Help choosing Powerbanks, Wall chargers, Cables...??

[Adam Alphabet]

Hey all,

I've been looking at some portable power for biketouring, bikepacking, backpacking trips... Power banks, wall chargers, quality of cables... there's a lot, it gets confusing and electronics have never been a gear segment that I've been particularly interested in or dove into studying. So a little guidance from the group would be greatly appreciated.

Context...
Month plus Bike tour/packing (roads and dirt roads mainly) with some up to 4-5 days away from power either on foot (backpacking) or with bike.

Devices...
iPod touch 7th generation - Camera, notes/journal, when in towns wifi communication and internet check ins.
iPod shuffle (x2) - music.. don't care if these stay dead a while, secondary distraction.
Flip phone - not too worried about this as it holds charge for a week with how little I use it. It'll stay in the bag turned off.

Power needs... I just want to keep my iPod touch charged for up to 4ish days at a time primarily for taking photos.

Gear....?? This is where I'll need some help.
Speed of charging is most important. Not interested in taking 5 hour mid day breaks to charge things, if that's the case I'd sooner ride and not take photo's than blow a day sitting around waiting for charge. What can be reasonably charged in an hour or so even if that means getting partial charges quick.
Trying to keep the costs reasonable but I realize you gotta pay to play. Not willing to go no name brand on a chance. Anker, Ravpower, reputable.
Trying to keep weight and bulk down. Willing to pay to save some ounces.

Powerbank - 5000mah or 6700mah... I think 10,000 would be too much although it seems options and availability (in Canada) is better at this size. Saw some hybrid units but apparently they're a good idea not perfectly executed (Anker Powercore fusion, Ravpower 2 in 1)
Wall Charger - would like something with 2 USB slots so I can charge the bank and my iPods at the same time... amperages, watts, qualcom, IQ it's all greek to me.
Cables - no clue. just know I need/have usb/lightning for the touch, usb/headphone for the shuffle, usb/micro for phone.


Thanks for your input!
Adam.

[Hambone]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01422TC14/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_FWXYEbWFDE4RF

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HQY35SM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_VXXYEbN0VVNEF

Enough power to keep your devices charged for 4-5 days. I recharge my iPhone, Garmin, lights every night. And if your devices run out during the day, charge them while using them. The powerbank has two recharging inputs, so it charges more quickly. And you can recharge your devices through the powerbank while recharging the powerbank.

Buy braided Lightning and Micro USB cables. I carry spares.

I use them bikepacking, hiking, motorcycling, and in my airplane (which has no electrical system). Not the lightest setup, but I never run out of power.

[Adam Alphabet]

Thanks Hambone.
Great to hear you've had good luck with that setup. Might be a little big for what I'm needing. I'll be pedalling/walking so weight and bulk are definitely a consideration.

[Hambone]

There is a huge variety of powerbank sizes, weights, and capacities. Stick to a name brand, check Amazon reviews, and you cannot go wrong.

[offroute]

Hi, Adam, nice trip on deck!

Charging as you ride or hike should not be an issue, but shoving the charging ensemble into a pocket can be pretty unkind to typical cable connectors and the ports. After the Lightning port on my iPhone became unreliable I wised up with so-called gaming cords which have 90- or 180-degree connector(s). Or you can charge with your iPod in a mount and the power in a top tube bag. Either way frees me to charge at will without jacking my Lightning port. And of course in the mount it can be in use. Same as the power pack in a backpack pocket and device in a more accessible pocket.

[Adam Alphabet]

Hi, Adam, nice trip on deck!

Charging as you ride or hike should not be an issue, but shoving the charging ensemble into a pocket can be pretty unkind to typical cable connectors and the ports. After the Lightning port on my iPhone became unreliable I wised up with so-called gaming cords which have 90- or 180-degree connector(s). Or you can charge with your iPod in a mount and the power in a top tube bag. Either way frees me to charge at will without jacking my Lightning port. And of course in the mount it can be in use. Same as the power pack in a backpack pocket and device in a more accessible pocket.

