External battery recommendation.

[HDLV]

I know I've found a great thread on this before but I cannot for the life of me find it now.

My hiking partner and I plan on carrying one charger each. We will each have a iPhone for guide book, blogging, weather and occasional photos for quick sending to family and blog post and will be sharing a GoPro for the majority of photo/video.

We will both be carrying a wall wort capable of charging two devices at once while in town so in theory we will be able to leave town with all devices at full charge.

At the moment I use a small mophie that can give me about 1 & 1/2 charges. I'm typically pretty good at charging the phone befor it hits 20%, I've read it requires a lot more juice to charge from below that point I'm looking for something that is fairly light weight that can juice up around 3x.

I hope thats enough info. If anyone has saved the link for the last thread on this (it may have been about 6 months ago) please share.

Cheers

[soumodeler]

Look at the Anker products. A 10,000 mAh battery should give you about 3 charges on an iPhone.

[Kaptainkriz]

This one takes my iPhone6 from below 20% to 100% 3 times. A little heavy, but works great:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YAOKFT8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01

[bemental]

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/112777-Phone-Battery-Charging-Device-Suggestions

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/60288-Smartphone-amp-charging-batteries

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/100975-Charging-devices-while-thru-hiking

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/115885-External-battery-recommendation

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/110587-Looking-for-External-Battery-to-charge-my-iPhone-5s

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/113387-Ultralight-battery-pack-for-iphone

[bemental]

I know I've found a great thread on this before but I cannot for the life of me find it now.

My hiking partner and I plan on carrying one charger each. We will each have a iPhone for guide book, blogging, weather and occasional photos for quick sending to family and blog post and will be sharing a GoPro for the majority of photo/video.

We will both be carrying a wall wort capable of charging two devices at once while in town so in theory we will be able to leave town with all devices at full charge.

At the moment I use a small mophie that can give me about 1 & 1/2 charges. I'm typically pretty good at charging the phone befor it hits 20%, I've read it requires a lot more juice to charge from below that point I'm looking for something that is fairly light weight that can juice up around 3x.

I hope thats enough info. If anyone has saved the link for the last thread on this (it may have been about 6 months ago) please share.

Cheers


site:whiteblaze.net <search terms>

put that into Google, remove the brackets, and Google will search whiteblaze for you. They also just added this feature to the search page of WB as a secondary means of searching the site.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php/1293-New-Google-search-feature-on-WhiteBlaze

[HDLV]

Awesome, thanks for that tip!

[colorado_rob]

Look at the Anker products. A 10,000 mAh battery should give you about 3 charges on an iPhone.+1 for Anker. I originally bought another brand, didn't charge as many times as they advertised, but the Anker did. They are so cheap, no reason not to have one of these. Big tradeoff weight for mAh, I think the this 10K range for mAh is about right for long distance hiking (about 7-8 ounces, 3-4 recharges depending on phone).

These things change and get better all the time, so older threads become outdated pretty quickly, and there is nothing wrong with asking questions over and over on this forum, IMHO.

[soumodeler]

+1 for Anker. I originally bought another brand, didn't charge as many times as they advertised, but the Anker did. They are so cheap, no reason not to have one of these. Big tradeoff weight for mAh, I think the this 10K range for mAh is about right for long distance hiking (about 7-8 ounces, 3-4 recharges depending on phone).

These things change and get better all the time, so older threads become outdated pretty quickly, and there is nothing wrong with asking questions over and over on this forum, IMHO.

The battery quality is a big difference between Anker and other brands. Also, the newest Ankers have QuickCharge built in if you have a compatible phone it will charge much faster. Some of the higher priced (and heavier) options even have QuickCharge for the battery itself, so you can fill up the battery during a brief town stop.

[Christoph]

I took an Ankor 10,000 mAh and had way more charge then I needed. You can get/find a charge fairly easy if need be. I liked mine but might 'downgrade' a little to save some weight on my next attempt. I was even able to help give a charge for a few that didn't have an external along the way. I had my droid maxx on airplane mode most of the time unless I was trying to reach out and call/text, so that saved some. If you're a heavy user, I'd say this would be plenty. It's pretty durable too and comes with a mesh type protective case, that's sort of padded for protection. I like it.

[Starchild]

Quick charge is useful for the thru situations however it is usually more efficient to slow charge the battery (if you have the time), both options are helpful on the trail.

