How to Charge Your Smartphone While Camping

Most of us can't leave home without our smartphone, even if we're going camping in the wilderness. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can keep your device charged, even in the middle of nowhere, come wind, rain, or shine.

A USB Battery Bank

It doesn't get much easier than charging a USB battery bank at home before you go. Then, you can top up your iPhone or Android phone as needed throughout your trip. This is great for short trips, overnight camping, or weekend music festivals.

To make sure you have enough charge before you leave, research your device's total battery capacity (measured in milliamp hours, or mAh). You'll also need to factor in how often you charge your device, although, it's best if you use it as little as possible to preserve as much juice as you can.

Let's use the iPhone 11, which has a 3,110 mAh battery, as an example. To charge it once a night for three nights, you'd need around 10,000 mAh. While that might sound like a lot, a charger of that size would easily fit in a rucksack or daypack.

Something like the Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 should do the trick. Just make sure you buy a power bank with fast power delivery if you have a compatible device.

If you're looking for a multifunctional USB charger, consider a purpose-built camping lantern. These light sources are durable, bright, and often include USB outputs for charging your gadgets.

Serious about camping and want to charge the whole family's devices and power lights or a laptop while you're away? If so, you might want to invest in a portable power station, like the EcoFlow River series. These larger units start at 100,000 mAh (at 3.7 V) for around $550.

Portable Solar Panels

If you don't want to rely on a battery pack you have no means of recharging, solar panels could be the answer. Their efficiency depends on a range of factors, though, including how sunny it is, and the wattage of the photovoltaic panels.

The problem with solar panels is they're largely dependent on the weather. This is why so many solutions designed for charging smartphones and similar devices use multiple panels. For a truly effective solar charging solution, you're going to need an array of around three panels to charge your phone within a few hours.

This could be a problem if you're not staying in one place. Many hikers opt to hang solar panels over their rucksacks to charge while they hike. Of course, this inevitably affects how much direct sunlight the solar panels receive. For this to work efficiently, you have to position your array so it's facing the sun for as long as you want to charge.

Solar arrays that offer around 25 watts of charge should be sufficient for individual use. The Amazon reviews on the Nekteck 28 Watt Portable Solar Panel suggest it can charge a 10,000 mAh power bank from empty to full in two days. Another reviewer saw a 50 percent increase in a smartphone's charge after two hours in the sun.

For best results, pair your solar panels with a large battery bank. Charge when the sun is shining, and when it isn't, you should have enough spare juice in your battery pack for emergencies.