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Chargers and Power banks 

Keeping all that tech going can be very power hungry. I normally take a battery bank that I can use to charge my phone, head torch (depending on model) and camera. The trick here is to only take the size battery bank that you need for the trip. I have three sizes i) overnight, ii) three days and iii) extended 5-7 days.

Power banks will report mAh - that is how much juice they can hold. For example, a regular Iphone 7 requires about 1,960 mAh to fully charge. So you are able to estimate how many full charges you will get out of a power bank. For example you should be able to get 5 full charges from a battery bank that is about 9,800 mAh (1,960x5=9,800). However, some power banks don’t hold their charge as well as others over extended periods and some manufactures are a little liberal with the mAh they report, so be a little careful.

Power banks can be heavy and you want to make sure what you are paying for is juice to charge your stuff, not heavy casing.  When looking for a power bank to take hiking I like to look at the mAh divided by the weight of the device. There can be quite the difference and I prefer to carry actual power. As a rule of thumb I try to get a device that has a mAh to weight ratio above 50.

So workout how many times you want to charge your phone and then get looking for a power bank that will cover your needs, but be sure to the mAh/weight test is above 50. Also be careful of devices with fancy displays that need power to power all the lights and stuff.

The alternative is a small solar panel, technology is rapidly evolving in this field. The concept of charging your device with a panel on your backpack is really appealing to me however I have found them less than satisfactory. I was chatting to a tech head and he said that a real issue is that many panels need to be in uninterrupted sun and this is seldom the case as you hike around trees etc. I've purchased several panels, however I still choose to take my trusty power bank.
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  • Home
  • Gear
    • Gear - Overview
    • Packing List
    • Weight - Classifications
    • Weight - How to lighten the load
    • Shelter Systems - Tents
    • Sleep Systems - Bags Mats
    • Backpacks
    • First Aid and Survival
    • Water Treatment and Storage
    • Cooking Gear
    • Food
    • Clothes
    • Rain Protection
    • Footwear
    • Personal Effects
    • The 10 Essentials
    • Navigation Gear
    • Chargers
  • Skills
    • First Aid Thinking
  • Adventure
    • Great South Coast Walk
    • Bungonia Gorge Slot Canyon
    • Shaolhaven River Wineglass tor
    • Nadgee Wilderness
    • Carnarvon Gorge Great Walk
    • Kangaroo Island Wilderness
    • Jatbula Trail
    • Larapinta Trail
    • Great South West Walk
    • Cape to Cape
  • About