

Easy to see how much power you’re using, and what’s left.Best for Fast Charging: Anker 737 Power Bank It would have been nice if the Anker 511 included a digital display that showed how much power it had left, rather than relying on a kicked-up version of the light bars of the smaller power banks, but it still provided the information I needed-that there was plenty of juice left in this bank for the rest of my trip. But even with all that it’s still small enough that you won’t have to account for its size when fitting all your gear into your car. It’s big enough to include some extras, like a flashlight (handy) and an AC outlet, which was a feature I didn’t even realize I’d want until I made it to camp. It’s got enough juice that you’ll never have to worry about your phone charge, but not enough that you’re tempted to stream all of Gray’s Anatomy when you could be sitting around the campfire.
#PORTABLE POWER BANK PORTABLE#
The Anker 511 Portable Powerstation is the perfect middle ground for your power needs. After testing, the Anker 511 is my go-to power bank. Which, sometimes, can start to feel like it’s defeating the point of getting off the grid at all.
#PORTABLE POWER BANK UPGRADE#
And when the smaller, smartphone-sized power banks stop cutting it (try sharing one of those with a loved one for more than three days), it can be tempting to upgrade to a real beast-a power bank that could maybe also serve as a home generator. We’re trying to get off the grid, but we need a bit of the grid to come with us: for camping fans, air pumps, lanterns, and, of course, our phones. There can be a fine line with power banks for camping. Display was less intuitive to use than the Scosche PowerUp 32K.Fast charging time with the provided wall charger.AC outlet means this power bank can handle a wider range of devices than USB-A and USB-C ports alone.Included cables: one USB-C to C and one USB-A to C (also includes a 45W USB-C wall charger).Ports: two USB-A, one USB-C, and one AC outlet.Best Power Banks for Camping: Reviews & Recommendations Best Overall: Anker 511 Portable Power Station If you’re looking for a more powerful setup that can power multiple electronics, including small refrigerators or electric stoves, refer to our review of the best solar generators. This review focuses on the portable power banks suitable for small electronics, such as phones and laptops. I compared like-to-like as much as possible-in terms of price and milliamps-in this review. All devices were tested to see how well they powered my phone, a Google Pixel 4. Next I tested the power banks to see how long they would charge, and for how long they were able to provide power to a variety of different electronics with that charge. During testing, I paid attention to which chargers I reached for the most often, and how long they lasted me for. I’ve used the chargers for numerous purposes, including charging my phone, charging my laptop, and charging/powering the pumps for the best camping mattresses for couples. I’ve taken them on car camping trips, exposing them to sun and wind, with temperatures dropping down into the forties at night. I’ve been testing the best power banks for camping in several ways over multiple years. How I Tested the Best Power Banks for Camping Best for Smartphones: BioLite Charge 40 PD.

