Recomend a backup external battery pack

[tdlese]

It's annoying when my phone/tab go dead and there isn't any wall power source around. Then an external battery pack is a must have. I'm looking for an external battery pack then I can put it in my bag as backup power when out for camping. I've tried Anker Astro E4, but it can't charge my tab. Anyone has a good external battery?

 

[Newanderthal]

Concept Green has some good stuff. They have portable batteries for smartphones that are no larger than the phones themselves but can triple your usage, and they're pretty cheap. About $20.
CG3600 Battery Portable Charger | Portable Chargers | Concept Green Energy Solutions, Inc. | CG3600

You can also get a solar battery backup. Charge the unit before you go out and use it to recharge your phone. Once the batter has been used, keep it in sunlight and it will recharge. Something that can be done is to hook your phone up to the charger and hang the solar charger on the top of your backpack so it's charging your phone and itself while you're hiking. When you stop, lay the charger in direct sunlight to finish the recharge.

The best thing to do is to minimize your electronics usage while camping. I keep my smartphone turned completely off and in a drysack. It's for emergencies only. Flashlights and mini lanterns are all LED so energy consumption isn't an issue. Tablets, MP3 players, laptops, etc. are all left at home. Enjoying nature doesn't take much electricity.

 

[Denni2]

I bought a Limeade this summer. So far we love it. We were gone fo a week and it kept the iphones and ipad charged all week. We use Gaia GPS to track our hikes so we needs to keep phones charged. Plus we used it to charge the iPad to watch a movie one night during a power outage.

 

[onlightgear]

I 've bought the Easy-acc 12.000mAh power bank from amazon. I think its 2 years now and the battery is still doing good. I mainly use it on long bike tours to have my mobile runnning various battery-hungry GPS apps like MapMyRide etc. Choose a battery of more than 10.000mAh with no more than 2 USB ports. The Easy-acc 12.000mAh power bank I have has 4 USB ports which i now find too much.

 

[ppine]

Or turn-off the gizmos and use them for emergencies only and you will never run out of power.

 

[Hikenhunter]

In the old days they used to send us in search of a current bush. I don't think I ever found one though.

 

[Theosus]

New trent has some good looking stuff. I'm thinking about one myself. The weight of AA lithium batteries is nothing, but the cost gets pretty high when you have to replace them every few days.

 

[ppine]

If you have to replace the batteries in your electronic communication devices every couple of days on a camping trip you are addicted to being connected. You need a therapist and need to learn to unplug.

I just went on a 6 day canoe trip with a close friend. As a long-time backpacker, It was his first canoe trip and he is a small business owner. It was interesting to watch him slowly stop using his Iphone or whatever you call it. He was worried about power, and each of the first two days used it less. Then low and behold, it was only used for picture taking. He began to relax. He was then and only then that he was participating in outdoor re-creation. It was my gift to him.

 

[Cappy]

I must admit I am totally addicted to my GPS. I use it to mark base camp and check my progress. The batteries are good for 40 hours of continuous run time and I seldom use it for more than 30 minutes a day unless I get lost:tinysmile_hmm_t: flash lights hardly ever get turned on unless I am frogging. My Dumb phone stays off in a qt zip loc. If Peg is not along I' turn it on every couple days to send her an "OK" text. If she is along we leave our phones off. I always bring along a 6 pack of AA's but usually wind up donating them to batterie junkies I meet. More folks should unplug and look around, there is a miracle of life going around that they seldom notice.

 

[Theosus]

If you have to replace the batteries in your electronic communication devices every couple of days on a camping trip you are addicted to being connected. You need a therapist and need to learn to unplug.

You make a ridiculous, uninformed assumption.

The device I am referring to is a gps. It is a navigation device and not a device to connect to anyone. A pair of AA lithiums works about two days. I leave the gps on so it will track where I am, and I can refer to it if I need to know where to go. It comes in handy on hikes in new areas. Since I may hike ten or eleven miles back into the back country on an overnight trip, the GPS comes in handy sometimes.

 

[ppine]

Theosus,
With all due respect, you are exactly the type of person that ends up needing rescue. You rely on an electronic device and don't like to turn it off. You use up your batteries and get lost. Carry a map and a compass and you will never need to be rescued. Or use some ribbon on trees. Look at your surroundings. You will never get lost.

Your GPS can figure out where you are by powering up your unit once a day or so. It doesn't need to be on all the time.

If you are only going "in 11 miles" why is there such a great fear of getting lost in the first place?

 

[Judy Ann]

The beauty of getting out-and-about is leaving the electronics at home!

 

[Pathfinder1]

The beauty of getting out-and-about is leaving the electronics at home!

Hi, Judy Ann...


Nice to see you're back. Have you been hiding...?? :tinysmile_grin_t:

 

[tdlese]

Hi guys, thank you all for your help!
I've picked up one of the RAVPower 14000mAh from Amazon.com.
Got my hands on it for a few days. It works with everything I've tried. The capacity (mAh) is high, I can share power with my friends when on camping trips.