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  1. #1
    Registered User Bubblehead's Avatar
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    :banana Charging devices while on trail

    I will be carrying my i phone 6s and kindle paperwhite with me while hiking springer to HF this coming April....I've been researching how to keep my devices charged in between my trail town stops...I'm looking at the Anker Powercore 20100mAh power bank. Does anyone have experience with this item; or any recommendations on a better device....something that works better or is a little lighter? Thanks....

  2. #2

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    Overkill. You will only need to charge the kindle about once a month, and a 10,000mAh Anker battery pack will charge an iPhone 6S approx 4 times. You can get to town or a hostel at least once a week to charge the phone and battery pack. Just keep the phone off or on airplane mode while not in use and you will be fine.

    I highly recommend the Anker brand, just not the 21000mAh!

  3. #3

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    Learn good battery management techniques and you probably won't need to recharge it between town stops. Leave it in airplane mode, make sure wifi, GPS and Bluetooth are turned off, keep the screen brightness turned down and put it into shut down mode at night. Then get a small, 4800 mAh recharger pack for emergency recharging if you accidently run the battery too low a day from town.
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  4. #4
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    Unless the battery pack you choose supports simultanous charging and beeing charged (something many do not), you might want a multiple output primary charger as well.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by soumodeler View Post
    Overkill. You will only need to charge the kindle about once a month, and a 10,000mAh Anker battery pack will charge an iPhone 6S approx 4 times. You can get to town or a hostel at least once a week to charge the phone and battery pack. Just keep the phone off or on airplane mode while not in use and you will be fine.

    I highly recommend the Anker brand, just not the 21000mAh!
    +1


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  6. #6
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    Anker Astro E3 for the win. Only 8oz and it will give you 4 charges which is enough to get between towns/hostels/ect. On sale for $25 on Amazon

  7. #7
    Registered User Christoph's Avatar
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    Ankor 10000 ma (20 bucks from Amazon) worked very well for me and my Droid Maxx. It was even overkill, there's plenty of places to grab a charge along the way. I even gave a few guys some charges at random shelters to top them off. The weight was minimal and if I ever get a chance for another thru attempt, I'll take it again in heartbeat.

  8. #8
    Registered User Christoph's Avatar
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    My phone was on the majority of the time and I used it mainly for videos, video editing, and uploads to YouTube as well.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bubblehead View Post
    I will be carrying my i phone 6s and kindle paperwhite with me while hiking springer to HF this coming April
    Leave the Kindle at home and use the Kindle app on iPhone for reading. This will save enough weight to make your tech gear kit much lighter. You can probably get by with a 10-12,000 mAh battery IMO. Turn down screen brightness on iPhone when you read to save batteries. You will probably not do as much reading as you think you will anyway.
    Find the LIGHT STUFF at QiWiz.net

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  10. #10
    Wanna-be hiker trash
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    I use the much smaller 5600mah Anker charger, but have been very happy with their product.
    Last edited by Sarcasm the elf; 01-28-2016 at 19:07.
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by QiWiz View Post
    Leave the Kindle at home and use the Kindle app on iPhone for reading. This will save enough weight to make your tech gear kit much lighter. You can probably get by with a 10-12,000 mAh battery IMO. Turn down screen brightness on iPhone when you read to save batteries. You will probably not do as much reading as you think you will anyway.
    I'm taking a Kindle; I always carry mine even on short trips. The battery life is *far* better on it than using a Kindle app, plus it's easier on the eyes. There is ample time to read most days, unless you are really striving for big miles and hiking from the moment you wake up until setting up camp and going straight to bed (which I doubt most bodies can endure for too long). I will also carry an iPod Touch which is more battery-efficient than an iPhone 6s, and a GPS receiver for the rare times I think that will be of use. I have a 5200mAh RAVpower battery which seems like well more than enough, but I don't plan on doing any video.

