How to charge your drone battery
Charge your drone with a micro USB port (via power bank or solar charger)
One important thing that many people forget to think about is battery life and rechargeability. There are many drones like the DJI Phantom and the Mavic Pro which have a great battery life but are not chargeable via USB. (More on this topic in our guide: The perfect drone for traveling)
Get the DJI Mavic Air or the Spark if you are planning a longer or more remote hike, and you will have the opportunity to recharge your drone wherever you are.
Recharging drone batteries with solar energy
One way to recharge your drone battery is with a solar panel.
Use a power bank (that you can charge with your solar panel), if you don’t want to risk damaging your battery with an inconsistent power source.
If you are planning to go on a longer hike, a solar panel will help you immensely. We love camping, and sometimes the huts are still closed, or the location we are exploring is so remote that we will not find a charging place in a couple of days. As soon as the sun comes out, we have the solar panel attached to our backpack.
One thing you don’t want to risk is a dead drone battery.
The RAVPower 24W has three USB slots, and one is charging a power bank at all times. So even if all of our devices are full, we still use the panel.
Product
RAVPower 16W
Anker PowerPort 21W
CHOETECH 24W Solar
RAVPower 24W
Water-resistant
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Efficiency
21,5-23,5%
21,5-23,5%
23-24%
21,5-23,5%
USB Ports
2
2
2
3
Size
23,9 x 16 x 2 cm
9.41 × 6.3 × 0.2 in
28,2 x 16 x 2,8 cm
11.1 × 6.3 × 1.1 in
26 x16 x 4cm
11.1x 6.3 x 1.06 in
30 x 16,5 x 0,5 cm
11.81 × 6.5 × 0.2 in
Weight
449 g /15.8 oz.
485 g /17.1 oz.
662 g /23.3 oz.
748 g /26.3 oz.
Price
45,99€
$49.99
55,99€
$61.99
48,99€
$49.99
69,99€
$75.99
Recharging drone batteries with solar energy
One way to recharge your drone battery is with a solar panel.
Use a power bank (that you can charge with your solar panel), if you don’t want to risk damaging your battery with an inconsistent power source.
If you are planning to go on a longer hike, a solar panel will help you immensely. We love camping, and sometimes the huts are still closed, or the location we are exploring is so remote that we will not find a charging place in a couple of days. As soon as the sun comes out, we have the solar panel attached to our backpack.
One thing you don’t want to risk is a dead drone battery.
The RAVPower 24W has three USB slots, and one is charging a power bank at all times. So even if all of our devices are full, we still use the panel.
Recharging drone batteries with solar energy
Product
RAVPower 16W
Anker PowerPort 21W
CHOETECH 24W Solar
RAVPower 24W
Water-resistant
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Efficiency
21,5-23,5%
21,5-23,5%
23-24%
21,5-23,5%
USB Ports
2
2
2
3
Size
23,9 x 16 x 2 cm
9.41 × 6.3 × 0.2 in
28,2 x 16 x 2,8 cm
11.1 × 6.3 × 1.1 in
26 x16 x 4cm
11.1x 6.3 x 1.06 in
30 x 16,5 x 0,5 cm
11.81 × 6.5 × 0.2 in
Weight
449 g /15.8 oz.
485 g /17.1 oz.
662 g /23.3 oz.
748 g /26.3 oz.
Price
45,99€
$49.99
55,99€
$61.99
48,99€
$49.99
69,99€
$75.99
Recharging Drone Batteries with a power bank
It is always good to have at least two drone batteries with you. If you need more flying time use a power bank to recharge. We are using an Anker 20100mAh power bank; with this power bank, you can charge your drone up to 4 times. Each charging cycle will take approximately 1 hour. Effectively we are carrying six Spark batteries with us. (Plus the possibility to charge everything with solar energy.)
Product
Anker PowerCore
Zendure A8 QC 3.0
RAVPower 20100mAh
EasyAcc 20000mAh
Capacity
20100mAh
74.37 wh
26800mAh
99.2Wh
20100mAh
74.32Wh
20000mAh
74 Wh
Output
5V / 4.8A
5-6V / 3.0A
5V / 3A
5V / 3.1A
Size
166 x 58 x 22 mm
6.5” x 2.3” x 0.9”
119 x 73 x 40 mm
4.7” x 2.8” x 1.6”
173 x 81 x 22mm
6.8” x 3.2” x 0.9”
167 x 81 x 22 mm
6.6” x 3.2” x 0.9”
Weight
356 g / 12.6 oz
483 g / 17.0 oz
374g / 13,1oz.
410g / 14.5 oz.
Price
34,99€
39,99$
76,85€
89.95$
39,99€
49 99$
32,99€
39.99$
Drone Charges
DJI Spark
Capacity: 1480 mAh
Energy: 16.87 Wh
4 times
5.5 times
4 times
3.5 times
Recharging Drone Batteries with a power bank
It is always good to have at least two drone batteries with you. If you need more flying time use a power bank to recharge. We are using an Anker 20100mAh power bank; with this power bank, you can charge your drone up to 4 times. Each charging cycle will take approximately 1 hour. Effectively we are carrying six Spark batteries with us. (Plus the possibility to charge everything with solar energy.)
Product
Anker PowerCore
Zendure A8 QC 3.0
RAVPower 20100mAh
EasyAcc 20000mAh
Capacity
20100mAh
74.37 wh
26800mAh
99.2Wh
20100mAh
74.32Wh
20000mAh
74 Wh
Output
5V / 4.8A
5-6V / 3.0A
5V / 3A
5V / 3.1A
Size
166 x 58 x 22 mm
6.5” x 2.3” x 0.9”
119 x 73 x 40 mm
4.7” x 2.8” x 1.6”
173 x 81 x 22mm
6.8” x 3.2” x 0.9”
167 x 81 x 22 mm
6.6” x 3.2” x 0.9”
Weight
356 g / 12.6 oz
483 g / 17.0 oz
374g / 13,1oz.
410g / 14.5 oz.
Price
34,99€
39,99$
76,85€
89.95$
39,99€
49 99$
32,99€
39.99$
Drone Charges
DJI Spark
Capacity: 1480 mAh
Energy: 16.87 Wh
4 times
5.5 times
4 times
3.5 times