Thanks for the heads up on the 90 degree cables, makes good sense. I know it's not revolutionary but for me charging and riding at the same time will be something new. Real world experience and tips appreciated.. thank you!

[offroute]

Glad to share any info that helps!

I forgot to mention: For a long or navigation-intensive outing I bring a backup cord. Even the tiniest one could avert calamity. Of course I do this because one did fail mid-ride (dumb luck, a resupply stop had one in store the next day). Redundundancy, you know. I don?t think any brand is impervious to failure.

I?ve toted two battery packs before. Not so much for charging capacity, but for that redundancy and also because the battery packs take an ungodly long time to charge. Not to mention my pathetic (former) phone?s battery... If I could start from scratch I?d get two smaller packs rather than 10k mAh size. I haven?t looked at portable solar in years, but having one batt pack charging with the panel on your backpack etc and one free for charging devices sounds like it could eliminate wall charging or progress stoppage completely.

[Adam Alphabet]

Glad to share any info that helps!

I forgot to mention: For a long or navigation-intensive outing I bring a backup cord. Even the tiniest one could avert calamity. Of course I do this because one did fail mid-ride (dumb luck, a resupply stop had one in store the next day). Redundundancy, you know. I don?t think any brand is impervious to failure.

I?ve toted two battery packs before. Not so much for charging capacity, but for that redundancy and also because the battery packs take an ungodly long time to charge. Not to mention my pathetic (former) phone?s battery... If I could start from scratch I?d get two smaller packs rather than 10k mAh size. I haven?t looked at portable solar in years, but having one batt pack charging with the panel on your backpack etc and one free for charging devices sounds like it could eliminate wall charging or progress stoppage completely.

I won?t be using my device for navigation. Maybe a check in in towns but I?ll be using paper and have an etrex in my bag in case. I could definitely see two cords if using your device as your main navigation. And the weight/bulk to importance ratio makes it a no brainer.

One thing I?ve learned in reading is the importance of the powerbanks input port and the wall charger you are using. Getting quick charge compatible parts speeds up charging to near or over double speed. There are 10,000mah banks that have been tested to charge in 3-4 hours, which is reasonable.

I agree though going with multiple smaller banks would be a great option even for the slight (couple ounces) weight penalty. Now if only they made more banks in the under 10,000mah capacity range with quick charge and pass through charging. A 5000-6700 that charges full in an 1-2 hours would be awesome!

[offroute]

I won?t be using my device for navigation. Maybe a check in in towns but I?ll be using paper and have an etrex in my bag in case. I could definitely see two cords if using your device as your main navigation. And the weight/bulk to importance ratio makes it a no brainer.

One thing I?ve learned in reading is the importance of the powerbanks input port and the wall charger you are using. Getting quick charge compatible parts speeds up charging to near or over double speed. There are 10,000mah banks that have been tested to charge in 3-4 hours, which is reasonable.

I agree though going with multiple smaller banks would be a great option even for the slight (couple ounces) weight penalty. Now if only they made more banks in the under 10,000mah capacity range with quick charge and pass through charging. A 5000-6700 that charges full in an 1-2 hours would be awesome!

Got ya! That all makes sense to me, and I?m learning about power banks. Thanks for sharing that info.

[Lentamentalisk]

Anker makes very reliable batteries. Don't trust the less "name brand" batteries. You mention charging time, which has been an issue for me in the past. Often my only time to charge is while I'm sitting at a restaurant, so I need a really fast charger. Anker sells some fast charging batteries, but make sure you have a compatible cable and wall wort. A cheap USB cable and wall wort will take forever.

[Hambone]

Anker makes very reliable batteries. Don't trust the less "name brand" batteries. You mention charging time, which has been an issue for me in the past. Often my only time to charge is while I'm sitting at a restaurant, so I need a really fast charger. Anker sells some fast charging batteries, but make sure you have a compatible cable and wall wort. A cheap USB cable and wall wort will take forever.

I find the EasyAcc products just as good as Anker. I have some of each.