[scrabbler]

Not to sound like a broken record here, but Anker is your answer. It's tempting to go for cheaper with higher ratings, but the Anker will have realistic ratings and will last. And if you ever have any problems (I havent) they supposedly are excellent with customer service. Pay the premium is my recommendation.

[bemental]

Yup, what they said - Anker is the easiest, and most reliable answer.

[Wanderingventurer]

With just a quick look at Amazon, I didn't see the Ankor 10,000 mAh that is being referred to. If anyone has a link to it at Amazon it would be greatly appreciated.

[Tuckahoe]

Here is the one I bought -- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y03M2XQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

[bemental]

Search for Anker on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=anker

Jackery also makes some good portable batteries.

[damskipi]

I wanted to put in a plug for the PocketJuice 6000mah. It provides about 3.5 full charges to my iPhone 4S. I like it because the wall plug is built in, it can do USB and micro USB simultaneously, and it was about an ounce lighter than a 5400mah external charger I bought at the same time to compare (I don't remember the brand). I've used it often for over a year now and it's been great. It takes awhile to charge, but that's the only negative I see. I wish I could tell you the weight but I'm traveling right now and don't have access to that info. Amazon says 4oz - I think it was more like 6 oz.

[Wanderingventurer]

Is this the Anker 10000 aMy, at 10 oz, that many are using?

http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Charge-Anker-PowerCore-10050/dp/B013HSQXZC/ref=sr_1_2?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1451274132&sr=1-2&keywords=anker+10000

[LAZ]

I think that is an older/heavier model. Here's the one I'm using:
Anker Astro E3 Ultra Compact 10000mAh Portable Charger with PowerIQ Technology 2nd Generation
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009USAJCC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_IbmGwbWXEZG18


I love this battery.
I have purchased other Anchor batteries in the past and the time I got one that was not working they replaced it immediately. I can't read the serial number off the product and even though they asked me for it, they still replaced the battery right away without it. No hastles. I just love their products. Everything they make is good quality.

[soumodeler]

Is this the Anker 10000 aMy, at 10 oz, that many are using?

http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Charge-Anker-PowerCore-10050/dp/B013HSQXZC/ref=sr_1_2?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1451274132&sr=1-2&keywords=anker+10000

That is the new one with QuickCharge. I personally have the E3 that LAZ linked to and love it.

[mtntopper]

I think that is an older/heavier model. Here's the one I'm using:
Anker Astro E3 Ultra Compact 10000mAh Portable Charger with PowerIQ Technology 2nd Generation
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009USAJCC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_IbmGwbWXEZG18


I love this battery.
I have purchased other Anchor batteries in the past and the time I got one that was not working they replaced it immediately. I can't read the serial number off the product and even though they asked me for it, they still replaced the battery right away without it. No hastles. I just love their products. Everything they make is good quality.

Do you use this battery on Apple products? I was told to use an Apple certified device to recharge an I Phone.

[soumodeler]

Do you use this battery on Apple products? I was told to use an Apple certified device to recharge an I Phone.

It will work just fine. That warning is mainly just against using super cheap knockoff chargers. This is not one of them.

[Deacon]

I think that is an older/heavier model. Here's the one I'm using:
Anker Astro E3 Ultra Compact 10000mAh Portable Charger with PowerIQ Technology 2nd Generation
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009USAJCC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_IbmGwbWXEZG18


I love this battery.
I have purchased other Anchor batteries in the past and the time I got one that was not working they replaced it immediately. I can't read the serial number off the product and even though they asked me for it, they still replaced the battery right away without it. No hastles. I just love their products. Everything they make is good quality.

Totally agree with the Astro model that gives, realistically, 1 and a half charges. But it really depends on how much you intend on using your iphone, and where you are hiking. If you're on the AT, you are never more than five days away from a place to plug in your charger. Five days is short enough to use the iphone as a camera, occasional phone, and daily blog entries, but you wouldn't be able to read on kindle for hours on end.

[HDLV]

Thanks everyone! Looks like I will be trying out the anker. Now just to decide on a model.

[colorado_rob]

Deacon makes an excellent point... If you're talking about the need to recharge along a trail such as the AT, perhaps something smaller than the 10,000 mAh anker would do to save weight, like one or two of these 3500 mAh Ankers, at 2.8 ounces each (spec weight, not verified) at 10 bucks:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005X1Y7I2

I might pick up one or two myself.

