Good external battery that will last me six days on the trail

[johnspenn]

I need a good external battery with enough juice to last me six days (5 nights) on the trail in GA.

I will need to keep my Smart Phone (HTC, nothing fancy) charged, and it will also be serving as my GPS. I will keep it in airplane mode most of the trip and really don't anticipate needing it much, the trails I will be on are well marked, I believe. I will also use it as a camera and for some video I imagine.

DeLorme Inreach SE- I don't have it yet, but I will have it for emergencies, and to check in at home a few times a day.

Fitbit Charge HR- Should only need to be charged one time.

DBProEX5000- (knockoff GoPro) I have three batteries and supposedly they will record 3 hrs of footage each. I will use it for documenting the trip but shouldn't use it THAT much.

I have a rechargeable headlamp but don't anticipate using it much, so hopefully i won't need to recharge it while I'm out. I also have a Luci I'm considering bringing, and if so will leave it on the outside of my pack to charge as much as possible.

I'm thinking 10,000 MAH will not be enough. Should I go for 20,000 or somewhere in between?

[Miles 2 Go]

I just bought an Anker 10000mAh external battery off Amazon that with the case and cord weights 7oz. I've put two charges on my Samsung s5 from 9% - 100% and recharged my Inreach Se from 0% -100%. I then put a 30% charge on my phone before the Anker battery went dead. I'm still testing it but that was what I got from the first test.

I also think this is the lightest 10000mAh out there, I know my Anker 16000mAh is 11.7oz with case and cable.

[QuietStorm]

I use a battery case on my iPhone 6 good for 3 charges, and a 5,000 mAh external battery good for another 3 usually (except in sub-freezing weather).


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[rocketsocks]

My Anker 10,000 is about 4-5 years old, still works as good as the day I bought it...never a glitch, they make a good product and I haven't heard one negative about any of there products...though I'm sure if I looked at reviews I'm sure I'd find some.

[fastfoxengineering]

I can't recommend how much juice you need. But I can recommend anker battery packs for sure

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[ScareBear]

10000maH should be enough. I don't think a 20 or two 10's is worth the weight. Just keep the phone off or in airplane mode and recharge everything with their power off.

Anker is a good brand. So is Aukey and Pilot. Look for 2.1A outlet and smart charge. And, hopefully a 2A input to speed up recharging the unit itself...just sayin...

[soumodeler]

A 20000 mah Anker will be your best bet. One of the best if not the best out there.

[Secondmouse]

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-13000-Portable-Charger/dp/B00Z9QVE4Q/ref=pd_lpo_107_tr_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XR468MYTVNV2K05K6JDX

[ScareBear]

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-13000-Portable-Charger/dp/B00Z9QVE4Q/ref=pd_lpo_107_tr_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XR468MYTVNV2K05K6JDX

And, there you have it! That is my next unit!

[2EZ]

I have and am happy with the Anker 20100.
It is heavier, but not by that much, and keeps all my needs powered through week-long outings.

I would love to be lighter, but consider this my luxury for comfort, music, nav, lighting, etc.

I haven't been able to see a "real" weight that includes the charger for these units. Would love to see their pieces compared by total weight.

[Kerosene]

I went with the Anker 20100 to charge my iPhone 6 for the 8 days on the southern JMT without re-supply. Of course, it depends on how much juice you use each day, but I figured that would allow me to use the phone for Guthook, maps, guidebook, pictures, and general reading. The 20100 gave me about 4.5 full charges of my iPhone 6 battery, and provided the best combination of capacity for weight at a reasonable price.

[gbolt]

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-13000-Portable-Charger/dp/B00Z9QVE4Q/ref=pd_lpo_107_tr_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XR468MYTVNV2K05K6JDX


$10 or more Difference to get two port chart at once and to get pass through charging; just so that everyone is aware. For rough calculations one full charge occurs with a 2500 maH battery. So roughly 5 full charges for a 10,000 maH external battery. That's a lot if phone is on Airplane mode the majority of the time. It really is a personal choice but 20,000 maH is too much weight for the worth unless there is camera equiptment or other major requirements. Again it is really a personal choice. I purchase the $20 Anker PowerCore and did a review. I also owned a Rav Power 10,400maH with dual ports and pass through charging; and that review is also on my Channel. Here is the link if interested: http://youtu.be/G_0lWYg7Y0k.

