the trip. Makes me think having two smaller ones might be a reasonable route. If my dark energy died or got lost I might be inclined to get a pair of Ankers.
 

JeremiahH

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Apr 14, 2013
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Idaho
Picked this up and seems legit so far.
Had it out a couple times , charged my S9 twice now and the power meter has barely dipped down on it. Still gotta test it and put it through paces for reliability but I'm happy with the value of it this far.
Grabbed it for the Frank church this coming October.
29bdf2e0f89aaa385c977a98f4e4095d.jpg
d47b307a86c336814c40bc103943ca0f.jpg


Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Oct 15, 2014
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583
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Zuni, VA
So let's say I'm out for 5 days with an Iphone that I use for gps and messaging the wife and a headlamp that I use daily that I want at full charge every day that I leave camp. Will "multiple times" of charges with one of these last me thru the 5 days?

The only way to know would be to use your phone and battery similarly for 5 days while remembering not to use a home or car charger. Just use the battery and see if it's enough.

I bought one of those little $6 sticks from WalMart and tried it to see how long it would last me. That was how I determined that it would charge my phone about 90% one time. It lasted about 2-1/2 days. Then I multiplied that out to get the right size for my backcountry trips. I bought a 10,000mAh battery (which i think weighs 7-8 ounces) and it's always been more than enough for 5-7 trips. It depends on how much your use your phone. You might use yours more.

To conserve your iPhone's charge turn down it's brightness and always turn the screen off when you're done using it. Or, use it in power saving mode.
 

ToeJoe

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Nov 30, 2019
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ROMOSS 20,000 MAH. Runs about $30-$35 on Amazon. Rapid charges my Pixel 3 and has been bullet proof for the past year I've been using it.
 

Backyard

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Jan 24, 2014
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Minnesnowta
The only way to know would be to use your phone and battery similarly for 5 days while remembering not to use a home or car charger. Just use the battery and see if it's enough.

I bought one of those little $6 sticks from WalMart and tried it to see how long it would last me. That was how I determined that it would charge my phone about 90% one time. It lasted about 2-1/2 days. Then I multiplied that out to get the right size for my backcountry trips. I bought a 10,000mAh battery (which i think weighs 7-8 ounces) and it's always been more than enough for 5-7 trips. It depends on how much your use your phone. You might use yours more.

To conserve your iPhone's charge turn down it's brightness and always turn the screen off when you're done using it. Or, use it in power saving mode.
Thanks for the info, good to know! But I think I'll stick with my Goal zero. I only have to worry about use for a day as I charge my small stick every day while I'm away from camp with the solar panel.
 

Drenalin

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Nov 15, 2018
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Curious what you guys are doing to keep these chargers from going dead in the cold? Or is it not an issue?
 
Joined
Jan 2, 2013
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1,777
Location
Colorado
I use either the goal zero nomad or and anker charger depending on the trip. You can keep the the battery packs in a pocket on your pants to keep some heat and then put them in your sleeping bag at night. Not sure if it helps but that’s what I’ve done .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Ryry

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Joined
Nov 26, 2019
Messages
25
I bought a dark energy for a friend for Christmas and he opened it to a broken hinge cover for the usb and am still waiting to hear back from them on a ra and mailing address!! Not to impressed and would not recommend them to anyone ! Shouldn’t take 3 days to get a email back from. Can’t even call for their is no contact phone number 👎👎
Ryan
 

rbljack

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Joined
Dec 5, 2014
Messages
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Location
Snyder Texas
Picked this up and seems legit so far.
Had it out a couple times , charged my S9 twice now and the power meter has barely dipped down on it. Still gotta test it and put it through paces for reliability but I'm happy with the value of it this far.
Grabbed it for the Frank church this coming October.
29bdf2e0f89aaa385c977a98f4e4095d.jpg
d47b307a86c336814c40bc103943ca0f.jpg


Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk
Can you provide the weight of that unit? I have the dark energy power pack, but it doesn't have the solar. Im thinking this might be a great option to get more power out of a unit.
 

tdhanses

WKR
Joined
Sep 26, 2018
Messages
5,721
I know that Anker is a big seller but Aron Snyder tested them and found that they couldn't hold a charge when they got cold.

My googling turned up Zendure as being reliable. My Zendure allows through charging. Which means that I can charge the Zendure and also two devices from the Zendure.

The Zendure has been cold tolerant for me. Been using it for two years now and take it everywhere.

Interesting and not knocking Aron’s test but I’ve been using Ankers for years and haven’t experienced it not holding a charge when cold. All batteries suffer in the cold to some degree.
 
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