Keeping energized during the summer!

What are you plans for the summer in terms of being mobile, connected and staying charged up? The key here is being able to always be topped up while on the go. Now that summer is around the corner were not always going to be near a power outlet.  I’ve been wondering what I could do myself to see how far I can get in my day. Like many of us I have several devices that I do carry around with me often.

I carry my smartphone, tablet, laptop and other devices that do require to be charged up on a regular basis depending on the use I make. Quite frankly if you’re going hiking you may end up taking pictures of some nice scenery or some animals that may cross your path. What about if you went camping? I’m not talking about your cottage in the middle of the wood which has electricity and running water.

Even if you’re in the city sometimes you don’t have the time to sit down and power up. You’d need a mobile solution to keep you going such as when you go to a parade or an event. We’ve featured here on Android Coliseum some portable battery packs from various companies and how we like or dislike them in the last few months. We’ve seen Anker, RavPower, PowerBank, Tylt and a few others.

If you’re in the market for a portable battery for your devices you may want to head over to Amazon has they have a large selection and you end up having a better chances of getting a product that will last you longer than what you can find on Ebay. There’s plenty of option and there’s also plenty of products that aren’t going to be at the level of what you would expect, just be careful.

I for one I enjoy having one of those on me when I’m running around the city and or when I’m away from a power source outside of the city. It has come in handy on several occasions. They come in all sorts of shape, size, color and power! Bigger isn’t always better but in this case it definitely does provide more juice for you’re on the go lifestyle.

My goal this summer is to test out energy solutions that anyone can come up with and hopefully at an affordable price for everyone. I’ve been in contact with various companies and I’ve been having a look at their products and seeing what would work best. This is all subjective to each of us, in the end; you’ll make your own decision about what works for you.

Let’s view a few setup:

My current mobile energy combo
·         Targus City Gear Chicago laptop backpack (87,99$)

·         RavPower Element 10400 mAh (39,99$)

I’ve added a battery pack within one of the inside pockets with 1 snake cable 6 inch long inside the main compartment. I’ve added a second standard USB cable filters out of the bag so that I can plug something that sits in my pocket such as my smartphone. Since I don’t use the headphone hole in the top side of the bag this is where my main USB

2nd option
·         Voltaic OffGrid Solar Backpack (199$)

This is an all in one backpack with battery pack and solar charging panels. This isn’t for the faint of heart at this is 199$. But this would allow you to recharge your 4000 mAh battery pack and give you some extra power for your device. My only concern here is that with a 4000 mAh pack you may only be able to get on average 2 charges for your phone and 1 single charge for a Tablet. I’d be interested to see about giving that a try in the real world and see how I fair at keeping topped up while on the go.

3rd option (review unit on the way)
·         Tylt Energi+ Backpack (199$)

With its multiple compartments and multiple battery connection this aims to be the ultimate bag in terms of on the go mobile lifestyle.  It has a 10 400 mAh dedicated battery which can supply power for all your devices with built-in wiring system. The price point may upset a few of you but for the ones that do want the package deal this is a pretty good one. If power is an issue, you can always add additional battery packs.

4th option

·         The North Face Surge II Charged (249,99$)

This is more on the higher end price range and won’t appeal to everyone but North Face is well known for its equipment and standards. They’ve added a Joey 1 battery pack within it and all the needed cables to get all your devices hooked up. The site doesn’t give the details about the actual capacity of the battery but they do mention 2 full and a half battery charges  or several days of partial charges for your electronics.

I’ve given you 4 options and one of those options is the cheaper which is my setup which comes at roughly at 150$ give or take with the taxes and what not. I wanted to bring some interesting aspect of the typical Canadian that’s on the go, whether you’re traveling, in the city or out camping with friends. There will be different setup for all types of people and I’m sure this isn’t the only options out there.

There’s a great article that talks about how to do a DYI backpack with portable battery charger from Lifehacker. You might be interested to check it out.

If you happen to know someone or want to share your own experience of the mobile lifestyle, I encourage you to engage in a conversation with me on Google+ and or via email and I’ll be happy to entertain different ideas with you.

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