A good battery pack is a vital piece of gear for any hiker these days. There are many components that go into what makes the best battery pack for a thru-hike. It’s not just about the power but also the weight, how quickly it charges your devices, how long it takes to recharge in town, how reliable it is and it’s durabilty.
Based on each of these criteria I believe I have found it, the perfect thru-hiker power bank. Say hello to the:
The ZendureSuperMini 10,000mAh USB-C PD Portable Charger ( link opens Amazon)
The Tech Specs:
Here is a quick overview of the tech specs:
| CAPACITY | 10,000mAh 3.63V / 36.4Wh |
| WEIGHT | 6.35oz/180g |
| INPUT | USB-C: 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/15A, 18W Max; (PD) |
| OUTPUT | USB-C: 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A, 18W Max; (PD) USB-A: 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A, 18W Max; (ZEN+ 2.0) |
Why is This The Best Battery For Thru-Hikers?
Weight (6.35oz/180g)
It’s lighter than most other comprable 10,000 Mah (see head to head match-ups below).
For example, the super-mini weighs 6.35oz/180g while an equivalent Anker PowerCore 10000 PD weighs 6.8oz(192g).
It’s not much of a difference but every grams counts but as you’ll see below the pass-through charging functionality of the Zendure SuperMini will enable you to save even more weight!
Super Fast Recharge Time (3 Hours)
Via the USB-C PD port it can recharge in 3 hours.
This means you can pop into a town, recharge your battery (both literally and figuratively) and leave town with a fully charged battery without having to stay a night if you don’t want to.
Even if you plan to stay a night a quick recharge time saves you hogging a power outlet all night or you could easily charge your battery fully when just sitting at a restaurant/bar.
Charging Times:
The Zendure SuperMini has both a USB-A and USB-C port, both of which can charge at 18watts of power. The battery supports PD (power delivery) charging meaning it can fast charge an iPhone X up to 50% within 30 mins!
Your phone will have to support PD for this to work (most new iPhone and Samsung devices do), but even if your device doesn’t this battery will charge it as fast as your device will allow.
Size and Durabilty
The outer shell feels much more durable that other batteries which can only be a good thing as your battery, along with most of your gear, will be put through the elements on any thru-hike.
Another major benefit of the Zendure SuperMini is the size and shape of the battery itself. It is 30% smaller than most other batteries and is roughly the size of a credit card.
This shape is much more packable than the usual longer bulkier batteries. This shape makes it perfect for slipping into a hip-belt pocket or a fanny pack for easy access.
Style
Fashion is a thru-hikers last concern but nearly every other battery is just a black brick. The Zendure Super-mini has 3 colors which a) looks cooler and b) will make your battery easier to identify at a shared charging point in a restaurant or hostel etc.
The Holy Grail of Pass-Through Charging
All the above features of the Zendure SuperMini are great but the thing that makes it head and shoulders above the rest of other batteries is that it supports pass-through charging.
What is pass-through charging and why is it so important?
Simply put this means you can charge the battery whilst at the same time use the battery to charge other devices. This quick video demonstrates the difference:
Why is this so good for thru-hikers? Well, it enables you to replace your usual 2 USB port wall charger with a single USB port one.
For example, say I use an Anker Powercore PD battery that doesn’t support pass through charging. When I get to town I want to charge both my battery and my phone at the same time. To do this I have to bring a 2 usb port wall charger (pictured).
Now with the Zendure SuperMini it can turn the battery into another USB port so I only need to bring a smaller 1 port wall charger.
I charge the battery directly using the wall socket and then daisy chain my phone or whatever else I want to charge off my SuperMini battery.
As an example, the two wall chargers pictured above. The smaller one weighs 1.9oz/53g whilst the larger one weighs 8oz/227g. So by utilising the pass-through charging you save 6oz/170+g from your pack, that’s a big weight saving without any loss of functionality.
These are two great ultralight small wall chargers options that support PD to couple with your Zendure SuperMini:
Head to Head Match-Ups
Zendure SuperMini vs Anker PowerCore 10000 PD
| Criteria | Zendure SuperMini 10,000 Mah | Anker PowerCore 10000 PD | Comment |
| Weight | 6.35oz/180g | 6.8oz/192g | SuperMini has 0.45oz/12g weight saving |
| PD | Yes | Yes | Both support Fast PD charging |
| Pass Through Charging | Yes | No | Only the SuperMini supports pass-through charging. Allowing for a smaller wall charger, saving 2-6oz easily. |
| Recharge Time | 3 Hours | 4 Hours | SuperMini with a much faster recharge time. An hour saved in town is a big difference. |
| Charge Time (PD charge of iPhone X to 50%) | 30 Mins | 30 Mins | No noticeable difference on how fast they charge. |
| Dimensions | 3.1” x 2.2” x 1.0” (79 x 56 x 26 mm) | 4.5″ x 2.0″ x 1.0″ (114 x 52 x 25 mm) | SuperMini with the more compact size |
Zendure SuperMini vs RavPower PD Pioneer 10000mAh Portable Charger 2-Port Power Bank
| Criteria | Zendure SuperMini 10,000 Mah | RavPower PD Pioneer 10000mAh | Comment |
| Weight | 6.35oz/180g | 6.7oz/190g | SuperMini has 0.35oz/10g weight saving |
| PD | Yes | Yes | No difference |
| Pass Through Charging | Yes | No | Only the SuperMini supports pass-through charging. Allowing for a smaller wall charger, saving 2-6oz easily. |
| Recharge Time | 3 Hours | 3 Hours | No difference |
| Charge Time (PD charge of iPhone X to 50%) | 30 Mins | 30 Mins | No difference |
| Dimensions | 3.1” x 2.2” x 1” (79 x 56 x 26 mm) | 5.5″ x 2.6″ x 0.5″ (140 x 66 x 13 mm) | SuperMini with the more compact size |
Zendure SuperMini vs Nitecore NB10000
| Criteria | Zendure SuperMini 10,000 Mah | Nitecore NB10000 | Comment |
| Weight | 6.35oz/180g | 5.29oz (150g) | With it’s carbon fibre casing the Nitecore beats the SuperMini by over 1oz/30g. |
| PD | Yes | Yes | No Difference |
| Pass Through Charging | Yes | No | Only the SuperMini supports pass-through charging. Allowing for a smaller wall charger, saving 2-6oz easily. Whilst the Nitecore battery itself is lighter if you use a smaller wall charger with the SuperMini it will be lighter overall. |
| Recharge Time | 3 Hours | 3 Hours | No Difference |
| Charge Time (PD charge of iPhone X to 50%) | 30 Mins | 30 Mins | No Difference |
| Dimensions | 3.1” x 2.2” x 1” (79 x 56 x 26 mm) | 4.8″ x 2.32″ x 0.42″ (122 x 56 x 11 mm) | SuperMini with the more compact size |
The Perfect Thru-Hiker Battery
The design and specs of the SuperMini make it ideal for any thru-hiker. It’s got the perfect combination of functionality and features.
It matches or surpasses most other batteries on the usual criteria and is one of the very few batteries in it’s class that supports pass-through charging. The Zendure SuperMini when utilized with a smaller wall charger can enable big weight savings.
If you’re interested in getting your own you can see it on Amazon here. Any questions just comment below.
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