I hesitated when packing for a trip to Wales. Lots of power or a little power? I knew I’d be having to do some writing when there, so opted for the larger portable power pack. The Easylonger Portable Power Station.
[This is a version of a post from my weekly dispatch at Documentally.net. You can sign up for free. There are Amazon affiliate links in this post and on the off chance you click to buy, I might get some pennies in Amazon credit.]
The paperwork in the box had this behemoth lithium iron phosphate battery down as a 96000mAh/297.6Wh LiFePO₄ battery pack that supplies 12 to 24V DC output. Take a look around online and you will see this is one of the bigger ‘portable’ power packs out there. But I was interested in this as it was not one of the most expensive.
I have had experience with tech from this brand before as I once reviewed the smaller battery pack featured in this video. In fact that power pack has since had a lot of use. It’s also lighter than this one. The main downside though is the old model is not LiFePO₄.
LiFePO₄ or “LFP” for short has a much more stable chemical composition and is often touted as being much safer. Especially if you need power in hot climates or if the cases are likely to get bashed about. The better electrochemical performance and low resistance not only aid in this powerpack’s stability, it also means more charge cycles. i.e. the battery will last you much longer.
It can be charged by the AC wall plug supplied, solar if you have it, as well as via the PD 60W USB-C port. I also saw a mention that it can be charged via a ‘car charger port’ but not sure what that is. Both 12V/15A cigarette lighter ports say ‘out’ on them.
The plastic flaps that covered the ports gave me confidence that when they are closed, the power pack would live happily in the tent. Even with condensation dripping from the sides.
Alongside those 2 cigarette lighter ports there is a DC input port, a DC output port, 1 USB-C with input/output and 2 USB-A ports. A quick charge 3.0 and a standard USB1. The top also has a 10W Wireless charging pad and although convenient if other ports are taken by far the most efficient way to charge a phone is via a cable.
When this first arrived I mocked the large LED light on the end but it turned out to be quite handy in the tent. It gives a warm glow and illuminates quite a large area. It appears to be on to off with no adjustment.
Over three nights of camping this battery felt like overkill as I had used less than 20% of its capacity. I charged my phone, watch, laptop, head torch, headphones and my Kindle, only losing one bar on the LED screen. Once home I kept on using it and powered my laptop and phone continuously for another day before I decided to top it up with the wall plug.
I also jury-rigged a folding solar panel into a charge input and have run my office without issue. My lights are on larger solar panels and a car battery but I’m thinking to swap that out for this LiFePO4 pack and see how it fares over the winter months.
This battery is aimed mostly at CPAP machine users which might explain the capacity. Should you be willing to carry 3kg of powerpack then this should suit someone away on a week of camping with friends. Add a solar panel and you might be good indefinitely. Or at least for the 3000 charge cycles that the pack is rated for.
I was happy to pack this on the motorbike but it would be even more suited for a car or camper van. My next test and possible video will have me powering my amateur radio gear while ‘working portable’.
Here is that Amazon affiliate link again should you be in need of portable power and don’t mind giving Jeff your cash.
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