[swisscross]

Deacon makes an excellent point... If you're talking about the need to recharge along a trail such as the AT, perhaps something smaller than the 10,000 mAh anker would do to save weight, like one or two of these 3500 mAh Ankers, at 2.8 ounces each (spec weight, not verified) at 10 bucks:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005X1Y7I2

I might pick up one or two myself.

This is the one I have.
I am in need of a new phone.
It charges my iPhone 4 about 2.5 times.
With phone on airplane mode I get two days out of one full charge (and I txt my wife every evening) giving me about 5 days of service.
I also use my phone as my camera.

If I were to upgrade to a phone with a larger battery I would buy this.
http://www.anker.com/product/79AN7902-B2A

[Learn Free or Die]

I'd plug (pun intended) the Anker 10,000 mAh - weighs in at about 8oz; consider the temperature, too, when selecting and how you'll carry it (close to your body or in a pack) given the life will drain quicker in winter conditions.

[NewHeart]

I looked into RAV Power. I found that they give more rechages then most and they are able to charge the newer phones with turbo charge features. Check it out! It is a feature rich external that can charge multiple devices at same time:

http://www.ravpower.com/20100mah-external-battery-charger-QC2.0-type-c.html

[capehiker]

I have a RAV Power 9,000 mah (and a few others). What I like about this version is the built in AC wall plug, and included lightning wire for my iPhone. This eliminates the need for separate cables and adapters. I use it daily. They also make an identical version but with a micro usb cable included. Weight is 8.6oz which I think is good considering it includes the wall plug and phone cable.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q2B5KY2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s02

With that being said, you'd think I would stick with the above for my upcoming thru hike but then I stumbled upon this charger:UNU Ultrapak Tour 10,000 mah
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K8I4D2A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_3&smid=A3APRZ65U7U2G9

The selling point is the charger itself charges in about 90 minutes (It doesn't rapid charge the device). This comes in handy for nero's or times when town stops are limited.

[damskipi]

I am back home and able to weigh the PocketJuice 6000mah. 4.9 oz including wall plug and attached micro USB. Lighter than I thought.

[rocketsocks]

Anker asrto 3
10,000 ma/h
charges ithingy about 5 times for a weeks worth of movies and tunes.

[NewHeart]

being new to this, I originally looked at the RavPower because I was planning on carrying a small tablet to do my blogging with. My fingers don't work so good with the on screen keyboard my Droid turbo has. plus the Droid turbo requires the higher charging amperage. I was then told about the Zagg bluetooth pocket keyboard! I'm still looking at the Rav though because of the amount of re-charges I get. It could come in handy in the 100 mile wilderness.

[Bombadil]

Hi,
I had/have an anker 10000 mAh, but if you use guthook and stuff, I actually recommend the Anker 20100. It's 12 ounces vs. eight, but it holds 7 charges for iPhone 6 (one per day) or even two weeks if you go on airplane mode and skimp a bit. I met quite a few people on the AT this summer that were using these heavier chargers and they considered them the only real "splurge" they had (weight). If you think about it you may only be able to recharge once every 10 days (if you don't stay in hostels and just drop in to PO/store for resupply. I mean, who wants to stand around for six hours recharging when you can be hiking. So, if you want to carry the extra four or five ounces, consider the Anker power core 20100.

[bemental]

Hi,
I had/have an anker 10000 mAh, but if you use guthook and stuff, I actually recommend the Anker 20100. It's 12 ounces vs. eight, but it holds 7 charges for iPhone 6 (one per day) or even two weeks if you go on airplane mode and skimp a bit. I met quite a few people on the AT this summer that were using these heavier chargers and they considered them the only real "splurge" they had (weight). If you think about it you may only be able to recharge once every 10 days (if you don't stay in hostels and just drop in to PO/store for resupply. I mean, who wants to stand around for six hours recharging when you can be hiking. So, if you want to carry the extra four or five ounces, consider the Anker power core 20100.

I've got a 17,000mAh battery pack that weighs in at 17.5 ounces. It's weatherized, waterproof, and otherwise trail-ready. I could probably do with something lighter, and smaller, but I do a lot of reading at night on my phone while waiting to go to bed, use GutHooks throughout the day, and also blog each day about my trials and tribulations.

