Being out in the wilderness is an extremely rewarding experience, but sometimes you can enhance those experiences through technology. In the case of portable battery packs, they can provide you with electricity while hiking, camping or fishing that will keep you more safe and more comfortable in the outdoors.</a?
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What To Look For | Our Top Picks
What to look for in the best battery packs
Capacity
Most portable battery packs are measured in mAh (milliampere hour). A mAh represents the amount of energy stored in a battery that allows one thousandth of an ampere of current to flow for one hour.
To better put this in a form that can easily be visualized, the chart below shows the battery capacity of common phones.
| iPhone 6 | iPhone 6 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S8 | Google Pixel 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 mAh | 2915 mAh | 3,000 mAh | 2,700 mAh |
If you want to charge your phone twice, you’ll need a battery at least double the mAh of your phone.
Size & Weight
The larger and heavier the battery pack, usually the more battery storage it has. You simply need to balance your needs for size and weight with the capacity to charge your gadgets.
When hiking and camping, both weight and size can be very important.
Charging Ports
Consider the number of devices you may with to charge at one time, and the type of port necessary to charge that device.
If you have a smartphone or device that requires fast charging, you may need to get a more modern battery pack to efficiently and safely charge those devices.
Price
This one is pretty straightforward. You probably have a budget. Do keep in mind, having a charged device can be a game changer come a dangerous situation.
Durability & Longevity
Durability – In the outdoors, your power source needs to be prepared for hot sun, snow, rain and a physical beating. If it can’t handle that, your destined for a device failure on your trip.
Longevity – Cheap battery packs may work great for the first month, and then suddenly they can’t produce even one full phone charge. Consider the lifetime value of a battery pack. Sometimes spending a little more will get you something that lasts years, not months.
Power Source
How is the device powered? Some common battery options include: solar power, wind power, heat/fire powered, and rechargeable electric (car or home). If you are out for extended periods of time, solar power can be a great option. Do understand that small solar panels gain energy slowly. There are some pretty cool combo options out there as well.</a?
The Top 5 Portable Battery Packs for Camping
This battery pack is great because it is small, powerful and simple to use. It holds enough power to recharge any phone a few times. The high quality battery pack makes this one reliable, and perfect for a multi day hike. Keep this one safe in a dry bag. This isn’t meant for the outdoors, so you just have to keep this device protected.
This is one of the few solar battery packs that can recharge from solar at a reasonable rate. Most of the other smaller solar packs have serious issues, but this device does a little bit better having a larger sized solar panel. This is meant for the outdoors, and holds enough charge for 1-2 phone charges.
myCharge Portable Charger Review
We liked this one so much we wrote a whole review about it. It is durable, holds charges well, and has lasted us a long time.
Portable Charger Anker PowerCore 20100mAh
The Anker portable charger is very comparable to the RAVPower charges. Another reliable brand with great reviews on amazon.
EasyAcc 20000mAh Rugged Outdoor Power Bank
This is a great high powered battery pack that is great to always keep in your car, and easy to slip in any area of your backpack. Capable of keeping your watch and phones charged for multiple days, this is a fantastic option for most situations.
Disclaimer:
Hiking & Fishing may get a small amount of affiliate income from users ordering through the links provided. This will in no way effect the cost of the item you are purchasing. All products chosen in this list were not chosen with affiliate income in mind, but chosen to help point users in the direction of what Hiking & Fishing thinks are quality products.
Max DesMarais is the founder of hikingandfishing.com. He has a passion for the outdoors and making outdoor education and adventure more accessible. Max is a published author for various outdoor adventure, travel, and marketing websites. He is an experienced hiker, backpacker, fly fisherman, backcountry skier, trail runner, and spends his free time in the outdoors. These adventures allow him to test gear, learn new skills, and experience new places so that he can educate others. Max grew up hiking all around New Hampshire and New England. He became obsessed with the New Hampshire mountains, and the NH 48, where he guided hikes and trail runs in the White Mountains. Since moving out west, Max has continued climbed all of the Colorado 14ers, is always testing gear, learning skills, gaining experience, and building his endurance for outdoor sports. You can read more about his experience here: hikingandfishing/about