NO electricity… How does this amputee charge her prosthetic leg while camping?
The best battery pack for camping needs to charge a range of devices—especially for a traveler who has a disability. In addition to powering or charging mobile devices or small appliances, a reliable camping battery or portable battery pack also needs to be able to reliably and safely charge mobility devices such as prosthetics during car camping trips.
Our pick for best battery pack for camping
Dead batteries equal bad news for a traveler with a disability in the outdoors
As an amputee, Jodie wears an Ottobock Genium® microprocessor prosthetic leg. The battery in her prosthesis can power her computerized knee for days. But it’s still a computer-controlled, battery-powered device that needs charging.
If her prosthesis’s battery goes dead, her leg becomes a stiff paperweight. A high-tech peg leg. That’s never convenient or okay, but especially not when we’re camping. In addition to the inconvenience of not being able to do as much as she wants to do while in the outdoors, a dead prosthetic battery can be a safety concern.
Yet when we camp, we often don’t have access to electricity. So… how do we keep Jodie’s leg charged so she can walk?
The best battery pack for camping can charge batteries for prosthetics and more, even while off grid
We camp for days on end, and those days are often full of hikes and other adventures. There are nights where Jodie needs to charge up her leg so she knows it has a full charge in the morning. When we camp, even in our popup camper, we’re not always on “shore power.” So what do we do?
In 2020, we added a Jackery Portable Power Station 300 to our camping gear lineup. It has become our best battery pack for camping. We can bring it into the camper, and it’s about the size of a big lunchbox, while only weighing a few pounds. When the Jackery itself needs charging, we can plug it into the 12V outlet in our car, and the Jackery charges while we drive. At camp, the Jackery has the capacity to charge multiple devices at once, from various USB-A, USB-C, and 110V AC outlets.
The Jackery’s portability doesn’t just help us charge devices, including mobility devices. It also gives us the flexibility to put the Jackery wherever we want it. Sometimes we set up the Jackery in the cargo area at the back of our Subaru Outback, and plug in whatever devices or batteries we need to charge. We’ve charged computers, phones, fitness trackers and more, all while sitting at a picnic table.
Jodie usually charges her prosthetic leg overnight. Typically, she props up her leg near our camp sink, in arm’s reach from where she sleeps. When charging, we set up the Jackery on the countertop above. That way we can plug in her leg so it charges, but the cord is also safely out of the way and isn’t a tripping or knocking hazard.
Portable power packs gives peace of mind to a traveling amputee
Jodie relies on her prosthetic leg for improved mobility and quality of life. Ever since adding our Jackery to our camping gear lineup, Jodie has never had to worry about her prosthetic leg’s battery going dead.
That peace of mind doesn’t just help her feel more confident about traveling with a disability. Since she knows her prosthesis will have power, she feels empowered, capable, happy, and ready for whatever adventures our family gets up to while camping. Jodie can be more in the moment during our family outings, since she knows she can rely not just on her prosthesis, but a ready-to-go power supply for charging.
Charge multiple devices with Jackery Portable Power Stations
The Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 300 has become one of the most reliable and useful pieces of camping gear we’ve ever used. Different sizes and capacities of Jackery Explorer are available, so you can find the right fit for your adventures, the right ports for your gear, and the right price for your budget.
If you need more power peace of mind, you can also add portable solar panels, so you can charge your Jackery virtually anywhere off-grid.
Which Jackery portable power banks will become your best battery pack for camping?
[SPECIAL OFFER] 10% off select Jackery products
Use promo code “JADEAL” by Dec. 31, 2022
Power up your adventures with Jackery Portable Power Stations
Go big: FREE SHIPPING on Jackery Solar Generator 1000 bundle (power station + solar charger)
10% OFF For Select Products with Code JADEAL
Know you need big power on the go or at home?
TK jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station