My weight is about 12.5lbs (without food/water), with this battery pack. It's a luxury item for sure, but one I choose to carry.

[bemental]

I'll also mention, that you can do a rough calculation on how much juice you'll need by getting the mAh of your device (phone, tablet), estimate how long it'll last before needing to be charged (airplane mode, light vs heavy use, etc.), and then using THAT to determine which battery backup you'll be purchasing.

-----

For example:

My iPhone 6 Plus has a battery capacity, in mAh of: 2915

I estimate that I can go about 1.5 days of heavy use before needing to charge (1943 mAh per day)

My 17,000 mAh battery back will therefore last approximately: 17,000/1943 = 8.75 days on the trail.

*the easiest way to do this would be to assume that your device will only last for one day, and divide the mAh of your battery backup by the device's battery (17,000/2915 = 5.83 days of juice from the backup battery)

[JumpMaster Blaster]

Aha! I have an Anker (boat anchor) PowerCore 20100. This thing is on beast mode. It's heavy as hell, but if you're a) using your phone as a camera/GPS?blog updater etc, it'll blast you from 10% to 100% in a flash. I charged it up and fully drained my Galaxy S5, Galaxy S3, and iPod and got about 4 charges for EACH DEVICE. Imagine how much it would last for just one.

Aside from weight, there IS one downside to the 20100. When it's fully drained it ttakes forever to recharge on the wall outlet. Maybe I wasn't using a high enough amperage wall plug, but I recall it took over 8 hours to get a complete recharge from drained (using a lighter weight wall plug that came with my phone). This could pose a problem in a hostel- I wouldn't dare leave that thing out in the open plugged in without me having eyes on it. A higher amperage charger, like one for an iPad, will charge it faster, but there's your weight tradeoff.

Note- I wasn't able to get it to charge my phone AND recharge simultaneously, so you may want to power up your phone before pluggin in the PowerCore.

[JumpMaster Blaster]

I read somewhere that you never get the full amount of mAh from the battery packs, and a good rule of thumb is to subtract 15% of it's charging capability right off the bat. YMMV.

[soumodeler]

I read somewhere that you never get the full amount of mAh from the battery packs, and a good rule of thumb is to subtract 15% of it's charging capability right off the bat. YMMV.

Correct. You can lose anywhere from 15-30% during the charging process to heat. The cheaper knockoff brands are generally have more loss than a brand name like Anker.

[rocketsocks]

These batteries are getting better and better all the time, one day you'll be able to jump a car.

[soumodeler]

These batteries are getting better and better all the time, one day you'll be able to jump a car.

Today is that day:

http://www.amazon.com/Ulta-Slim-Multi-Functional-Portable-External-Charging/dp/B00ZZKGXEC/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1451510994&sr=8-10&keywords=car+jumper

:)

[Kaptainkriz]

wow, just wow...

Today is that day:

http://www.amazon.com/Ulta-Slim-Multi-Functional-Portable-External-Charging/dp/B00ZZKGXEC/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1451510994&sr=8-10&keywords=car+jumper

:)

[adamfbomb]

Just get the newest Ankor battery in whatever size you need. They are updating technology frequently, so make sure you get the newest one. I had a 9600mAh one for my PCT through hike and it charged my iPhone 5s from 0 to 100 about 4 times, more than enough for all my map usage, music, podcasts, and camera.

[rocketsocks]

These batteries are getting better and better all the time, one day you'll be able to jump a car.


Today is that day:

http://www.amazon.com/Ulta-Slim-Multi-Functional-Portable-External-Charging/dp/B00ZZKGXEC/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1451510994&sr=8-10&keywords=car+jumper

:)
See what I mean :D

[damskipi]

Two things:

1) A RAVPower 10400mAh 3.5A Portable Charger is on Amazon Lightning Deals for the next 2.5 hours. $16 plus free shipping if you have Prime. 10400 mAh, dual USB, 3.5A charging (fast!), 8.5 oz, 4.5 stars with 708 reviews. Seems like a pretty good deal.

2) Has anybody ever used a hand crank external battery? It occurred to me this morning that for users that need high mAh this might be the perfect solution. A quick look on Amazon shows 2 available at 7 oz each, for virtually unlimited capacity.