[rafe]

For what it's worth, a typical cell phone battery holds about 2500 mAh (milli-amp-hours) of charge. So use that number to estimate the size of the external pack you will need, allowing for some inefficiency and truth-in-advertising.

A 10,000 mAh pack will probably give three charges.

There are a hundreds of brands and models to choose from nowadays, they've become ubiquitous.

[Secondmouse]

And, there you have it! That is my next unit!

It's not the lightest one, but I used this over 10 days on the AT without recharging it.

I only used it to run my Goal Zero USB Fan -- http://www.goalzero.com/p/341/fan-tool and to recharge my phone (and those of anyone else that needed it) but my phone was used for calls/text/email, GPS, Thru-Hikers Companion Guide, music, and of course, Kindle book reader.

I kept my phone in airplane mode or off almost all the time, and I reversed the contrast on my Kindle so the words were white with black page. I only needed to fully recharge it a couple times on this trip, usually just topping it up when I stopped for the day...

[Secondmouse]

$10 or more Difference to get two port chart at once and to get pass through charging; just so that everyone is aware. For rough calculations one full charge occurs with a 2500 maH battery. So roughly 5 full charges for a 10,000 maH external battery. That's a lot if phone is on Airplane mode the majority of the time. It really is a personal choice but 20,000 maH is too much weight for the worth unless there is camera equiptment or other major requirements. Again it is really a personal choice. I purchase the $20 Anker PowerCore and did a review. I also owned a Rav Power 10,400maH with dual ports and pass through charging; and that review is also on my Channel. Here is the link if interested: http://youtu.be/G_0lWYg7Y0k.

not following. are talking about the 13K Anker I posted a link to or are you saying you like a different one? which one is $10 more?

afaik, you can charge the unit and charge two other devices all at the same time. I tried it and it works but really slow.

there could be others that are better but I got the one I posted because it had the best combination of capacity, features, weight, and cost I could find at the time...

[johnspenn]

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-13000-Portable-Charger/dp/B00Z9QVE4Q/ref=pd_lpo_107_tr_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XR468MYTVNV2K05K6JDX


And, there you have it! That is my next unit!

I'mthinkingthisone
I'm thinking this one should do nicely. Thanks Secondmouse!

[Turk6177]

This website should meet your needs. I have used a small 6000 mah from these guys for a few years, however I don't see it in there now. https://www.anker.com/products


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[jjozgrunt]

I have the 26800 Anker and for the AT it might be a bit too much. It charges my inreach, phone, headlight, camera and earphones and I have used it on a 12 day walk and had just enough power.

[hyperslug]

I have several battery banks but have never decided to go that route due to weight. I continue to use an older phone with replaceable batteries which I will use on my thru hike this year. Currently using an LG G4 and 3000 mAh battery weighs 1.6 oz. This used phone in great shape cost me about $260 on Swappa. Thought I would throw that option out there.

[Starchild]

A: Find out what your battery capacity is. This will give you the value for 'A'
A=?

B: Find out how many days your phone can last with some use (like you intend on the heavier side), but mostly on airplane mode. This will give you the value for 'B'
B=?

C: Calculate the max days you would like to use your phone. This will give you the value for 'C'

Plug in your numbers into this equation:
C/B*A*2= Minimum Capacity needed for what you want.

This may appear to be twice the power you will need but...
1- Charging efficiency is not 100%, not close, 80% at best. It also depends on the state of charge of the phone. Try to keep your phone at between 20% - 80% (most efficient) when charging from a battery pack, That last 80% to 100% is not efficient and better to leave that charge in the battery pack (if practical), also 0-20% is not efficient, so better not to go there. A good solution I have found is to recharge in the tent and shut it down before sleepytime.

