ScottC

I'm starting to doubt a lot of these packs. Some of them are promising output capacities that are simply not possible, and others are filling the pack with so many LiIon packs that I worry about safety. There is often no way to be sure the packs are protected/vented.

Additionally, the capacity they promise is based off the 3.7V output of the 18650 cell used in almost all of these products. When boosted to 5V, the capacity of course drops (thanks Mr. Ohm).

These battery packs are also often faked. Amazon for example is full of "4000mAh" cells (which don't actually exist). One recent pack I opened up was sold as having "Japanese made Panasonic cells" when in reality it was full of non vented Chinese cells.

GadgetFreak

A bit delayed but I just ordered the 6000 version. Thanks for the suggestion.

mjcewl1284

I got a Jackery Bar this past December. Holds at least two discharges for the iPhone 5s to 100% on a full charge (pardon my jumbling of technical terms) and it's very small and compact. No complaints so far ^

micmcguire

fL1Pm0d3

Gorilla Gadgets Uhuru! 16800mAh is the one I ended up getting. Hopefully this will be good for a while. The reviews on Amazon seem pretty decent..

ScottC

I've given up on that one. It takes WAY WAY too long to charge. I recently drained one, and even on a 2.1A charger, it took over a day to fully charge. Shame too, because it performs quite well otherwise.

u600213

I bought KMAX-807 2800mAh Torch Flashlight Mini External Extended Battery+Micro USB to USB Charger Cable . Only $10.

My wife went from a flip phone that could go for weeks without charging to a Samsung Galaxy S4 that she forgets to charge. It is small enough to fit in her purse and it doesn't have to fully charge the phone, mainly for emergencies. Although the S4 has a removable battery, the external charger is easier than showing her how to change the battery.

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and have a spare battery for it although I rarely need it. Usually only if I forget that the wall switch at my usual Residence Inn turns off the outlets as well as the lights and it doesn't get charged overnight.

Interpol

Just bought this unit off Kickstarter for an expected May delivery:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...150?ref=search

15000mAh for $70, doesn't look TOO big, and IP66 waterproof. They also have a 10400mAh unit for about $55.

GadgetFreak

I went and got carried away again.

After I got the MyCharge 6000 I got a MyCharge 3000 and an Anker Mini. I am ready to charge! I got the smaller ones to keep when around town, the larger for longer trips.

thegasguru

I bought an Anker Mini - it's one of those "lipstick" sized external batteries. I love the size, and Anker is one of the few with a stated capacity of 3000mAh - the competitors are 2600- 2800.

But the output is only 1amp. In fairness, that's probably a reasonable output for something so small, but I ended up getting frustrated with how long it took to charge some of my devices.

I recently bought the Anker 2nd gen 6000mAh battery, and so far I'm thrilled! It's about the size of 2 of the Anker minis, which makes sense sense since it's twice the capacity. But it has 2amp output. Excellent. Plus, the output port has "smart" technology that allows it to sense what device is being recharged (ie, Apple vs Samsung vs whatever) and to provide the maximum charge that the device can take. The battery itself can also be recharged via a 1amp input (the Anker mini is 0.8amp), which means it can be recharged faster after I've used it.

Seems really high quality construction, and it's gotten great reviews. For now it's my go to "around town" mini charger. For longer trips, I have a beast of a battery from Hyperjuice with 16,000mAh ouput, which can also recharge my Macbook Air.

thegasguru

Speaking of Hyperjuice, they have a new modular system of external battery packs that looks very interesting.

Hyperjuice Expand

Here's a very short youtube video displaying the concept.

GadgetFreak, I hesitated to make this post, since the expand series might be just what you're looking for with your various recharging needs.

GadgetFreak

Wow. That is really an interesting idea. Thanks for finding/posting it. I'm almost certain I will need more batteries soon enough.

dtsm

New Anker 3 port charger, with promo code:
http://lifehacker.com/three-port-ank...-ca-1540556267

thegasguru

Nice. I've always been happy with the build quality and performance of my Anker products.

But I should point out that the Hyperjuice battery I mentioned above also has 3 ports, with similar outputs. But has an input of the Hyperjuice is 2 amp (10W), compared to the 1.5 amp input of the Anker: thus faster recharging of the battery - which for me has become a noticeable sticking point. Plus, the Hyperjuice allows you to customize the size and cost of your battery to your needs.

Different strokes.

tenfooterpipi

I own a Sherpa 100 Battery Pack from Goal Zero. And I also own a Nomad 13 Solar Panel, which go hand to hand, they're both are amazing products. The Sherpa 100 currently can charge all PC's Laptops I own without the need of an inverter, and going off to a third world country that may not have reliable power grid, I'll have the solar panels for back up.I'll be flying overseas pretty soon, has anyone of you fellas had any trouble checking in your chargers as a carry-on through TSA? I'm aware that the Sherpa 100 is TSA compliant since it passes the check of being 100W, so I figure it would be no trouble, I hope.

Anyone problems getting this through my international 8 hr flight?