Power Banks?

Looking for information on these items. More and more, I am using my cell phone/camera when out in the field, as well as lights (headlamps, flashlights, lanterns). More and more I am using rechargeable batteries, and power banks look like a fairly versatile item to keep everything topped off.

Ideally, I would carry something light enough to be feasible for backpacking, but also able to top off the phone or light a few times - probably somewhere around 10,00mAh capacity.

The problem is I know squat about these gadgets, so looking for guidance and advice.

Power bank gurus, please chime in...

I have the 20K big bro’ to the Anker PowerCore 10000mAh

IIRC Anker uses standard Li-ion 18650 cells.

I like Anker and Jackery for manufacturers of smaller USB power banks. On the larger size I have an OmniCharge and it’s outstanding.

I have had good luck with Anker and Limefuel, but it looks like Limefuel is no longer available.

A good year ago, I picked up a 10k one from Walmart--off the shelf, and impulse purchase. I didn't pay attention to the brand--it was on sale cheap, maybe $10? It has been convenient in that, when the phone has been drained, I can plug it in, drop the phone and battery in a cargo pocket, and find it charged rather shortly via the 2.1 amp socket. Seems like I'm using it twice a week, for the last three months, now.

No affiliation, just a satisfied customer...

I have a 100wH Goal Zero (sherpa 100 I think it's called), I like it a lot. With this and a 28w solar panel, it keeps my iPad pro charged for a week of camping and reading. They just came out with a new version of it that looks thinner and lighter, and also has a USB-c that should charge my iPad pro quicker. If I don't get it for christmas I'll get it for myself.
100 watt-hours is the maximum the TSA allows in carry-on luggage. The "10k" ones you're talking about are milliamp-hour (kilo-milliamps? just say 10 amps), multiply by the nominal battery voltage of 3.8 and that's about 38 watt-hours.

+1 for Anker products.

I EDC an Anker Astro E1...it’s 6700 mAh. I haven’t checked the weight, but I’m guessing carrying two of them would still weigh less than a 10000 mAh, and they are small enough to fit well in backpacking gear.

Well made product that I have been very happy with.

I keep a Nomad keychain charging cord in the included pouch with the Anker...it doesn’t have much reach, but I always have the cable to charge with.

Not as cool as having a solar rig with you...

RAVPower and Anker are good brands. These power banks are handy. I rarely use mine (since I keep my devices well charged), but when I've had to press my power bank into service, it works great.

The one I have is probably not made any more (1-1/2 years old), but it is a 12K model by RAVPower that I got for $17. I picked this particular one for the best balance of cost per power unit and physical size, with a trusted brand name.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LYX73Q3/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

All of my charging needs are met by products made by either Anker or RAVPower. You can find cheaper brands, but these two are top quality and only cost a little more than the junk brands.

We use OLALA power blocks. Liked them enough to get one for my father in law. Multiple charges. Compact. Good.

I have done some research to use for EDC, backpacking, and with portable solar power for power outages.

I have both Anker and RAVPower power banks. I also have USB chargers and micro USB cables from both. I would recommend either company and they both run discounts on Amazon from time to time.)
(Usual disclaimer, happy customer, no financial interest.)

The key to buying a power bank is deciding what you plan to use it for. For backpacking a 10-12k mAh capacity will charge the items you mentioned for a couple of days without being too heavy.

For others who may be looking:
A 5-6k mAh power bank weighs very little and is good for when you're unable to get to an outlet for a day. I EDC one and it gets used often.
A 26.8k mAh power bank is the standard biggest size that's FAA approved and is a good car camping or home power outage choice. It will weight you down on foot.

There are many different models so it's important to look at the inputs/outputs, and charging technology.

I would recommend a unit with both micro USB and USB C inputs/outputs as they will give you more options.

A fast charge input and output are important. Most cell phones have fast charge capabilities so it is a good feature to have.
The unit itself should charge quickly since the larger it is the longer it takes to charge.

One important thing is to use it like a spare gas can. You wouldn't overfill your gas tank and lose backup gas. Don't charge items past 90% so you can keep more power for later.

RAVPower has a good blog to learn about power banks, http://blog.ravpower.com

Currently considering a flashlight that can act as powerbank. Just something to carry in the day bag/pack, and keep the phone topped off, together with some spare batteries.

One is MecArmy MOT10, uses 18650s has micro usb for charging, and full usb for charging other devices.
http://www.mecarmy.com/product/details/118/162

Another few options from Rofis, the mr30, mr50 or mr70

The first two use 21700 lion effectively making the flashlight a 5000mAh powerbank.
http://www.rofislight.com/products/rofis-mr30/

One thing that is true of all lithium batteries is that if you're going to store them for awhile without using them, they have the best shelf life around 60% full. Not as useful for unexpected use that way, however.
Santa brought me the Sherpa 100ac- it's everything I expected, except for one thing- there's no 12V output, so I can't use my 12V ni-cad charger with it. But I've never actually used that option while camping, I have enough AA's and AAA's pre-charged that it's not an issue.

I have the GZ Yeti 400, an excellent power source for small stuff. It does have a 12Volt output port, but I plugged that with a USB adaptor so the unit now has four USB power ports. I also have two Anker Powercore power banks (my aforementioned 20KmAh & I recently purchased a 10KmAH unit for increased portability). The two Anker power banks are very portable and can keep my flip-phone and GPS receiver running for a long time.

As for Li-ion battery life — I’ve had a Nitecore UM10 charger for a while now. It is small, only does one Li-ion battery at a time and it charges exclusively from a USB port (or AC adaptor). The UM10 also has an USB output port under it’s cover (the bottom hinges open to access the port). The nice thing about the UM10 if you have a number of 18650 batteries, is that rather than a couple bars to allow you to sorta kinda guess the charge level, it has a percentage read-out so that when you get to 60% (or in my case 65%) I can stop charging and put the battery in storage; or I can run it up to 90% and drop it in one of my flashlights. As I understand, that last 10% charge causes heat to build up and that reduces battery life.

FWIW, $.02