Hondo Gravel

I was thinking about purchasing a Jackery battery pack for outside stuff like camping, fishing and exploring remote places. Any of you own one? Or something similar? Opinions needed before a throw some cash out the window.

https://www.jackery.com

skijor

Sounds Australian, mate. Something for the outback while playing your didgeridoo?

Looks like a tidy package for the technically-challenged. <looks in mirror>

How big are you looking?
And how would you transport it to said remote places? They don't appear to be bike or backpacker friendly.

ahsposo 

I've got a little tiny one (not Jackery brand) that I mainly use for jumping car starts but it has USB and 110v outlets too. I've considered something like that Jackery line-up to augment my generator during extended power outages but Mother Nature has spared us for several years now so it went on the back burner

If I ever lost my mind and took my wife camping again something like that might be the place she needs for her hair dryer to plug in.

Hondo Gravel

I would use it at campsites like in national forests and the beach fishing. Within car distance so not for a biking trip. Keeping my gps charged for hiking out of a main camp by the car for example. Radio or small fan while kicking back in the tent or listening to music, air compressor power for air mattresses stuff like that. Looking at the 240 or 500 I think the entry level 240 would be plenty and the price is good. Basically I car camp then day hike or bike ride from that location.

genec

Is the car not good enough to keep your USB based toys charged?

GPS I can understand... but beyond that... do you not seek to "disconnect" when you go camping? Bring a harmonica.

Hondo Gravel

Have to start the engine to charge so a battery pack would be great. Anyhow I ordered the Jackery 240 and the solar panel thru Amazon. A fan at night in the summer will be great and keeping all the gizmos charged will be good. Good to have out on the boat as well. If we have another blizzard this winter and the power grid shuts down lol it will be a source of power.

genec

Ahhhhh solar panel... oh, well, that's different.

Hondo Gravel

I watched several You Tube videos one where this guy tried to overload it and had several stuff plugged in even a tv. So plenty of power for I what I want it for. The solar panel was highly recommended so I ordered one. It has a universal Anderson connector so I can use the solar panel on other stuff like for a rv battery.

ThermionicScott 

Steve B.

Useful when you have a bunch of electronics needing power and you don't want to have the truck engine running. They are popular with overlanding folks and YT content providers who do camping videos and have a lot of cameras in use. Many folks combine them with solar panels to keep them charged and ready. The 500 model is $500, which is pricey and nothing I need currenrly.

ahsposo 

E Jackery

veganbikes

Take a whakery at this Jackery battery packery it may not increase the size of your sackery and your real name might not be Zachery but if you listen to My Sharona it is most certainly by the Knackery. If you go on a trip make sure to do some packery and some licorice is blackery.


I like Goal Zero but I couldn't really say if Jackery is better or worse comparatively but I know GZ makes excellent quality products and use them myself and have some overlanding and camping folks who really swear by it.

canklecat

Hondo Gravel , they're good. I bought a Jackery Bar Premium 6000 mAh USB pack five years ago based on a friend's recommendation. Cost $15 at the time. It still works fine. I've dropped it a few times and the cover popped open the last time. I recharged it, placing it on a non-combustible surface away from anything else (in case it burned or exploded). No problems, still works fine.

I have several USB battery packs and the Jackery is still the best of the bunch. Despite being smaller, it still runs longer per charge than a Merkury brand two-outlet 6000 mAh pack.

Hondo Gravel

The solar panel arrived. Now for some sun.

Hondo Gravel

I have my stereo hooked up with my gps charging. Playing CDs pulling about 13 watts full blast about 20. Dang I’m impressed and this is the entry level model. This will definitely power anything I will want for camping with some creature comforts. Trying to wear it down so I can test out the solar panel and see how that goes. Last summer talked to some folks that had a Jackery but a much more powerful unit than this one. They loved theirs and that convinced me to look into it. This unit can handle 200 watts I doubt I will ever need that much but maybe in an emergency. So far I can see this being a handy device.


I can now jam out in BFE maybe the west Texas desert.

RubeRad

That **** tastes like crappery

RubeRad

First time I ever saw the word Jackery was seeing the title of this thread. Then I saw an ad for Jackery in my wife's latest Outside magazine.

I don't know why, but it makes me think of Yeti, and how there's that cheaper clone brand which Hondo I think you posted about a few months ago, and wonder if there's a cheaper not-quite-Jackery out there.

These battery packs are pretty cool though, I got a car jumpstarter one, and it is great to keep in the trunk. Over Christmas our older (2002) car wasn't driven for 2 solid weeks and the battery drained enough it wouldn't start. Jump-starter battery pack got it fired right up, and only dropped from 100% to I think 85% doing it.

So the one you got is called the 240, is that because it holds 240 gazillion mah or something?

I'm sure you're going to experiment, it would be interesting to hear how long it takes to charge from empty to full using the solar panels.

Hondo Gravel

The power went out a few nights back it powered A few lamps and my phone. So it had one good use so far. The solar panel took it from 78% to 100% fairly quickly in hazy sunshine. I didn’t time it but it wasn’t that long.

veganbikes

Of course but it rhymed so it did the time!

downtube42

Got me a Mitsubish Outlander PHEV. Has a 12 kWh battery. I didn't buy the GT level, so no 12A @ 110v outlet for me.

As I understand, the 12v battery is driving the accessory output, which is fused at 15A. But it's kept charged by the traction battery at only 4.5 Amps.

If my math is right, that'll keep my cell phone charged for a couple hundred days without even starting the engine to recharge the battery.