Kier10 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 01, 2025 8:04 am
From my experience, the bigger the power bank, the better—especially if you’re planning longer trips or emergency situations. Of course, higher capacity means more weight, but it’s worth considering. Watch out for those “astronomical” capacity claims you see on Amazon or eBay—it’s often more marketing than reality. I personally have a power bank that works great—high capacity, fast charging, and solid build quality. Perfect for outdoor and survival use.
Kier10
Please post an Intro in our new members section
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong
Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Bijela wrote: ↑Sun Jun 01, 2025 10:31 am
Never tried using a solar panel to recharge my power bank. But, now I'm thinking could I put a panel on the parcel shelf in the car and attach a mesh pouch to the underside as an idea . Don't know if its normal, but mine has its own charging cable. If you don't use that one and a standard phone cable it takes over a day to recharge. It's own cable will do it overnight.
I have two portable solar panels, one is a BigBlue 28W foldable one, and the the other is a cheap Chinese one. I have 5 powerbanks which I rotate onto the solar panels. This time of year I recharge me and my wife’s phones, pads, headphones and her vape, off the power banks. I also use the panels to charge rechargeable AA/AAAs. It’s only a ‘little’ money saved on bills but I know in a power cut in the summer we could still use our phones etc.
In the winter, I keep the powerbanks charged and stored away for use in emergency only.
Prepping for lifes little mishaps, and some of the bigger ones as well.
Back in May I put together 10 power banks for me and the family, each houses 8 18650 batteries at 3500mah which gives you a 28000mAh of charge. Batteries from a local Timu supplier so here in a couple of days, £10.49 for the batteries and the case was about £7 so for under £19 you have a power bank with some go in it.
Very brave going with temu cells... Did you confirm the capacity? General advice is to use "matched" cells together, capacity and internal resistance should be similar.
Personally I stick to the reccomended UK based sites, at least there is possibility of legal responsibility if one or more of the cells goes nuclear....
You have to be careful with 18650 batteries, they don't have a standard size, even if you know whether to get protected or unprotected. The last ones I got were longer. They got jammed in my radio, and bent the connector.
tarmactatt wrote: ↑Fri Jun 27, 2025 6:08 pm
Very brave going with temu cells... Did you confirm the capacity? General advice is to use "matched" cells together, capacity and internal resistance should be similar.
Personally I stick to the reccomended UK based sites, at least there is possibility of legal responsibility if one or more of the cells goes nuclear....
Checked and they are fine and as advertised. Given that the cells you pay three times the price for from a UK supplier more than likely come from China, I'll stick with Timu.
Richard
South Wales UK
Retired, spending the children's inheritance.
Frnc wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 8:15 am
You have to be careful with 18650 batteries, they don't have a standard size, even if you know whether to get protected or unprotected. The last ones I got were longer. They got jammed in my radio, and bent the connector.
You needed to buy the flat topped cells, this is where you went wrong.
Richard
South Wales UK
Retired, spending the children's inheritance.
Frnc wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 8:15 am
You have to be careful with 18650 batteries, they don't have a standard size, even if you know whether to get protected or unprotected. The last ones I got were longer. They got jammed in my radio, and bent the connector.
You needed to buy the flat topped cells, this is where you went wrong.
Nope, I needed button topped, but about 3mm shorter. I think the longer ones are protected.
. Don't know if its normal, but mine has its own charging cable. If you don't use that one and a standard phone cable it takes over a day to recharge. It's own cable will do it overnight.