2 - On trail is is easy to occasionally make a mistake and leave you phone off airplane mode and deplete it, you need to account for that.

3 - Sometimes you may just want to recharge your battery while in town, not your phone, in such times as you will leave it unattended. (Tip, when heading to town, 1: recharge your phone before town, getting to 100% before town means only one device to recharge if you suspect leaving it unattended, or 2: balance the 2 before town so they can charge simultaneously and get the most charge for the time you have, 3 while you can use a computer's USB port to recharge, you want to do that with your battery, not your phone as data exchange may occur )

Also another thing to consider is the recharge rate of the battery pack (and also the charger cord you bring, make sure it supports it), in general faster charging rates is helpful on the trail as you may have a short time to get as much power in as possible.

But with that said also note that slow charging does get more power into the phone so slow charge if practical, such as overnight stays. IMHO this is a minor factor if you have enough capacity.

[saltysack]

My Anker 10,000 is about 4-5 years old, still works as good as the day I bought it...never a glitch, they make a good product and I haven't heard one negative about any of there products...though I'm sure if I looked at reviews I'm sure I'd find some.

+1....honestly I'd ditch so much electronics use on trail....cut the cord! In airplane mode and using for guthooks, pics etc iPhone 7+ last me 3 days...anker 10k has worked well for extended trips when needed...


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[lilgodwin]

Thanks to this thread, I just ordered the PowerCore 20100. Sounds like it'll be a great purchase!

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[gbolt]

not following. are talking about the 13K Anker I posted a link to or are you saying you like a different one? which one is $10 more?

afaik, you can charge the unit and charge two other devices all at the same time. I tried it and it works but really slow.

there could be others that are better but I got the one I posted because it had the best combination of capacity, features, weight, and cost I could find at the time...

There are two 10,000 maH Anker Power Cord. It is easies to post the Amazon Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-10000mAh-Portable-Qualcomm/dp/B01CZV9FUW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485825407&sr=8-2&keywords=Anker+10%2C000+Power+Core

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-Ultra-Compact-High-speed-Technology/dp/B0194WDVHI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485825407&sr=8-1&keywords=Anker+10%2C000+Power+Core

Sorry for the confusion, I was referring to two 10K Anker Batteries not the 13K.

It's all good! As rafe said, there are hundreds of possibilities. I just tried to get the lightest weight, smallest external battery to meet my needs. I like the Rav Power 10,400 for different reasons than the Anker Ultra Compact Power Cord. But due to size and weight alone, I take the Anker on trips. Again, I review both on my Channel for those that want to see and hear thoughts before they buy.

[Engine]

We just switch from a RavPower model which was acting up and are now carrying the Anker 13,400 mAh model with IQ fast charge, along with an Anker QC 3.0 dual port charger. This combo is HEAVY...15 ounces between the two items :(, but we have two 3,700 mAh cell phones, my wife's Fitbit, her rechargeable headlamp, and 2 iPod Shuffles. The QC charger gets us to 80% battery on a phone in only minutes (nice for a quick town stop) and it charges the entire 13,400 mAh battery in about 3 hours.

I can use my phone in AP mode all day and then check weather and messages, journal, or blog in the evening and my phone is good for about 3 days. But, she takes approximately 1 million pictures a day (only a slight exaggeration...LOL) and that eats battery power. So, she's thankful for the extra juice...

In a few years the same capacity will probably weigh less than 1/2 of what it does now.

[lilgodwin]

Fort my Anker in. Tested it out and it seems like a good product. But, I noticed something that I've seen before with battery packs.

After charging it a bit, I feel that my phone battery depletes MUCH faster than normal. It's like I'm getting a false charge on my phone. Even though the battery % rises significantly, it also decreases super quick under normal use.

Anybody else notice this and know why this might be the case?

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[Engine]

Fort my Anker in. Tested it out and it seems like a good product. But, I noticed something that I've seen before with battery packs.

