Great power bank cons. Solar Charger

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If you’re planning a camping trip and want to bring electronics and keep them charged during your excursion, you have several pretty solid choices: large power banks and solar chargers. Both offer a way to charge devices such as your phone, radio, computer or small appliance. Both are also essentially portable batteries, but one needs to be charged via an outlet and the other harnesses power from the sun.

Either item will serve you well on a camping trip, but there may be one that suits your needs better overall. While you can use either a large power bank or a solar charger to power your dead phone or radio, for example, a larger power bank is usually the preferred choice if you need to power small appliances beyond a simple coffee maker or toaster. Solar chargers tend to work well for smaller devices, but larger power banks start to take over as you move toward larger, more power-hungry gadgets. You can also find fast charging power banks for faster charging.

Your choice of power source will also depend on where you plan to camp. For campsites with electricity, you can get away with using the solar panel to charge your phone or other small gadgets, but use the provided outlets to charge (or fully power) devices. If you’re planning a longer trip into the forest without electricity, it may be best to bring a large power bank, especially in areas with a dense canopy, which can limit your exposure to the sun.

Large power banks are designed to store large amounts of electrical energy in an internal battery. Before you go camping in the woods, you’ll need to charge the large power bank by plugging it into an outlet so that it’s ready to go later when you need it for your outdoor adventure. Once at the campsite, you can plug just about any portable device into the large power bank to recharge it.

Using the appropriate cable, such as a USB or AC port, you can charge one or more devices, depending on the type of large power bank you have. Many have multiple charging ports so you can charge multiple items at the same time. However, keep in mind that the more devices you have connected, the longer they will take to charge and the more electricity they will consume from the power bank.

There are a few other issues to be wary of with big power banks. The units can be expensive, as they are essentially portable power outlets. For example, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 portable power station has a list price of almost $800 on Amazon. Another downside to consider is the weight of a large external battery. They can easily weigh 20 pounds or more, making them heavy to transport, so be sure to bring ultralight camping gadgets to reduce the overall weight of your expedition.

Solar chargers are great tools for charging smaller devices, including your smartphone, radio or tablet. Phones, of course, are useful while camping for making calls or texting, but can also be used for GPS and monitoring the weather. But making sure a phone is charged during a camping trip is essential to staying safe and staying in touch with those you’ve left behind at home. This is where a solar charger comes in handy.

A solar charger gives you peace of mind no matter what type of camping you do. They are compact, which makes them lighter than large external batteries and less expensive. However, solar chargers typically only feature USB ports, which means you won’t be able to charge some devices you might want to take with you unless they offer a compatible port, like those on the BigBlue 28W Solar Panel Charger. Another downside to using solar chargers is that they rely on the sun to charge. If you’re not in direct sunlight, they can still charge, just not as efficiently. You also won’t be able to charge your gadgets at night, so timing and planning are important with the solar option. This generally makes large power banks a better option as portable batteries capable of storing power for long periods of time.

Although the choice between solar chargers and power banks depends on your situation, you may not have to choose at all. If you carry both types of devices, you can use the solar charger to supplement the external battery during the day, giving you the best of both worlds.