Many of my more ridiculous ideas start with the phrase, “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” For example, “Wouldn’t it be cool if there was this device – kinda like a roasting spit – only you put your cat in the middle – which would remain stationary – and then cranked these washing things – like in a car wash – and it cleaned your cat?”
I even drew this idea on a piece of paper for Angela to fully grasp my brilliance. Naturally, she wasn’t impressed, a fact Harley has celebrated ever since. The thing is, Harley really needs this fast, easy, and incredibly convenient cat washing device. He gets pretty ripe on the road.
Another one of my, “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” moments occurred shortly after we embarked on our second cross-country truck camping adventure. This time we were working from the road and found keeping our laptop batteries charged to be quite challenging. You see, back then we didn’t have LED lights, solar panels, or AGM batteries. We were practically Flintstone camping. It’s a wonder we didn’t power our truck with our feet.
Anyway, we were parked at Panera Bread, a favorite of ours for lunch and charging our laptops. We walked in, scoped out a table with an electrical outlet, plugged in our laptops, ate a meal, and worked. Many a TCM article has been written and published from Panera Bread.
Half way through a You Pick Two, I said to Angela, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could bring our camper batteries into Panera – maybe in a bag disguised to look like a big camera bag – and charge our camper batteries while we eat?”
Angela actually agreed with this idea. “That would be cool,” she answered. Sometimes she gets me.
In retrospect, I’m not sure my battery idea was any better than my cat washing machine. Both were brilliant of course, but not exactly practical for mass consumption. As usual, there are more sensible ways to accomplish the same goals. In the case of the camper battery, solar, AGMs, and an inverter make more sense. In case of Harley, sink baths do the trick. He loves a bath (seriously).
Since having the idea to bring our camper batteries into a restaurant, I have seen a number of truck camper owners using small portable cell phone and device chargers. These portable battery pack chargers consist of a contained battery with a USB connection and are designed to charge smartphones, tablets, and other smaller devices.
You charge these portable battery pack chargers at home (or Panera) on 110-volts, and then use them when you’re off-grid and need to charge your device.
What a great idea! I wonder how many truck camper owners use these portable battery pack chargers, what chargers they’re using, and what they use them for? How could we ask several thousand truck camper owners this question? Oh wait!
This week’s Question of the Week is, “Do you use a portable battery pack charger for your devices?”
If you do, please share the make and model of portable battery pack charger you use, and how it helps you when boondocking.
We’re also interested to hear if anyone is using a solar chargeable battery pack. And if you’ve found a portable battery that can power more than just small devices, we are all ears.
The post Portable Battery Pack Chargers For Boondocking appeared first on Truck Camper Magazine.