Power Monkey iPhone solar charger

[gammy leg walker]

Some help required please if possible, I'm heading out soon on a 3 /4 day wild camping trip and I'm looking at getting a Power Monkey or iPhone solar charger.

The questions are

Which ones best

Am I confusing myself ie are they both the same thing

How much would I expect to pay for a good one

I'm looking on Amazon and it's all very confusing


Thanks GLW

[BobMcBob]

The PowerMonkey I have has a small battery pack and a solar panel. The phone can only be charged from the battery pack. The solar panel is used to recharge the battery pack when it's not charging the phone.

This is because the solar panel generates about as much energy as a midge's brain cells and cannot possibly power an actual phone. The solar panel on mine is roughly the size of 1 and a half of my hands. It's completely useless, it takes about 4 days to recharge the battery pack, which itself will recharge my phone once.

PowerMonkey make bigger solar panels but honestly eight for weight just buy one of the Anker "portable chargers", which are simply a great big but light battery, charge it before you go, and recharge your phone several times off that.

[Holly]

Can I also suggest the Anker brand of chargers. They are reliable, have really good reviews and I have had one now for a few years and it still does what is should. In have a couple now and and use them dependent on how long I am out. I really wouldn't bother with solar.

[Robinho08]

Anker or RavPower power bank. I'd get at least a 13,000 mAh one, so you've got enough juice to see you through.

[Mal Grey]

Another with great experience of the Anker power packs. I have two 13000mAh ones; each will do a week of moderate use of my Samsung phone (not using it to navigate), plus charge a camera battery, or my silly Fitbit watch (yes, I know...). Probably does 6 phone charges, and is still as good as new after 3 years and multiple trips. Not sure they do that model anymore, but everybody I know who uses Anker seems impressed, and their pretty cheap on Amazon.

The little solar panels that come with some battery packs are only really good enough for a small top-up. If your phone is flat, they will struggle to recharge it. I have travelled on longer, remote, trips to Scandinavia with folk who've used bigger fold-out solar panels with some success, but in my mind unless I need more than two weeks worth, the battery packs will do fine.

[gammy leg walker]

Thanks to all who took the time to reply, I've ended up with the Anker that was recommended by most