[LAZ]

How about this:
AMPY MOVE Wearable USB Portable Motion Charger External Battery Pack with Accessory Pack for iPhone, Samsung, and More- Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V9BTT2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_XIAJwbKBE7APH
It isn't getting such good reviews, at least on Amazon, but what a tantalizing iddea.

[gbolt]

1) A RAVPower 10400mAh 3.5A Portable Charger is on Amazon Lightning Deals for the next 2.5 hours. $16 plus free shipping if you have Prime. 10400 mAh, dual USB, 3.5A charging (fast!), 8.5 oz, 4.5 stars with 708 reviews. Seems like a pretty good deal.

Thanks LOL, my Amazon Gift Card is now $20 Lighter! I had Ravpower and Anker 10000 on the Wishlist. Well give it a try and maybe review it as well. The smart tech made a difference and posting the weight helped.

[damskipi]

Thanks LOL, my Amazon Gift Card is now $20 Lighter! I had Ravpower and Anker 10000 on the Wishlist. Well give it a try and maybe review it as well. The smart tech made a difference and posting the weight helped.

Glad I could help!

[damskipi]

Another Amazon lightning deal today. RAVPower 13000mAh Portable Charger, 4.5A Output (fastest I've seen on an External Battery), iSmart Technology, 10.24 oz listed weight. Less than $23 if you order in the next 2 hours. Dual USB and 4.5 star average on over 2,300 reviews.

[Riocielo]

1+ on the Anker external charger. I have one and it can charge my devices (phone, ipad, smart camera) over 3 times before it needs to be charged again.

[One Half]

I looked into RAV Power. I found that they give more rechages then most and they are able to charge the newer phones with turbo charge features. Check it out! It is a feature rich external that can charge multiple devices at same time:

http://www.ravpower.com/20100mah-external-battery-charger-QC2.0-type-c.html

I have the Rav 16,000mAh charger. It's great and recharges me up to a week but that's in the comfort of my home and I'm not sure I would carry it with me as it's quite heavy IMO and actually takes hours to recharge the Rav. That's the trade off for having long life in your backup battery. You can even charge your device as you are using it (at least my iPhone). But as I said, I only use it at home or in my car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[eblanche]

I read somewhere about some of these external batteries not supporting the lower Mah devices such as small mp3 players and the like. What is the reason for this?

As a small sansa clip sport is going to be one of the few electronic devices I will need to charge, this would certainly factor into my decision making. Any insight?

[eblanche]

I read somewhere about some of these external batteries not supporting the lower Mah devices such as small mp3 players and the like. What is the reason for this?

As a small sansa clip sport is going to be one of the few electronic devices I will need to charge, this would certainly factor into my decision making. Any insight?
Figured I would answer my own question here if anyone else is interested. It seems the smart technology that recognizes devices often does not recognize devices with very small maH ratings as it thinks there is nothing attached and shuts itself off to save power. The Sansa clip players generally have a battery capacity of around 250-350 maH so they should be fine. As always, you would want to confirm first.

[gbolt]

Figured I would answer my own question here if anyone else is interested. It seems the smart technology that recognizes devices often does not recognize devices with very small maH ratings as it thinks there is nothing attached and shuts itself off to save power. The Sansa clip players generally have a battery capacity of around 250-350 maH so they should be fine. As always, you would want to confirm first.

Thanks for answering your own question. It did help! Smart Technology is important when charging the External Battery and also passing through a current to charge an external device. Some external battery's cannot pass through a charge and must be charged prior to the device.

[One Half]

I have the Rav 16,000mAh charger. It's great and recharges me up to a week but that's in the comfort of my home and I'm not sure I would carry it with me as it's quite heavy IMO and actually takes hours to recharge the Rav. That's the trade off for having long life in your backup battery. You can even charge your device as you are using it (at least my iPhone). But as I said, I only use it at home or in my car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Takes less than 12 hours to charge. I set it to charge and meant to check hourly but forgot about it for a while. It was done in 12 hours for sure.

[gbolt]

Here is a video link for a Box Opening of the Rav Power listed by the OP:

http://youtu.be/RQ1vskxq-kU

Of course not as refined as Sintax77. I watched one of his video's after posting mine. His 10400 Rav seems to be an earlier model and was also more expensive.

I actually think this was a great deal at $14.99 and is a good deal at it's normal price. Hoping this helps those that may be looking at External Batteries. Bottom Line is trying to find the right millamperes (mAh) at the lowest weight and then consider the best price.