Got enough portable power? For me the answer is absolutely not. After foolishly leaving a rather respectable Android phone on the top of my car (only to find it later smashed in the middle of a busy street), I picked up a reasonable replacement. I opted for the smaller, 24-hour battery version. For a while, that was sufficient. But with the upgrade to Kit Kat, battery life has gone to hell. So good-bye GPS and Bluetooth. Hello overpromising battery management apps and external battery packs.

I’ve tried a number of smaller, portable battery products over the past several months. Most have been nearly useless. Either they put out an insufficient amount of juice (5V won’t charge a new iPad for instance). Or the capacity equals just an additional 10 minutes of usage. Or better yet, the charge dissipates in just a few days so when you really need the extra minutes, you get nothing. Frustrating and hardly worth the effort.

Here are two really well done battery packs that boast high capacity – above 10,000 milliamp hours – multiple charging outlets to handle more than one device at a time and one even has a built-in flashlight.

BirkSun Plus Power BankBirkSun Plus Power Bank – The largest in the BirkSun line, the BirkSun Plus Power Bank comes in at 10,000 milliamp hours exactly. Read review.






Jackery GiantJackery Giant – Also at the top end of the Jackery product line, the Giant holds up to 12,000 milliamp hours. Read review.





Thanks for reading another outdoor gear review from GearGuide. And thanks to BirkSun and Jackery for providing product for this review.