Something I didn't think of when I decided on an mp3 player for my edc kit, is that the one I chose needs a usb to recharge. I know - DUH! The problem is that I don't use it regularly so am prone to forgetting to charge it.

My question is, does anyone have a good portable recharging system for these devices? I've seen battery powered chargers and cigarette lighter chargers for cel phones, and assume that a usb charger is a usb charger, but is there any particular model that works especially well but won't break the bank.

Bacpac.

Are you looking for a portable battery charger that will then be used to charge your MP3 player? A friend carries around a Motorola power pack and she has had mixed results with it as these power packs need to be periodically charged also otherwise you end up with 2 batteries that are low on power.

Another decent brand portable power pack that wont break the bank is the Enegergizer XP2000.

For most people though, having a 120V, 12 volt car charger or a 12 volt to USB charger will suffice as it will not be too often that one would find themselves away from any of these power sources.

In my case, at home, I use the 120V charger that came with my cell phone. For work, I have a spare usb cable that I use to plug my phone into my desk or laptop computer. For the vehicle, I use this 12V to USB adapter which can also be used for any other USB devices.

There are two very good solutions I've used.

The XPal XP2000 (http://www.amazon.com/XPAL-XP2000-External-battery-adapter/dp/B002V0NO96/ref=sr_1_2) is small, very reliable, and has 2000mAh of capacity. The company has since been bought by Energizer; the link above is for the XPal version at more than 50% off the same unit from the new company. It's a screaming deal, don't pass it up if it meets your requirements.

It has enough juice to recharge my iPhone from zero to hero, but it doesn't provide enough current to recharge my iPad. I relegated it to second-line service and purchased a New Trent iPulse, with 10,000 mAh capacity, two ports and enough current to recharge an iPad. It doesn't appear to be available any more, but I would recommend New Trent to you if the XP2000 doesn't have enough capacity for your purposes.

With any lithium ion rechargeable battery, you want to make sure that you charge it regularly whether or not you've used it. I recharge mine every month and after every time I use it.

Thanks guys. Yes, I'm looking for a portable battery-powered charger for my mp3 player and cel phone, that I can carry in my edc backpack and not need to rely on the grid for. I like that cigarette light model too though...

So many options. Thanks for these recommendations. I have notoriously bad luck when it comes to buying electronics so I really appreciate your suggestions. I may cope-out and assign this task to my techie hubby.

Ya know. Teslinhiker, I think I've seen one of these at our house. I'm pretty sure the kids got one to charge their devices on a family road trip a couple of years ago. It's not in either vehicle though so I'm going to have to go snooping.

AH HA!! I found it! The kids bought one of these to charge their devives on a family road trip in the summer. They've long since forgotten about it but, as I was digging in the garage for a tent for our Scout group's Santa Claus Parade float, I found it. Why it was in the garage I do not know, but it's mine now!

Looks good, BPJ. I have a few of these around. But the specs vary, so make sure you test it for full charging. For example, some phones draw more current than a given USB source can supply, and the USB source will shut down after a few minutes.