PowerTraveller Charging Kit

[Templogin]

I wasn't entirely happy with my Son DynoHub, but the forumites put my mind at rest.  I had in the meantime decided on a new wheel and had SJS lace up a Hope hub to an Andra Rigida rim for me.  This left me concerned about how I would charge my electrical gear on a forthcoming UK tour over 6 weeks (4 weeks riding).  I would be camping wherever possible.

I came across PowerTraveller https://www.powertraveller.com/ (originally spotted in a post by Il Padrone here http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=8729.0) and was really taken by their video on the PowerMonkey Expedition, which is accessable from this page https://www.powertraveller.com/en/shop/portable-chargers/outdoor-adventure/powermonkey-expedition/.  The trouble was that the wind generator and tripod stand would not be available until end of Q2.  As PT have already missed one release date I decided that I wouldn't wait, which was a relief for my wallet, as the original kit is £450.  I looked around their site and my eye was caught by the PowerGorilla https://www.powertraveller.com/en/shop/portable-chargers/professional/powergorilla/ At £160 it was certainly a lot less money.  I found it on Amazon a little cheaper, say £15, but when I came back to the Powertraveller site I noticed that they were throwing in a free Spidermonkey hub (worth £40), through which I would be able to charge up to 4 items simultaneously.  Now this really did have great potential, as there is nothing worse than having to wait for one item to finish charging to be able to start on another; other than world hunger of course, I decided that I should buy the pair.

The PowerGorilla is 21,000mAh HD lithium polymer battery in a box capable of charging 5-24VDC, and comes with more tips that I am ever likely to find a use for, so there isn't much that you can't plug into it with either the cables and tips supplied or the cable that came with your gadget.  Sorry to labour the point, but the SpiderMonkey really does extend the PowerGorilla's usefulness, and I am really glad that I didn't go for the Amazon discount, instead buying direct from PT.  I will now be able to charge the iPad, GPS, Kindle (maybe?) and phone simultaneously.  My only criticism is the length of the mains charger for the PowerGorilla.  It's just too long.  There needs to be less of it as it will always be carried around.  I will look for another figure 8 (sorry, don't know the technical term) cable, hack it down to 6 inches and put a 3-pin plug on the end.  Then I can just grumble about the length of the other cable that comes out of the transformer, which I don't intend hacking back.

You can plug a Solar Gorilla into the PowerGorilla to charge it up, but this far north (60 degrees north) we don't get enough light, but if I am lucky to become more like Matt, and be allowed out for longer touring trips further afield, especially into France, Spain, Italy etc. I could see one of these in my future!

I have since bought another extending lead and a bag for the leads and tips.  PT's service is very good, certainly better than their predictions of when an item will come out of beta.  The PowerGorilla and SpiderMonkey were shipped by UPS, only being delayed once they were handed over to Shetland Hauliers for the trip from Dundee to Aberdeen and across the sea to Shetland.  The extra cable and bag came via the Post Office, breaking all records by being sent from Havant to Shetland in about 20 hours, nothing short of a miracle.

Disclaimer - I bought this myself out of my own hard-earned cash.  PowerTraveller haven't offered me anything to write this.

[StuntPilot]

The Powergorilla and is a very good piece of kit, but as you say on the expensive side. It however is better made and sturdier than other similar batteries and I am sure it will last well in a cycle touring environment. It is a bit of overkill unless you are taking a laptop with you on tour.

Alternatively the cheaper Powermonkey Extreme 12V is also a good choice ...

https://www.powertraveller.com/en/shop/portable-chargers/outdoor-adventure/powermonkey-extreme-12v/

It has USB 5V as well as a 12V output. Using a 12V car adapter which it comes will allows charging of DSLR camera batteries and other batteries with the Pixio C4 Universal Quick Charger. Good review here ...

https://www.ephotozine.com/article/pixo-c4-universal-battery-charger-review-23398

I take the Powermonkey Extreme 12V and Pixio C4 when hillwalking or on shorter tours without a laptop. I would take the Powergorilla on longer tours where a laptop is used for blogging or doing off-grid photography. Coupled with this solar panel which charges the Powergorilla very well even in lower light ...

http://www.ipoweradd.com/poweradd-high-efficiency-40w-usb-port-dc-output-foldable-solar-battery-charger-for-iphones_p1347.html

Power traveller also sell a cable that will allow you to charge an Apple Mac laptop from the Powergorilla.

