Topic
Anker Battery Backups for Smartphones
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Anker Battery Backups for Smartphones
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
Apr 1, 2013 at 7:05 pm #1301183
Based on another thread about smartphones and tired of finicky solar chargers I bought an Anker Astro 2 backup. This is not a full review but would just like to show it off. I unpacked it tonight after buying from Amazon for $37.
This unit provides 8400 MaH of power with a 1 amp usb and 2 amp usb port. It will recharge your Iphone 5 (1440 MaH battery) four times and an Ipad 2 twice. It has a flashlight function and a mirrored front face. Multifunction!! At 6.3 oz it is little heavier than other models, but it will provide more than ample power for long trips for those of us that use our gadgets a lot.
My Ipad was dead and within 20 minutes I had 15% battery. at 1 hour & 40 minutes It has charged to 48%.
Apr 1, 2013 at 7:17 pm #1971853I own this product too and love it. Since it is recharged with a microUSB connector (same as my smartphone) I only need to carry around a single 6in USB cable (I recommend finding one with a right-angle microusb head–it decreases stress while charging in pocket). Pair it with a simple USB wall brick and you're all set.
Apr 1, 2013 at 7:31 pm #1971858James and Matthew, thanks for this feedback. You were reading my mind as I have been looking at these on amazon for awhile. I have a charger now that i use on trips that works great, but i was thinking of replacing it for one that has the flashlight capability (multifunction rocks as you say!). How is the flashlight?
Apr 1, 2013 at 7:36 pm #1971862It's just a mediocre rounded LED… no beam focusing or anything. Imagine one of those photon micro lights, but a little less powerful.
Apr 1, 2013 at 7:50 pm #1971869thanks. that is what i expected, but was hoping I might be wrong. still, useful for basic stuff in the tent/tarp at no real weight penalty and it is nice to not have to worry about the battery really every running down (due to use of the light that is).
Apr 1, 2013 at 7:54 pm #1971871Hard to imagine taking something into the woods that rhymes with "anchor," but I like this for bike touring. Excellent find!
Apr 2, 2013 at 11:44 am #1972060seems like just another run of the mill Li-ion power pack..they all use the same technology give or take – its just a game of price/size (i have some other make)
I would however consider a milspec type watertight one as a real bonus
oh – and I thought it had to do with Conrad Anker…that could have been interesting
Apr 2, 2013 at 1:36 pm #1972078oh, yes, there is nothing special here with this brand. just your run of the mill cheap China made Li-ion battery. It is just the simple integration of a small LED that makes it interesting (which is now common across many of these cheap brands). You can find many similar products online. It is just the category of products (battery with an integrated light) that is relatively new.
Apr 2, 2013 at 2:54 pm #1972097Can you recommend a better brand?
Anker batteries seem a bit lighter than other brands…Apr 2, 2013 at 3:05 pm #1972102i simply went through what was on Amazon. compared weights and energy storage (mAh). I ignored models that did not publish their weight. and just picked one that seemed about the right capacity (5200 mAh in my case) for the weight. They are relatively cheap ($30) so I did not sweat it much. I already have one from another brand i carry in my briefcase that does not have the light. They all use the same batteries from just a couple different manufacturers and then just put on different housings. Some brands do get fancy with their cases, which tend to be heavy (more metal). The cheap plastic ones seem to be the lightest.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Our Community Posts are Moderated
Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting.
Get the Newsletter
Gear Research & Discovery Tools
- Browse our curated Gear Shop
- See the latest Gear Deals and Sales
- Our Recommendations
- Search for Gear on Sale with the Gear Finder
- Used Gear Swap
- Member Gear Reviews and BPL Gear Review Articles
- Browse by Gear Type or Brand.