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RichP
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RichP
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PostThu Jan 06, 2022 11:31 am 
I bit the bullet and got a smart phone. I use the Peakbagger app and Gaia while out hiking and am loving it. I'm now looking at getting a portable phone charger for longer trips beyond the battery life of the phone. I see there are many options but am wondering which ones folks are using and recommend. Thanks

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neek
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PostThu Jan 06, 2022 12:14 pm 
Depends on what phone you have (e.g. if you have usb-c and want to fast charge), how much energy you need (like, how many full charge-ups will you need it to provide), any extra features you might want (hand warmer, flashlight, who knows what else they do now). Go with name brand not cheap junk (difficult, since amazon seems to recommend based on price rather than quality). Always embarrassing to have your bag catch on fire when you're on an airplane. Newer models probably pack a lot more energy density than the ancient thing I have, so can't recommend anything in particular.

RichP
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dave allyn
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PostThu Jan 06, 2022 12:20 pm 
I like the Goal Zero. You can buy them in different sizes depending how much you need. Good quality and lightweight.

Walkin' Fool, RichP
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RichP
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RichP
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PostThu Jan 06, 2022 1:01 pm 
neek wrote:
Depends on what phone you have (e.g. if you have usb-c and want to fast charge),
I have an iPhone 12. The battery life is not bad on airplane mode but seems to get sucked up pretty fast when recording a GPS track.

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neek
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PostThu Jan 06, 2022 1:30 pm 
Yeah, gps sucks a lot of juice, but at least works when airplane mode is on. Another thing people do is keep their phones in airplane and battery save mode, which should last several days, and use a smart watch to record a gps track. There are some for around $150 that can record for 30 hours or so. It's the lightest weight option if you're just out for a few days. Down side is it takes the phone a long time to acquire a gps lock when you want to find your location. Unless the watch can provide the location to the phone over bluetooth--I have no idea if this is a thing. Probably overthinking things. I've just always disliked the idea of charging one battery from another, given the energy loss, but probably the convenience of a charger outweighs this.

RichP
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half fast
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PostThu Jan 06, 2022 1:57 pm 
I have a mophie 10400 mAh It wasn't expensive. It has two ports for charging. I charged my blue tooth on my motorcycle helmet and my smart phone at the same time and it lasted with battery left over on my week long trip this summer. It charges fairly quickly. I admit that I'm not a techie, so I don't really know if this is a good or bad one... but it works well for me.

It's all about the fun, oh and maybe the chocolate - half fast

RichP
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Randito
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PostThu Jan 06, 2022 2:58 pm 
If you are using your phone as a GPS it is very useful to place the phone in airplane mode. This dramatically improves battery life. In the mountains there is generally poor cell signal and the phone can use a lot of energy trying to connect to cell towers. On my Galaxy S9 Plus in airplane mode I can finish the day with over 60% remaining. I also use a "battery case" , a cellphone case with a battery about equal to the phone's battery. This makes it very simple to recharge the battery on the go as there is no complications of a cable sticking out of the phone and possibly damaging the charging port. For multi-day outings a large external battery can provide several recharges. You need the battery and your regular charging cable. I carry the phone in a zipped "napoleon pocket" in an inner layer. This helps keep the device and it's battery warm. Some folks will also place a hand warmer in the pocket with the phone. It's also important to carry your phone and any other electronic gadgets well away from your avalanche beacon to avoid interference between the beacon and other devices. Also some types of clothing with a reflective layers can also interfere with beacon transmissions.

RichP
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rubywrangler
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PostWed Jan 12, 2022 11:03 pm 
I have an iPhone X and use a 6700 mAh anker power bank and a 10k mAh one and a short lightning cable. At some point I did the math on power/gram and the 6700 mAh version was the winner, but I needed the bigger one for trips longer than 2 nights. So far it has been good up to 6 nights (haven’t done anything longer). I keep the phone in airplane mode for the most part and don’t make GPS tracks. I also keep the phone & charger in my sleeping bag at night. Haven’t run out of juice yet.

RichP
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cdestroyer
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PostThu Jan 13, 2022 7:46 am 
I don't use gps or beacons or whatnot,,just a cell phone. I bought a cheapo $5 powerbank at local pawn shop with usb-c. It will charge my lg journey cell phone three times but it takes a long time to recharge itself.

RichP
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Bowregard
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PostFri Jan 14, 2022 12:27 pm 
I second Neek's advice to avoid the cheap knock-offs. We had more than one battery ruined before learning that lesson.

RichP
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Geography Nerd
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PostSat Jan 15, 2022 2:15 pm 
I've had really good luck with a variety of Anker products off Amazon including several power packs. They seem to run sales every couple weeks if you have some time to keep an eye on the price. I haven't compared power per ounce with other manufacturers but I'm guessing they're all pretty similar if you don't buy the cheap stuff.

RichP
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b00
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PostSat Jan 22, 2022 6:23 pm 
rubywrangler wrote:
use a 6700 mAh anker power bank ... and a short lightning cable[/url]. At some point I did the math on power/gram and the 6700 mAh version was the winner ...
fwiw - i came to the same conclusion and have been using the same power bank for a few years. currently, i record my tracks with a etrex gps rather than the phone and use my phone as my map and as a backup. i use is an se model iphone. i just run my phone for reading, maps, alarm, notes. don;t even come close to using up the backup battery on an 8 day trip. :>)

RichP
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mike
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PostSat Jan 22, 2022 6:47 pm 
I've had an IOGEAR 11k for years and is still going strong.

RichP
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BigBrunyon
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BigBrunyon
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PostSun Jan 23, 2022 12:46 am 
Ultra heavy batteries will provide the most brutal power. No questions asked!!

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Cyclopath
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PostSun Jan 23, 2022 10:44 am 
I have one I can be talked into donating if anybody needs. Locally only though because I hate going to the post office.

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