The 10 Best Portable Battery Packs for Camping and Backpacking

If you’re going camping and weight or bulk are not an object then this beast of a battery pack is for you!

This awesome charger feature brand new Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 tech to rapidly charge your devices, and even recharge the battery pack faster. Charge your 2015 MacBook up to three times and simultaneously charge up to three devices. This is what makes the device really useful for digital nomads and those who live the “van lifestyle.”

If you’re going on a hardcore sasquatch hunting, geocaching, expedition you’ll have plenty of juice for the GoPro, GPS, and laptop. Or, for those of us feeling less adventurous, there’s plenty of juice for long flights, weekend camping, or road trips!

My personal choice for a portable backpacking battery pack. I like to carry this on trips where I may be using my phone for maps (AT) or where I may want cell connection in a less remote area.

Many wilderness areas these days have cell reception and for many reasons, backpackers may wish to carry and charge a phone. As discussed above – your smartphone has a lot of uses in the backcountry and it’s also simply a safety precaution to have it with you.

Charge is measured by a shake-sensitive light on the front with no external buttons. I found that even inside my backpack, where the external indicator light would almost always be on from sensing shaking, it seemed to have no impact on the life of the battery.

This RAV Power battery pack is a direct competitor to the Anker Astro. In size, shape, and capacity we have nearly identical devices. However, there are the differences:

The RAV Power 7600mAh battery pack is quite inexpensive. At only $15 this battery pack comes in as one of the least expensive options. Still able to produce up to two charges of a smartphone in a small package.

Power meter is controlled via a small button which solves my biggest complaint about the Astro. Quick charge ports are identical across both devices.

Overall the RAV Power 6700mAh gets high marks for low price, great features, and slight refinements over the Astro. A sure competitor that would have me struggling to choose the best.

To find out what devices this will charge, you’ll need to understand the power consumption of your devices and compare it against this handy chart and tech specs from Goal Zero.

This battery pack has the option of being charged by solar panels also sold by Goal Zero so if you’re going to be staying in one place, perhaps extended car camping or primitive living, this is the pack for you. Goal Zero tossed a 33Wh battery in here which is orders of magnitude large (in charging capacity) than anything else we have listed.

If you need more power than this, Goal Zero makes larger battery packs which also can be charged via solar panel. These devices are much too large and heavy to be carried so use them only for car camping or remote living.

Users rave about it’s bombproof design and aesthetic. With a covered charging port, LED flashlight, and intuitive charge meter, this battery pack makes a strong case for camping and backpacking. It would be a handy device to have if you are exploring in inclement weather, or if you are doing something wet and adventurous such as whitewater rafting.

Manufacturer claims up to 7 charges of an iPhone 6 on just one full battery pack charge. For the weekend warrior or aggressive backpacker, this might be a good choice. Bombproof construction and high capacity for a portable charger make this a contender!

This battery pack, from Goal Zero, comes equipped with two USB ports for charging multiple devices at once and also has a built-in flashlight. It offers 19,200 mAh of power and has a rugged case that is IP67 certified dust-proof and waterproof.

That means that even if you dunk it in a river or use it in the pouring rain, it will still work. In fact, you can even use it when it is wet – you don’t have to worry about drying it out.

The two ports are capable of dishing out the fastest possible charge – even when you are using them both at the same time. Plus, it also offers you the option to use the solar panel – you can get a full charge out of the battery after 12 hours of sunlight.

The AUKEY does a really good job for a cheap solar charger. It has a high efficiency rate and it enables you to charge more than one device at a time – quite quickly. The solar panels have a solar conversion efficiency of up to 23.5% and the dual USB ports will detect and adapt to your USB powered devices in order to provide you with the fastest possible charging speed.

Plus, this charger offers a foldable design for easy transport – which makes it great for long distance hiking. You can fold it up and the thin profile doesn’t take up a lot of room. It is water and weather resistant and the solar panels are made with high-wear PVC fabric.

It’s also possible to strap the device to your backpack so that you can charge it while you are hiking – although this can be a little bit awkward and bulky.

This device is a flexible 65 square inch silicon panel that charges a 2.10 mAh battery. (The battery capacity is measured in milliampere-hour.) The advantage of the iLAND FLY is that it is very light and it is slightly more durable than other batteries – such as the Goal Zero Guide 10. It is built to military grade specifications – which means that it is water, dust, temperature and shock-resistant.

The Fly has a built in USB port, so it can be used to charge all kinds of devices. You can use it with your iPod and iPhone, and it will also work well with a digital camera as well. It doesn’t hold enough charge for a large device, but for small gadgets it will work well.

However, one of the disadvantages is that it can take a while to charge. It charges in full sun in 9 hours, or 11 hours if it is cloudy. So, this means that if you plan to charge it, you’ll need to have a rest day where you stay put at the campsite.

Imagine if your campfire not only warmed you up and cooked your food – but it charged your phone as well. The BioLite Campstove burns wood and generates a smokeless fire that can boil water in minutes, while also turning its heat into electricity.

Plug your phone into the USB output and the device will generate 5V of power to keep you connected. The heat is generated into electricity via a thermoelectric generator, which powers a fan and sends electricity to a USB charging port. There’s also an internal fan that injects air back into the burn chamber, which helps to improve combustion and makes the fire burn faster and more efficiently.

Then, the power is stored within the on-board battery which can then be used to charge your devices without a live fire.

This is certainly not the lightest or most compact of the devices on this list. It weighs two pounds, so it might be something handy to bring along on a car camping trip but you wouldn’t want to bring it on an ultra-light long distance backpacking journey.

One of the advantages of using hand turbine power is that it is infallible. You’ll always be able to generate more power, as long as you keep turning the crank. Your arms might get tired, but your phone will always be charged! Also, it only weighs 3.2 ounces, so it won’t be very heavy if you are backpacking long distances.

This is a great device to have with you because no matter what happens, you’ll always have access to power. A minute of cranking will give you enough power for around four minutes of talk time, as well as a few critical texts if you need them.

Of course, the cranking can be tiresome – so you might want to save this device as a backup for when you absolutely need it.