A power bank is one of the most important phone accessories, especially if you love traveling, camping, or hiking. These little devices let you juice up your phone in no time, especially if there’s no electricity (or a charging port) in the vicinity. All you need is a fully charged power bank, and you’ll have your phone back in action in no time.
However, when it comes to shopping for power banks for outdoor use, you’ll have to look into certain criteria. For one, they need to be lightweight and portable. Secondly, these devices should top up your phone quickly. After all, you wouldn’t want your phone plugged into these devices and miss out on some pretty great wildlife shots.
More importantly, they should be able to juice your phone more than once. For this, we will be looking at power banks with bigger capacities.
With these points in mind, we have compiled a list of the best portable power banks for camping and other outdoor adventures.
Let’s begin.
1. Aukey 30000mAh USB-C Portable Power Bank
The Aukey 30000mAh makes for a good buy if you are looking for a power bank that offers fast charge and Quick Charge. It bundles a Quick Charge 3.0 output and a USB port with 2.4A output. More importantly, there’s a USB Type-C port with 3V support, which doubles up as the input. All these combine to give you a fast charging experience.
Over the last couple of years, Aukey has emerged as a popular name in the electronics market due to its build and quality, and this device is no different. It has over 67% positive reviews on Amazon, with users praising its charging power and long battery life.
Calculating the actual capacity of this 30,000mAh battery puts it around 20,000mAh, which should be decent for most phones. A 5,000mAh phone should be able to draw more than three full charges before it needs a recharge.
Other than that, you can use it to recharge devices like Bluetooth headphones, rechargeable flashlights, tablets, etc. However, this power bank has certain limitations. For instance, there’s no proper charge indicator. Though the power switch flashes red, green, and white to indicate the remaining charge. At times, it can be quite confusing.
And with the huge capacity, you’ll have to compromise on the weight. It weighs around 1.3 pounds.
2. ZeroLemon ToughJuice External Battery Pack
Another 30,000mAh power bank is the one from ZeroLemon. The highlight of this power bank is the number of ports. The ToughJuice has a total of five ports, with one of them reserved for Quick Charge 3.0. However, it comes with a slight catch — at 1.25 pounds, it’s a tad heavier and all ports, baring one, has 1A output.
The good news is that the USB Type-C port makes it ideal for charging your MacBook or your Nintendo Switch, though the speed is not as fast as native chargers.
Thankfully, this battery pack comes with a protective casing. There are flaps on top of each USB port that are expected to protect the device from a quick tumble and to shield it from dust, grime, and other small particles.
In a nutshell, it’s a tough and reliable power bank, and the power indicators at the top make it easy to guess the remaining charge.
3. Anker PowerCore Speed 20000
If you are looking for a light power bank that you can carry in your trouser pockets, you can have a look at the Anker PowerCore Speed 20000. It’s 27% lighter than its competitors, and its slim form factor is the cherry on top. Speaking of specs, it has a capacity of 20,000mAh and two output USBs — one with QC 3.0 and the other with its custom IQ tech at 1A. That is an ideal buy for you if you have a phone that supports Quick Charge.
The good thing is that it refuels pretty quickly and takes around six hours, which is pretty neat considering its capacity.
When it comes to user reviews, many have spoken highly of its durability and battery life, as you can see in the screenshot below,
You won’t get the same battery life as the ones above. If we talk numbers, you should get around 14,500mAh. Just remember to keep it charged.
Last but not least, the PowerCore Speed 20000 comes with rounded corners, which ensure that the device doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb from your bag. At the same time, it has a tough outer shell that keeps the device protected from regular wear and tear.
4. RAVPower Prime 3-Port Power Bank
The RAVPower Prime boasts of many good things. For starters, it has a massive capacity of 26,800mAh, and the recharge time is only about 6-7 hours. Yes, you read that right. This new breed of power bank has a tapered body and weighs about 1.02 pounds. Plus, it supports dual-input charging, wherein you can plug both the Type-C and the 2A USB charger to the bank at the same time. Pretty cool, right?
When it comes to the charging speed, the Prime has two ports. While one charge at 5V/2.4A, the other (USB Type-C) port has an output of 5V/3A.
So, all you need to do is charge it fully before leaving for your camping trip, and the rest will be taken care of by the device. The good thing is that if you have a decent power source, the power bank can be replenished quickly.
The reception of this power bank has been pretty good. Most of the users speak about its fast charging capabilities, great customer service, and solid build.
5. Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 PD
If you are looking for a quick way to recharge your iPhone (iPhone 8 or later) during your adventures, you can consider buying the Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 PD. This one is an 18W charger that comes with USB Type-C Power Delivery, meant to charge your iPhone in less time.
And that’s not all. Even the secondary port has an output of 18W. Plus, it’s has a built-in trickle charging mode made to fuel low-powered devices like headphones and fitness trackers.
The only thing which you need to keep in mind is that this power bank works the best with a USB-C Power Delivery (PD) charger. If you use a standard charger, it might not charge at its optimum speed.
The PowerCore Essential 20000 PD bundles a USB-C to C cable, a travel pouch, and a welcome guide. Plus, it also includes an 18-month warranty. That said, the Power Delivery charger is not included.
5. Blavor Solar Power Bank
We all know that when camping in the wild puts forward a variety of situations, such as the lack of continuous power supply, making it difficult to charge the power banks. Thankfully, there are a couple of solar power banks which can refuel themselves via solar energy, when needed. Cool, right?
The Blavor Solar Power Bank can recharge via two ways – through the solar panels at the top, and via the included Micro-USB charger. Both this combination makes it ideal to use while you are out there in the wild living an adventurous life. Speaking of other specs, this one has a capacity of 10,000mAh. And while that may not be much, you will be delighted in the fact that this device also bundles two flashlights and a compass kit.
At the same time, it’s IPX4 splash-proof, meaning it can bear its share of water splashes once in a while.
Apart from that, it’s equipped with USB and Type-C ports with an output of around 5V/1.5A. Plus, it can be fully recharged in about 6 hours with the 5V/2A adapter.
Again, this device doesn’t look like most power banks. It’s big and bulky. Plus, it does not have a massive capacity like its competitors above. But it has all the essential features which make it ideal for carrying while you are out there chasing nature. Win-win, right?
Hello, Mother Nature
While the beauty of mother nature makes the best of us forget the digital world, however, living away from it isn’t an easy task. Be it an emergency or a photography moment, and it makes sense to keep a working phone with you at all times.
And these power banks make sure that your phone and other electronics stay charged.
Last updated on 02 February, 2022
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