One thing I rely on for my expeditions is a battery pack for charging my phone. My model of choice at the moment is a Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus Battery Pack
On my recent trip to Alpamayo I took my Guide 10 battery pack and my Nomad 7 solar charger. About half of the days were sunny so I didn’t really have to worry about keeping the battery pack juiced up. Another climber on the trip brought his along too, for his phone. Sometimes on these trips I’m the only one with Goal Zero gear, so I’m the one that ends up charging everyone else’s toys. He was using his phone primarily as a camera. I used mine for music as well.
Guide 10 Battery Pack
With the battery pack to store the solar energy from the panels, it’s easy to charge your gear at night when you’re not using it. In fact, one trick is to keep it in your sleeping bag with you. I think the warmer temps inside the bag improve charging efficiency.
I’ve experimented a bit with the Guide 10 over the years. I’ve replaced the batteries with AAA using the handy adapter. This is great for keeping headlamp batteries charged, though I think the new USB charging headlamps might be a better more efficient option for charging with the battery pack. I’ve also experimented with different types and capacities of AA batteries. I keep three cables in an Eagle Creek zipper storage bag with the Guide 10 battery pack. The three I use most on an expedition:
- Micro USB
- Sony Camera Cable
- Mini USB
Those three cables serve my needs and weigh very little. In the zipper bag, about the size of a grade school pencil pouch, they take up no room and are easy to manage. Over the years I’ve learned quite a bit about organizing my pack and making it easy to do stuff, even in the dark.
I actually carry this battery pack zippered case in my carry-on bag when flying and use it to charge my phone for long flights when there isn’t a USB socket in the in-flight entertainment console. I fly economy. If you have any other suggestions or tips, please, go to my Facebook Page and share some pics and tips there, or comment below. I’d love to hear from you.
Disclaimer: I am a Goal Zero Athlete and am provided equipment to test