If you don't want to take the solar option, and have a dynamo powered USB output, then you could charge the Powergorilla from a Powermonkey Extreme 12V. According to an email from Powertraveller when I asked if it was possible ...

The answer to your question is yes, although the powermonkey extreme is only 33Wh which is less than half of the powergorilla at 77Wh. With this in mind, some power may be lost in the process so you will probably get a 1/3 of a powergorilla charge.

You may need a smaller cache battery between the Dynamo USB port and Powermonkey Extreme 12V to enable charging at lower speeds.

The Powergorilla comes with a neoprene pouch to protect it. If you are touring with it the Ortlieb Valuable Bag size A5 will keep the Powergorilla safe and dry.

https://www.ortlieb.com/wp-content/themes/ortlieb-theme/pdf/en/valuablebag.pdf

Some ideas anyway! I am also not paid by Powertraveller - just a big fan of Powertraveller stuff!


 

[Templogin]

A design flaw in the PowerGorilla is that it doesn't like charging low-draw items, such as my simple Nokia phone, which just does phone, text and a camera.  The PG decides that nothing worthwhile is connected and shuts down.  PowerTraveller are aware of this and it is mentioned in the manual.  The higher draw from a smartphone would get around this.  Despite this I would still say look at the PowerGorilla for its capacity and robustness.  The supplied neoprene case is fine for the occasional knock, but StuntPilot's suggestion of of an Ortlieb case is certainly a good one if there is risk of the PG getting wet.

[Andre Jute]

The supplied neoprene case is fine for the occasional knock, but StuntPilot's suggestion of of an Ortlieb case is certainly a good one if there is risk of the PG getting wet.

The weight weenies get some things right: I like the Glad Zipper sandwich baggies from the supermarket, which I bought on a tip from a guy obsessed with efficiency on his bike. You can't leave them underwater forever and ever because at one end of the zip there's a small void, but they work pretty well. In a real downpour I wedge the baggie with its contents upright in the open pannier basket and just turn the ziplocked top over. Water runs off it. In a bag, where ingress is a few drops or even a runnel, it's as good as flotation bags you're supposedly able to swim with.

[John Saxby]

There's also the LokSak bags, which I've found to be excellent--waterproof and durable. They also appear to reduce food odours (the purpose for which I use them), 'cos I haven't had critters big or small sniffing 'round my panniers, though obviously that's not an issue for electronic gear. (That said, I wouldn't be surprised if a raccoon might rip an iPhone cover to shreds, just for the hell of it...)

Here's a link showing the product: http://www.mec.ca/product/5044-667/loksak-aloksak-element-proof-bag-multipack/?q=Loksak

[Templogin]

Yes, I have used these in the past to keep a notebook dry in when in wet circumstances.  Very durable bits of kit.

[julk]

+1 for the aLoksak bags, they come in different sizes to suit phone, cameras etc., mine last about a year before they wear out.
There is also a 'Loksak Opsak Odor Proof Bag' which will contain the food odours if you need that.

[mickeg]

I like to know how fast things are charging when I plug something into a USB port to charge it.  (Maybe it is the engineer part of me, that was my occupation before I retired.)  If the charge rate is slow, it makes me wonder if something is wrong, such as one charger that I discarded when I found it put out a lot less than rated power.

I bought mine on ebay, shipped from China, which takes a long time (often almost a month) so if you are in a hurry, look elsewhere.

This one in the gray color instead of blue is hard to read in the sun, the blue one is almost impossible to read even on a cloudy day.  Provides volts and amperage, it cycles between both numbers.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-Charger-Doctor-Mobile-Battery-Tester-Power-Detector-Voltage-Meter-1-SCW-/361386486542

The LCD is easier to read outdoors than a LED display, thus this one that costs slightly more is my preferred one.  This reads milliamps only, not voltage.  I stuck some adhesive backed velcro on the back so I can stick it on my bike where I can see how much charge my hub powered USB charger is putting into whatever I am charging as I ride.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Micro-USB-Charging-Data-Cable-Adapter-wit-LCD-Power-Current-Voltage-Tester-Meter-/121494595405

I am in USA, depending on where you are you might need to do a search on a different internet website.