February 14, 2025

 

TIBET SHOP
Interesting Shop in Lhasha, Tibet (Has nothing to do with this article – just thought it was a great name for a shop!

 

 

Travelers today are more and more frequently taking their “tech” devices with them on their journeys.  Smartphones, cameras, tablet devices – these are now nearly everyone’s travel companions.  And they all have one thing in common.  They require power to work.  If you can’t recharge your tech device of choice it will quickly become useless – simply a heavy paper weight – simply weight to weigh you down on your journey.

The ease with which travelers can recharge their devices depends on their destination.  If you travel in well developed and populated areas there will be no problem finding a friendly electrical outlet to top off your device.  But if your travels take you a bit further afield, you know – “off the beaten track” – then recharging might be a bit of a problem. Travel to a country with frequent blackouts and sketchy power supplies and you might be out of luck.  And of course if you backpack or otherwise “get off the grid” electrical outlets become a memory.  (But then you expect that if  “getting off the grid” and away from all those conveniences like electricity, internet, etc is your goal.  If that’s the case then you won’t have a problem.  But this article is for the person who wants, or needs, some electronic device to actually work while traveling.)

So how do you power your devices in situations where you don’t have easy and frequent access to electrical outlets?  There are a variety of options and I’ve previously written about several devices which can be very helpful. Check here for a previous review (Power Backups)

A backup battery can be a great help for the traveler in need of some fresh power.  There is, however, one downside which it is best to be aware of – it can take a long time to recharge these battery back ups.  It’s sort of a Catch 22 type thing.  They help you back up your device while you are in the field.  But in turn they eventually have to be recharged. When it’s time to recharge – well, it can take a really long time.  For example, the Anker Astro E5 16000mAh Portable Charger External Battery Power Bank reviewed in the above mentioned article can be charged with up to a 2 amp charger but it takes between 8 and 9 hours to do so.  Some other similar sized batteries take even longer.

Batteries that take between 8 and 14 hours to recharge can be a problem , especially if you are traveling in places with limited power access – think safari tents with power generators or developing countries with frequent power outages and / or generator power. In those situations it really helps to have a battery with a Quick Charge Backup capacity.   Recently I’ve been looking into Quick Charge  Backup Battery up options for those challenging recharge situations.   I found one which I think and hope will be a good solution.  It’s the KMASHI 20000MAH EXTERNAL BATTERY WITH 5V 5A FAST CHARGER ADAPTER.

Kamishi 1

 

It’s a pretty powerful back up /external battery option.  With a capacity of 20000 MAH, It has two USB output ports, one provide 5 volts at 1amp and the other 5 volts at 2.1 amp so it can provide power to two devices at the same time if needed.

Kamashi 2
Kamashi Battery and included 5 amp power converter.

 

And the really good news – it has a quick charge backup capacity, using a 5 volt, 5 amp input.  With the 5 amp charger it can recharge fully in around 4 hours – actually they report it will fully recharge in 2 hours if using a DC outlet!  So in many foreign destinations this could be just perfect.

 

 

Of course, you need to keep in mind that there seems to always be that Catch 22 piece to anything.  This battery can be recharged with either a 5 volt, 2 amp micro USB input charger or with a 5 volt, 5 amp wall charger and special cord which is included with the battery. The 5 volt, 2 amp input option is fairly standard for small devices.The iPhone charger for example uses a 5 volt, 1 amp input.  An iPad charger uses a 5.1 volt, 2.1 amp input. Both would likely work to recharge this Kamashi. The “catch” for this battery is that in order to get that rapid charge you have to use a special 5 volt, 5amp input (It’s included with the purchase of the battery). If you recharge with a smaller amp charger the battery will indeed recharge, but it will recharge much, much more slowly.  So in order to get that quick charge backup when traveling with this battery it generally will mean that you have to bring along yet another piece electronic gear – the 5volt, 5 amp charger and cord.

This is a serious backup battery and as such it is not terribly light.  Amazon lists the weight as 6.4 ounces but their scale must be broken.  The battery unit that I have weighs in at 16 ounces without the charger.  The included 5 amp charger and cord together weigh 4.3 ounces.

Power Up Your  Travels ………. And Enjoy the Journey!

 

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Brand Balloon 2

 

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Full Disclosure – I have personally purchased this device and have no relationship with the product or it’s manufacturer.    

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