[Adam Alphabet]

I haven't ordered yet but am pretty set on Anker PowerCore II 10,000 and hoping the RavPower dual port 36W wall charger with quick charge is available. if not then the Anker quickcharge 3.0 dual charger.
I think for quick charge capabilities for those short restaurant stops that should be sufficient for my needs.

[garyz]

I know I am a bit late to the party here, but a note if you are powering Garmin Edge (like the 520) on the fly from your power bank (BTW I use Anker, the little cylinder shaped one for powering a few days on the Edge 520): Make double sure the cable you buy will work with the Edge computer. They are notorious for being finicky. You may also want to make sure it is *short* enough and *flexible* enough. I put the powerbank in a Revelate Feedbag on the handlebars and use a very short, very flexible cable. A long cable and/or a stiffer cable may cause the connector to pop out while riding. I used dCabled Bendy 7" and 15" cables from Amazon and they worked great.

Now if someone knows a way to keep a large Exposure Mk7 light recharged efficiently, I would like to know. I wound up carrying three spare batteries that attach externally -- and added significant weight. I don't run a dynamo, so lighting is the big power hog.

[Lentamentalisk]

Now if someone knows a way to keep a large Exposure Mk7 light recharged efficiently, I would like to know.

Sorry you're gonna have to specify which model of Exposure light you're using to help gauge your power consumption. But for starters, I'd recommend turning your light brightness waaaaaay down. If all your lights are identically dim, your eyes will adjust. The Exposure lights all have a setting that will last 10 and 24 hours. On my Diablo I find the 24 to be too dim unless I have a headlamp on too, but the 10hr setting is plenty.

If you're doing more than 10 hours of night riding between charging spots, then you'll just need to bring a bigger power bank. Anker makes some comically large ones that can probably recharge your light 20 times. So pick something in their middle sized lineup.

[garyz]

I use the Toro Mk7. The main battery tends to bleed down on its own pretty quick (not always, but most times). I run it at a mid bright level (I don?t recall the setting) and have carried 2-3 of the USE external batteries which are the same size as the main battery. When riding I tend to have a helmet mounted Spot headlamp for in camp and Hike-a-bike and the Toro Mk7 for on the trail.

[Lentamentalisk]

Huh, that bleed down isn't great. One thing to beware of is that if you have anything plugged into the smart port, even if the light is off, it'll drain slowly. I'd recommend instead of spending a ton of money on the Exposure branded backup batteries you just buy a big Anker backup battery and bring the usb charging cord.

Also note that when your light dies completely, the setting returns to the default brightest setting. Medium on that will probably only last 2-3 hours. The newer lights have this super handy digital readout that tells you the expected run time remaining, but I don't have any of those fancy features on mine

[garyz]

Good idea on the Anker --  thanks!

[Adam Alphabet]

A little feedback after a week long trip and some usage...

I was out for four day backcountry backpacking trip and then spent 3 more days car camping doing day trail run/hikes in the same area for a total of 7 days.

Using the Anker Powercore II 10,000.. whoa game changer. I charged both my phone and ipod touch from ~20-30% to full numerous times over the week. I did not plug into a wall once the whole 7 days and had tonnes of life left in the battery bank, like 3/4's full according to the indicator lights on the unit.

Charging the bank when I got home with the Auckey dual usb quick charge wall adapter was, well, quick. And using it at home now to charge my phone and ipod is noticeably faster than the stock apple single usb charger.

While I spent entirely too much time online learning about this stuff I'm very happy with my choices overall.

A few notes that I've come up with for people researching this stuff....
*Quick charge is key for both wall charger and battery bank.
*Depending on your requirements 10,000mah is a lot of power.
*From what I've read, as with most things quality and reputation counts and some units just fail. I'd say go for a reputable brand and save yourself the hassle or safety issue if you're relying on charging things like lights and navigation off your unit.
*I think the perfect size for shorter trips would be a 5000mah with quick charge capabilities although from my scroungings something like this doesn't seem to exist.

Thanks everyone for their feedback and insights!
Hopefully the info here will save people some time and effort in the future.