Rechargeable hearing aids in the backcountry

Can you use USB power bank?

What do you normally plug them into to recharge?

Take a nap in the middle of the day and recharge? What do you mean by “any lengthier trips”? How often do you normally have to recharge them?

What is the best way to charge a power bank daily inorder charge hearing aids every night?

I think you probably need a solar charger, but if they use very little power maybe you can use a crank charger.

If you look at the weight of a solar panel or crank charger, it takes many days for it to be better than just taking a big enough USB power bank.  Like if you have a base camp for weeks.

There are previous threads about this.

Yes, I can recharge them using a USB.

I recharge them daily.

then take a USB powerbank

do you have other USB devices that need charging?

I use something like https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-10000mAh-Delivery-Portable/dp/B08LH26PFT/ref=sr_1_21?dchild=1&keywords=usb+power+bank+anker&qid=1615651358&sr=8-21

That’s enough to recharge my phone a couple times

or https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-Lipstick-Sized-Compatible-Smartphones/dp/B005X1Y7I2/ref=sxin_11?ascsubtag=amzn1.osa.4047d6fa-238e-4577-9c12-f7bec948bd9f.ATVPDKIKX0DER.en_US&creativeASIN=B005X1Y7I2&cv_ct_cx=usb+power+bank&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osa.4047d6fa-238e-4577-9c12-f7bec948bd9f.ATVPDKIKX0DER.en_US&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_we=asin&cv_ct_wn=osp-single-source-earns-comm&dchild=1&keywords=usb+powerbank&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B005X1Y7I2&pd_rd_r=f5026fdb-2c1b-4966-a69c-83a7b2b723ed&pd_rd_w=FTVw7&pd_rd_wg=YDatH&pf_rd_p=35b32c02-1b41-4e49-9b89-0297af2446e1&pf_rd_r=GFZNKKSNM5KM389406QN&qid=1615651615&sr=1-1-64f3a41a-73ca-403a-923c-8152c45485fe&tag=tgl0a3-20

smallest Anker model.  Would mostly charge a phone one time.  Plenty if all you’re doing is hearing aid

other brands are good too, Anker has been mentioned in other threads

Yeah, you should be able to charge your hearing aids many, many times with a reasonable sized power bank (sub-10000mAh). I use RavPower.

Just an IPhone X. But that I can turn off to conserve a charge.

I got a 10,000 mAh USB powerbank similar to the one above

After using it for a while, for the trips I did, I got too close to using it up, so I got a 13,500 mAh model.  That has always had some extra.

You can only determine what size you need by trying something.  10,000 mAh is good to start with if you are going to have to recharge your phone several times.

Now, I use the 10,000 in the car to charge everything up before I start.  Or to charge things when I get back.

Another solution is to use a USB powerbank with replaceable batteries, like a Nitecore.  Then you can take as many batteries for it as you need.

I also have rechargeable hearing aids (just got them, also after a period of denial). I was thinking that I may simply forgo them when I backpack however there are power packs that connect to the case that provide multiple charges. It came with the case of the unit I tried initially and is available as an accessory available for the ones I ended up preferring.

Just looked up the Phonak Power Pack—it allows up to 7 days of charging without plugging into an outlet.

I have hearing aids with replaceable batteries. They last 5-7 days. Each night when I go to bed, I open the battery holders so the batteries are not making contact with the circuit in the hearing aid.

Most hearing aid batteries are less than 1.5 volts, and probably extremely low amperage, so a battery bank should provide a lot of re-charges.

I normally don’t wear them when backpacking because I hike solo most of the time. I do wear them intermittently when hiking with others. I take them off when I am exerting a lot of energy, because I do not want them to get wet from seat. Also, it helps me to keep from losing them. When fooling around with a hat or putting on/taking off a mask, it is easy for aids to come loose and fall out without me noticing.

You might want to check if the rechargeable batteries are easy to remove and if they can be switched out for non-rechargeable batteries. Keep in mind that most replaceable batteries are “zinc air” and the seal tab must removed from the battery, and the battery given at least a minute to start the oxidation process before inserting them into the hearing aid.

From a Hearing Aid forum –

Hearing Aid chargers draw very low current and trigger the auto-shutoff mode on the battery.

“I just tested it with an Anker PowerCore Fusion 5000.

“I plugged in the charging case alone (no HA’s). The light on the case came on but then shut off after 2 minutes.

“I triggered the battery “on” with its button and then put my Marvels in the charging case (see below), and it charged for 2 minutes and then shut off.

“I then re-triggered the battery “on” with its button and added my cell phone and charging cable to the other port on the battery. The HA’s (and phone) remained charging for 5 minutes. When I removed my phone from the battery, it again shut off after 2 more minutes.

“Unfortunately, as others guessed, you need a less fancy battery without auto-off, or charge your HA’s with your phone (e.g., at night).

I have a bluetooth earbud.  Same thing, so low current the USB powerbank shuts off “thinking” there’s no load.  It works when I charge something else at the same time.

The other thing it to charge it while I’m doing something else.  Frequently push the button to get it to turn on again

Lots of good ideas above.  I don’t have HA (yet) but I’ve seen my dad’s and other’s HA’s.  The batteries are tiny.  One concern/thought I have, if in the back country and you are messing with the aids and the batteries, and the battery “pops out” by mistake…….good luck finding it if you were not using a ground sheet or in a tent.  So, perhaps carry a small magnet?  If you drop the battery, you could search and as a last resort, use the battery to try and snag the battery out of the forest duff?  Perhaps easier/lighter to just carry a few spares…..

and keep that magnet well away from a compass….

meant “use the magnet to try and snag the battery…”