Powerbanks and Charge Capacity

Technology changes render many of our electronic devices obsolete almost before we’ve taken them home from the store. No sooner have you accessorized that new iPhone and mastered the changes in your updated iOS, than Apple introduces the next model. The days of hanging onto your Motorola RAZR for ten years are long gone!

These changes have a direct impact on human behavior, specifically when it comes to going off grid. We don’t want to stray too far from a power source, so we limit our travel options. We’ve become so accustomed to being connected that the thought of being offline is frightening.

One of the most impactful technological advances has been the improvement in battery technology. It is now possible to recharge your phones daily even when there is no access to AC power. There are hundreds of power bank options out there, finding the correct one for your device needs is the challenge.

A power bank can be charged from an electrical outlet, vehicle, or solar panel, and stores that energy for later use. Ensuring the power bank has enough capacity to fully charge, for example your iPhone, will provide peace of mind as you travel off grid.

For this example, we will discuss using a 65 watt output, 88.5Wh power bank, and it will be used with an iPhone 13, which has an average battery capacity of approximately 3240 mAh (~12.3Wh). Power banks are not always 100% efficient – some of the energy gets lost between the conversion from DC to your iPhone’s battery – so we’ll assume 85%, or 75Wh.

If my power bank is running 75Wh, and my iPhone has a battery capacity of 12.3Wh, I should be able to run six full charges from the fully charged power bank (75/12.3). This should cover at least a week’s worth of charging for most users.

Traveling longer than six days? If you’re a heavy data user and spend your evenings out on the trail binge-watching your favorite shows, the good news is you are covered!

The great news about power banks is not only on the power side, but also on the weight side – which makes a difference when you’re backpacking into remote locations. A 100Wh, 100-watt power bank can weigh as little as 1.3 lbs., which means you can drop two of these into your backpack and have up to 12 full charges for your iPhone.

If you’re still not comfortable with a finite charge capacity, you can add a solar charger to your pack. A 60-watt solar charger weighs as little as 4.5 lbs and will charge your power bank to 80% in as little as three hours.

So, lots of numbers here – we actually had to use some math! – but the great story is that it’s now possible to load up your backpack, and head wherever you want to go without worrying about where the closest cell tower is located!