After charging it a bit, I feel that my phone battery depletes MUCH faster than normal. It's like I'm getting a false charge on my phone. Even though the battery % rises significantly, it also decreases super quick under normal use.

Anybody else notice this and know why this might be the case?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk Every cell phone I've ever owned experienced a degradation in battery life over the 1st year I owned it, even when charged only with the supplied charger. I don't think your issue has anything to due with the battery pack, but I'm certainly no electronics expert.

[lilgodwin]

Yeah I know that happens, but not the case here. A distinct difference in charge quality when using the wall charger vs this battery pack, along with other ones in the past. I just don't understand why it happens.

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[lukabrazi]

Something else to keep in mind is how they turn on and off and if it's going to turn on and drain in your pack. One of the Ankers has a built in flashlight and I know of two people who had these and they both turned on in their packs and drained. I believe there was a backwoods fix involving duck tape and cardboard squares to cushion around the on/off button.

[ScareBear]

Yeah I know that happens, but not the case here. A distinct difference in charge quality when using the wall charger vs this battery pack, along with other ones in the past. I just don't understand why it happens.

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If your phone is reading your battery at x percent, what makes you think the battery isn't at that percent?

Delve into the power management and you will find a battery app. Open that for a detailed look at the current temperature, voltage and energy stored. It should match the percentage read out on your info bar on the top of the screen....if it does, I doubt there is a "quality" of charge issue...because...that isn't how a battery works....a battery accepts current so long as that current exceeds it's internal capacity. Think of a hose filling a bucket from the bottom. When the weight of the water in the bucket exceeds the force of the water coming out of the hose, the water will stop coming out of the hose...Obviously this is over-simplified, but if you think about electricity as water, it makes things a whole lot easier and less mysterious...

The "quality" of the current coming in to the phone isn't relevant for anything except how long it takes the phone battery to reach full charge...

[lilgodwin]

Thanks ScareBare for the electronics crash course :-D I get what you're saying, and it shouldn't be happening, but I know something is up when I specifically use external batteries.

I'll do a few more tests, and look into the battery management as well. Thanks again.

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[ElCid94]

Thanks ScareBare for the electronics crash course :-D I get what you're saying, and it shouldn't be happening, but I know something is up when I specifically use external batteries.

I'll do a few more tests, and look into the battery management as well. Thanks again.

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If you are only using the external battery on the trail or in other remote places, the depletion rate could be explained by the fact that your phone works harder searching for a signal that isn't there most of the time. Are you using airplane mode? Have you tried charging the phone from the external battery at home before a regular work day? Just some thoughts.


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[lilgodwin]

I was/am at home while testing it out.

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[capehiker]

On a somewhat related note, the OP all have a chance to recharge/top off their battery at Mountain Crossings for a few hours if they need to.

[NY HIKER 50]

I'm going to tell you my way of keeping the phone charged. Keep it off! If you need local weather reports that would be acceptable. Calling and saying I'm OK is acceptable. Tweeting and checking E-mails constantly is not. Have the charger in a waterproof case if needed. Try to send E-mails from town.

Wow though, things have changed on the trail. Now everyone fights over the single electric outlet for charging.

[NY HIKER 50]

Oh, I forgot. Have and extra charged backup battery if needed.

[Venchka]

Oh, I forgot. Have and extra charged backup battery if needed.

The biggest backward leap in phone technology is the stupid silly user unfriendly built in battery. DUMB!!!
A friend of mine has a 'Droid of some sort and carries a pocket full of spare batteries. I should buy one before they are all gone.
I bought a pair of Honeycomb DASH-10 batteries at Sam's and they are working nicely.
Wayne


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[johnspenn]

I'm going to tell you my way of keeping the phone charged. Keep it off! If you need local weather reports that would be acceptable. Calling and saying I'm OK is acceptable. Tweeting and checking E-mails constantly is not. Have the charger in a waterproof case if needed. Try to send E-mails from town.

Wow though, things have changed on the trail. Now everyone fights over the single electric outlet for charging.

