A Few Tools for Travelers and Off-Grid Situations
As I spend a lot of time on the road teaching, I've been trying out a number of portable power-devices for keeping the Smartphone, Kindle, and laptop charged. There are some excellent items out there now that should be considered if you log a lot of hours in airports, on the road, or simply want to have a lo-tech energy supply, for small devices, at home in the event of an emergency.
The Anker 2nd Gen Astro3 is probably my favorite and most-used. This costs around $50 and will hold approximately 500 charges over its lifetime. I plug mine into a wall outlet or laptop at home for initial charging and then it will charge my Iphone or Kindle several times before it needs recharging. Joos is another option, costs around $140, and is solar-powered. This is a sturdily constructed device for those in sunny regions and holds up better in the field. Lastly, you can pick up a Mophie Powerstation at your local Verizon store for around $75. This can be used in a similar fashion to the Anker charger.
