gauvins

Current setup is 2 x 10 000mAh banks -- I prefer 2 smaller for redundancy, in case of theft/loss/malfunction, etc. Turns out to be more than what I need as I typically consume less than 1 000 mAh/day. I've been able to find a decent solar panel (6W, sitting comfortably on my handlebar bag) and am considering ditching my banks and pulling the trigger on the Nitecore F21i system. The charger weighs 22g and a battery is 75g at a nominal capacity of 5 000 mAh (actual is close to 4 700 mAh -- these are excellent batteries (I've tried a small 5 000 mAh bank purchased from Amazon, and got a measly 3 300 mAh out of it...)

Any experience/opinion to share?

phughes

I just carry one 10,000mAh battery. I have been using the same one for ten years with no issues. I have used it for bike tours, as well as almost weekly travel all over the world. It is still going strong. I would simply ditch one of your 10,000mAh batteries and take one. If it fails, which is unlikely unless it is of inferior quality, you can buy a new one almost anywhere, Best Buy, Walmart and many other stores.

No need for a special charger, any USB charging block suffices.

Tourist in MSN

I did not research the powerbank you are considering, so I do not know if it has pass through capability. But if it does not, if you have two then you can charge one while using the other to charge up stuff. If you go for a single one, I would suggest you make sure it has pass through capability so you can use your solar panel (or if you go back to dynohub) to charge it while also using it to charge up devices.

Just a side note: I recently bought a Cycle2Charge V3 that is replacing my Sinewave Revolution for touring. Very happy with it so far. If you re-consider dynohubs, I would suggest that you consider that charger.

BikeLite

Which solar panel does Gauvins like these days?

I think your 21700 idea sounds cool.

gauvins

This one. Untested on tour but it fits perfectly on top of my handlebar bag and yielded very good results when tested at home. I've met a couple of thru hikers looking like they knew what they were doing, sporting similar panels and saying that they didn't need grid access at all. So I am optimistic.

Tourist in MSN

If your estimated daily wattage needs are accurate, that panel might be just what you need. Great find. That said, the panel is an inch and a half longer than my handlebar bag and I thought mine was big.

Yan 

Battery banks are just plastic shells with standard 18650 lithium ion batteries inside. These are the exact same batteries used in other consumer devices such as laptop batteries. Almost every electronic device on the market uses these same cells, with the number changing based on how large the battery needs to be. Unless it's an ultra thin device that requires a thin battery, you can bet it's using 18650 batteries inside.

Not sure how this product is any different, apart from using their proprietary 21700 battery shape. What advantage does it provide over a normal power bank? The size? You can get lipstick shaped single 18650 battery banks as well.

gauvins

My bag is the Ortlieb Ultimate -- not especially large... You should see the trendy burritos used by bikepackers

gauvins

Thanks for the link.

Right, but a couple of observations. (1) the quality of the electronics has a non trivial impact. I've recently purchased a lipstick bank rated at 5 000 mAh, from which I can't draw more than 3 300mAh (66% efficiency) whereas the Nitecore 21700HPi is more than 90% efficient, due to superior controller design and the reason behind their proprietary battery terminals. (2) Using individual cells provides more flexibility (carry 1, 2, 3 or more depending on the autonomy you require); if a cell is lost/stolen/defective, you can limp on the remaining ones. (3) an edge case would be to purchase several cell/charger combos. Each Nitecore F21i can absorb 18W, which means 90 minutes or so to go from 0 to full charge. Buy 4 and store 20 000 mAh faster than most larger banks.

This being said, I "think" I'll settle on 18650s. As remarkable as the F21i is, the 18650 market is more mature with several interesting options. The Wurkkos HD15, for instance, is a flashlight incorporating a bi-directional USB-C connector that allows charging the battery and using it as a battery bank. Fantastic reviews and an intriguing option to replace the body with a shorter 18350 making it diminutive and lightweight enough to comfortably wear on your helmet. I'll eventually report on it's efficiency and ability to recharge low power devices.