The problem with this strategy is that my phone is also my main camera for photos and one of my cameras for video (the other being a cheap version of Go-Pro). I actually use it quite frequently for these endeavors and since I usually have it on airplane mode and don't have a Twitter account, never for tweeting and the like.

[fiddlehead]

Good advice all.
One more thing that I'm thinking about:
I'm going to buy a new phone (probably the oneplus3T or oneplus4 or 5 if it comes out in time), a month or two before my hike because I believe batteries in phones are best when new.
(and these new phones have more powerful batteries)
Just a thought for those who may want more memory also.

[lukabrazi]

Over on backpackinglight there is a good thread about this. Some other things they take into account is the speed that the charger charges, the speed the charger charges the phone, and if the charger is able to pass through and charge the phone while the charger itself is charging. I can see a huge benefit to one that charges faster while charging the phone for town stops where you don't stay over. If you're in town for food and a meal you might only plug in for an hour you'll want to get the most charge for your time.

[rocketsocks]

I always chilled this phenominaah to "it is what it is"

[johnspenn]

I was in Walmart and saw this one. Impulse buy, cheaper than the Anker 13000 by about $10 and about 1.5 oz heavier for 1000 less MAH. Ah well, it's what I got.

https://whiteblaze.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=38459&d=1488482040
https://whiteblaze.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=38458&d=1488482039

[Wise Old Owl]

Fort my Anker in. Tested it out and it seems like a good product. But, I noticed something that I've seen before with battery packs.

After charging it a bit, I feel that my phone battery depletes MUCH faster than normal. It's like I'm getting a false charge on my phone. Even though the battery % rises significantly, it also decreases super quick under normal use.



Anybody else notice this and know why this might be the case?

Yea that's easy - turn off Bluetooth & Wifi. Undo the vibration and tactile feedback under the gear. Invoke battery saver - turn on an adjustable back light. Turn off notifications and you will be fine.

[Greenlight]

Ditto. I have a 1250 with rubberized casing, and it fully recharges my iPhone SE five or six times. Does so quickly, too. It is a tad on the heavy side, but I use my iPhone as an eReader, GPS, journal, and occasionally as a phone.


I can't recommend how much juice you need. But I can recommend anker battery packs for sure

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[Dogwood]

Yea that's easy - turn off Bluetooth & Wifi. Undo the vibration and tactile feedback under the gear. Invoke battery saver - turn on an adjustable back light. Turn off notifications and you will be fine.

Good.Learned a few categories I hadn't thought about,. Thx.

[soumodeler]

A couple to turn off more would be:

voice assistants that are always listening
raise to wake or other motion based actions
live wallpapers
location services

And very minor (if any) battery drains from NFC and alarms being set. Also closing apps running in the background.

On on android you can create a single task using a task creation app that will do all this for you in one button. iPhone has to be done manually, although airplane mode and low power mode get you 90% of the way.

[One Half]

I am 5 days into a "test" to see how long my phone and back up battery will last between recharging. I turned off location services and wifi, placed it into low battery mode, and then put it into airplane mode. All week I have been taking pictures of all the stuff I'm doing because I would be taking pics on the trail, texting my husband occasionally, even getting weather updates, etc. I finally made a phone call yesterday with a friend since I am likely to call my husband at least once a week and/or perhaps call for a shuttle/hostel. Had another phone call today. Have recharged my phone twice from about 33% each time. I still have somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of my back up battery (2 of 4 lights are lit). My battery backup is a Pocket Juice 4000mH and weighs less than 4 oz. The biggest drawback is that I cannot recharge it and my phone at the same time unless I use a double wall plug, which I have. It also takes a LONG time to recharge the final 5-10% or so it seems. This suits my purposes. I can see that I can easily go a week with this set up. Maybe more. The next thing is to see how long it takes to actually charge the backup and the phone from a wall outlet. I'll do that once the backup and phone are both dead. Probably Monday as I have a regular phone call on Mondays every week.