How to Choose a Portable Power Station?

How to Choose a Portable Power Station

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Let’s face it, technology is hard to escape from; no matter how far removed from urban life we might be. We live in the Yukon Territory, and make our living guiding anglers, trappers, and hunters in some of the most remote country left on the planet. My wife and I, enjoy a life without many of the amenities most people take for granted. That being said, technology has slowly been creeping into a lot of outdoor products. Some of these products can make outdoor outings easier, safer, and more productive. A portable power station is one of those products. In this post our aim is to show readers how to choose a portable power station for backcountry use, and why they might need one.

 Why you should trust us

I’m one of those guys that grew up largely removed from most forms of technology. I still remember the first TV my mother bought. It was a small 12-volt black and white unit she brought home when I was about 12-years old. Two cables coming out of it hooked up to an old car battery. That little TV sucked so much power it would almost always go dead right in the middle of our favourite show.

The first half of my career guiding wilderness excursions was done with a map and compass. The only form of communication we had with the outside world was an old HF radio. HF radios worked much like the CB radio truckers use. It wasn’t exactly the most reliable form of communication. That began to change when GPS units and then later the Inreach communication devices came on the scene.

Nowadays we use these devices, and others, on a daily basis. As outfitters, we don’t baby our equipment. We don’t rely on reviews posted by paid influencers, and we don’t endorse products that can’t withstand the rigours of backcountry use.

Do you need a portable power station?

As we will see in the next section, a power station is really nothing more than a power storage unit. They are useful to anyone who might need: power during an outage, or a reliable source of both AC, and DC power, in the field.  They can be used to charge all of your electronic devices, power things like lights and C-pap machines, or even off grid satellite internet systems.

It wasn’t that long ago that a portable gas generator was the only form of power available whenever you went off grid. That meant carrying extra fuel, a few tools and everything else that goes with an internal combustion engine. Don’t get me wrong, portable generators are still very useful. They are even essential, in some circumstances. But for most people, on most outings, a portable power station is a better option.

What is a portable power station?

It’s important to have a basic understanding of how a power station works before you go out and buy one. The first thing I want to clarify is the difference between a portable power station and the smaller power banks and portable phone chargers.

Unlike the smaller power banks and chargers, a portable power station can supply you with both AC, and DC current. Most models will have at least one regular AC plug, and several USB ports. Power stations are very good for some applications, and not so good in others.

In the simplest terms a portable power station stores power for future use. Battery cells are the storage unit. This ‘stored’ power, can then be used to charge small devices or power AC or DC appliances. The stored power is not infinite. All power stations will need to be recharged periodically. The frequency depends on storage capacity of the cells, and how much power you are using.

Battery Types

The batteries are the heart of any power station. There are two main types of batteries used in portable power stations. The first is Li-ion batteries, and the second is LiFePO4. Some people believe that both types have their advantages. I disagree.

While it is true that Li-ion batteries are lighter, and generally cheaper, the advantages end there. Li-ion cells have a much shorter lifespan and they are not as safe as LiFePO4. Consider this: Li-ion are rated for approximately 500-800 cycles and are a possible fire hazard if they are physically damaged. LiFePO4 cells on the other hand, are often rated for 2000 cycles or more, depending on the manufacturer. The chemistry of LiFePO4 cells also makes them largely fire resistant. For most people, the safety and longevity of the LiFePO4 batteries are going to be worth a little extra weight and a few more dollars.

How much power do you need

One of the most important things to consider when choosing a power station is how much power will you need? Will a small unit that supplies 100-watts or less fulfil your needs; or do you need something larger? In my opinion its always better to choose a model that supplies more power than you think you will need. It’s also important not to confuse peak power, with continuous power. Peak power, is the maximum amount of power that an individual power source can supply. This ‘surge’ of power can only be supplied for short periods of time. It is useful for things like refrigerator motors that take a lot of power on start-up. Continuous power is the amount of power a unit can supply for sustained periods of time.

Power stations are usually rated in Watts. This makes things easier because most, if not all of the AC appliances you might use, are also rated in watts. You can buy power stations as small as 80-watts, all the way up to units rated for several thousand watts. For most outdoor purposes the units in the 300/500-watt range are the most useful.      

Features to look for in a portable power station

For outdoorsmen and women, I think it’s important to choose a power station that has some, or all of the following features. Multiple USB charging ports, with at least one being the newer Type-C port. The newer Type-C USB cables are capable of delivering more power and therefore quicker charging times. This is a great feature especially for those mid-day breaks when you need to top up your camera, smartphone or communication device.

Solar compatibility, is another great option to have. This will allow you to charge your power station with an added solar panel. It essentially turns your power station into a true solar generator. This is especially valuable on longer backcountry trips. You can also use the cigarette lighter plug found on many off road vehicles to charge the cells via the DC input port.

At least two AC outlets. This will allow you to run two AC appliances simultaneously. This can come in handy on late fall trips where you might need to run a small refrigerator and a string of lights at the same time.

A well laid out, illuminated display screen. While this might not sound important, a good display screen gives you a lot of important information. It’s nice to be able to see this information, even in the dark. A good display will give you some, or all of the following information. How much power is left in the unit, how much power you are using, and how long the power station will run a device at the current draw.

A cigarette lighter output port can come in handy too. This port will probably get the least amount of use, but it can be invaluable if you find yourself in a situation where you need to power a 12-volt tire pump. Yes, I know from experience.

Don’t overlook overall build quality. A good handle, and a tough solid body are just as important as the electronics they protect. The backcountry can be a rough environment for electronic equipment.

Golabs 500R

We chose Golabs because of their US based support. At 14.3 pounds and rated at 500-watts, (1000 peak watts) it is extremely portable and produces enough power for anything we might need. Powered with LiFePO4 cells that are rated for 3500+ cycles we were confident that it would fill our needs and last for a long time.

Things we like after almost two years of use.

: When fully charged, the Golab 500R will run a single CPAP machine for 10-hours easily.

: It has enough juice to start and then run, our satellite based internet system for six full hours.

: We can charge multiple electronic devices at the same time.

: The 500R has both AC and DC input ports. This gives users the ability to charge the unit with either AC or DC power. The addition of a solar panel turns this unit into a true solar generator.

: The LCD display is illuminated, and gives users the following information.

: state of charge, amount of power being consumed, and how long it will produce power at the current draw.

: Built in light

: Lightweight and sturdily built the Golab 500R has proven to be an excellent source of power at our outpost camps. It comes in really handy when I’m doing small repairs around the cabins and need a quick source of power.

The bottom line is that we can confidently recommend the Golab 500R. Technology really is hard to escape from, even here in the Yukon Territory. In some ways, maybe that’s not a bad thing!

If you are looking for big power in a small package, Check the latest price on Amazon

You can turn your power station into a true solar generator with this solar panel.

Tired of messing with solid fuel camping lights ? These lights give your camp all the illumination you need, and eliminate the need to carry messy fuel containers.

Pro Tip:

Dont charge extremely cold batteries. Let them warm up some first. I ruined a small power bank that way this fall, and know of at least one chainsaw battery that was ruined the same way.

Dave & Reg