REVIEWED: Powertraveller Mini-G
Out this month, this portable, rugged and multi-volt power bank packs a big punch for off-grid overnight trips
Off-grid travel: it’s the future. The collective yearning for adventure means more people are swerving tour groups and tourists and heading into the outback to make their own adventures. Tech can help, and no more so than the Powertraveller Mini-G, compact yet large portable power bag with a rugged outdoor–proof casing.
Size & weight
Weighing 346g and measuring 185x110x15mm, the Powertraveller Mini-G takes up about the same amount of space as a small tablet – think the Samsung Galaxy Note – but it’s flat enough to fit into the side pocket or any slip pocket of a backpack.
Unusual connections
Unlike most portable battery powered banks that are designed only for smartphones and tablets, the Powertraveller Mini-G is much more versatile. Although it has two USB outputs like almost all decent–sized portable power banks, it can connect to a lot more gear directly. For example, in the box are a dizzying number of connector tips for charging not from those USB slots, but from a DC cable with an adaptor tip.
Apple Macbooks
In fact, the only device it’s not capable of charging our Apple’s MacBook laptops (there were none of the requisite adaptors in the box), though the ‘Mini-G’ stands for ‘mini gorilla’, which is a reference to its larger stable-mate the PowerGorilla, which can do just that.
Massive capacity
Its 12,000mAh capacity – enough for about five full charges of an iPhone – is key to its usefulness. Packing that kind of power means you can recharge a small laptop twice over, and a DSLR camera battery can be refuelled between two and five times. For some devices, it’s even more useful over the long term; a GoPro can be recharged about seven times while a smartwatch over 20 times. However, at its core this is a gadget for short off-grid trips.
Refuelling
Unlike most other portable power banks, the Powertraveller Mini-G is itself recharged by a power adapter and wall socket or from a car 5V charger, although it is also possible to buy and connect SolarGorilla if you need to be totally self-sufficient. However, even more unusually, the Powertraveller Mini-G can be tweaked to cater for multi-voltage DC outputs up to 19V using the LCD display on the front of the battery, which also lets you know how full – or otherwise – the power bank is.
Much-needed
Powertraveller is one of those rare travel gear brands that was created to fill a much-needed gap in the market, and the Powertraveller Mini-G is just the latest proof of that. Swerving the trend for smaller and smaller portable batteries only designed for phones and commuting, the Powertraveller Mini-G breaks the mould and does it in a serious, considered way. However, this one is best used for short overnight or two-day trips.
Price as reviewed: £110.00
Buy the Powertraveller Mini-G