  12. #12
    Registered User gbolt's Avatar
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    A few weeks back, I purchase the RavPower 10,400mAH External Battery on Sale for $14.99 normally $19.99. Here is a Box Opening Video if interested:

    http://youtu.be/RQ1vskxq-kU
    "gbolt" on the Trail

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  13. #13

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    I learned more than I ever wanted to about portable chargers from this review.

  14. #14

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    There are many portable power packs such as "Juice Pack" but I am looking into a solar charger. Many are available for instance in catalogs and any EMS outlet (I have even seen cheap models in big retailers. I am told they work well for a cell phone at least, but do not have wider experience. I am planning to section hike the Long Trail this summer, and I am wondering if really powerful sunlight is needed pretty much always. The power packs (I have one) basically give me one full day of power. After that, I will be down to solar. I will probably take a Sierra Stove (formerly at least called a Zip Stove) and would like to recharge a battery or two for that as well.

  15. #15
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    I like the Anker Astro Mini. It charges my phone once and my camera battery several times. I keep my phone either in airplane mode or off almost all the time though.... heavier users will want a larger external battery. Actually the main reason I keep carrying the Anker Astro Mini is that I can recharge it in public places without worrying too much about it getting stolen. Most of the time, I charge my phone to 100% the prior night and then charge the Anker in town. big advantage. and prob worth the 3 ounces just for that reason.

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Greenmountainguy View Post
    There are many portable power packs such as "Juice Pack" but I am looking into a solar charger.
    Don't waste your money. You will never be in the sun long enough to have it do any good. You need like 12 hours of noon time sun unless you have a panel bigger then your pack. A ZIP stove will run almost forever on one set of batteries.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Greenmountainguy View Post
    There are many portable power packs such as "Juice Pack" but I am looking into a solar charger. Many are available for instance in catalogs and any EMS outlet (I have even seen cheap models in big retailers. I am told they work well for a cell phone at least, but do not have wider experience. I am planning to section hike the Long Trail this summer, and I am wondering if really powerful sunlight is needed pretty much always. The power packs (I have one) basically give me one full day of power. After that, I will be down to solar. I will probably take a Sierra Stove (formerly at least called a Zip Stove) and would like to recharge a battery or two for that as well.
    Last time I dealt with a smaller solar charger was while sailing, on the ocean, without trees. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Even the angle of the cell to the sun can be important for efficiency. Vermont has a few trees.

  18. #18
    Registered User Wise Old Owl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by QiWiz View Post
    Leave the Kindle at home and use the Kindle app on iPhone for reading. This will save enough weight to make your tech gear kit much lighter. You can probably get by with a 10-12,000 mAh battery IMO. Turn down screen brightness on iPhone when you read to save batteries. You will probably not do as much reading as you think you will anyway.
    Well that was my answer. +1 Thank's QiWiz - beat the Owl again.


    I would add HYOH too.
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  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    Don't waste your money. You will never be in the sun long enough to have it do any good. You need like 12 hours of noon time sun unless you have a panel bigger then your pack. A ZIP stove will run almost forever on one set of batteries.
    You support my concerns. While the salesmen are big on the solar chargers, I operate almost solely under a canopy. I suppose I could periodically put it in the sun for lunch stops and before sun down, but I was afraid of the need for serious duration. The other option though makes me slave to the periodically available power outlet and since I generally have to make time...resupply is brief to say the least...I fear my wife will not hear for me for longer periods than she is comfortable with.
    I have never used the ZIP for long periods and as a matter of fact was thinking of one of the newer wood burners that uses no blower. Oh well, I doubt I can get away until high summer anyway.

  20. #20

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    I have also heard of chargers that take a standard battery (alkaline or similar) and transmit the power to a cell phone or such. At least this would give me the option of getting a couple of batteries most anywhere and then back to walking. I am planning the Long Trail and most of the store access is several miles from the trail...several miles to the store, several back...daylight burning, miles lost, limited time off work lost to shopping.

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