Charging Kit Breakdown
I have been carefully curating my charging kit for years and I am finally happy enough with it to share. Be clear—this is not a general purpose charging kit, but one tailored to me. A lot of the battery charging stuff, like the 47s charger can be omitted if you are not a daily flashlight user, but if you are, then there is probably no better on-the-road solution than this. It does ride with me in my daily briefcase, but it’s really optimized to go from work to the trail to travel without being disassembled or modified. So if you are really weight conscious, again, you could modify it. To help with that, I am going to group things based on task. Some items, like the power bank, are so good you should just have it in any charging kit you make. I am also pretty happy with the pouch all this rides in, but as a bonus, I have developed a general use charging kit that can fit in those awful knife tacos you probably have dozens of, gathering dust in a closet or drawer somewhere. Last, some of this stuff is just generic “does this thing” stuff, while others, where I think it matters, are name brand items. As someone that worked in an audio store for years, I can tell you copper is copper, so cables don’t matter. Those fancy cables were there for looks and profit-margin reasons, not performance reasons. Essential stuff is in bold.
Here is everything in the pack laid out.
VPSun 65W “Wall Wart” AC Adapter
This design, brand be damned, is what you want—thin, powerful enough to charge a modern laptop, with both USB-C and USB-A outputs and with folding prongs. You can get high wattage AC adapters but this should cover you for all but the most beastly of gaming laptops. For my Mac Book Air this is plenty.
Inui P50-E1 Power Bank
Given that this has a battery on it and batteries of certain chemistries can be volatile, I do thing it merits buying something here that is brand name gear. In my brief journey down the rabbit hole on power banks Inui has a good reputation and handling this little brick of juice it is easy to see why—it is solidly built with a clear and large display. In an effort to streamline designs and keep costs down power banks often skimp on the display relying on a few pinpoint LEDs to tell you what’s going on and sometimes they can be confusing or inaccurate. Shell out some cash and get something useful. The ability to output in either USB-A or C is really nice. And this can full charge a phone at least two or three times before needing another charge. The lanyard is also useful—it is a very stout USB-C power cord hidden as a lanyard.
No Name 3 in 1 Multicable
I don’t think brand matters here either, but I do think features do. First, I think braided cable covers are more durable than their plastic or rubber counterparts. I also think it is important to have the following ports: Micro, A, and C. In terms of the input port, this is USB-A, but I think I would opt for USB-C if I bought it now. I can run everything on USB-A so there is no need to upgrade. I also think it might be worthwhile to look into an inCharge design where the input and outputs can both be swapped. For now, though, this cheapo cable works for me.
47s Battery Charger
This is my first non-essential item but if you are flasholic this is kind of essential. It can charge almost any battery aside from a 10180 (I think…I have never risked it). It’s super compact, especially compared to a plug or desktop style charger, and it’s easy to use. Leave it Jason to make even flashlight accessories brilliant design showcases.
A to C Converter
I have no idea where this came from but I have used it quite a few times and it has saved my bacon at least once. Given its exceptionally small size, it’s an easy add, but, it is not essential.
Monoprice Cigarette Adapter for USB-A Power
This was $1.97 and it is probably the first thing that will fall out of the bag next. We still have a car with a cigarette adapter and given the low weight and size, it was a no-brainer to include. But make no mistake, this is nowhere near an essential item.
Apple double USB-C Charger
This came with the laptop and though it is duplicative it earns its place being super small and having two output ports. If I am running just my essentials, I would drop this, too.
Bagsmart Tech Organizer
Of all the stuff I have this and the Inui power bank are both brand names and both are substantial upgrades over other stuff I have tried. If I were to drop down to bear essentials, I would not need a kit this big (see more below), but in the current set up, this is the right size with the right amount of organization.
10180 Charging Port
Yeah, this is just for me. No one needs this but for the most ardent flashoholics. If you do need it, it is irreplaceable as there is basically no other way to charge 10180 batteries given their diminutive size. But again, not an essential, just a nice to have.
Here is everything packed:
BONUS
This was part of a different post, but given how close the two topics are, I am merging them here into a single, large post.
What follows is a little ranty and a little too much like a Pinterest post, but I thought I’d share it because, today, this little kit saved my bacon, again. You were warned. And no I am not going to use the made up word: upcycle. I hate made up words.
Supposing you are a little into knives you may, like me, also be inundated with dozens of little black cordura or nylon zippered pouches. It doesn’t matter if you are buying a handmade custom or a $31 Sencut, you will probably get it in a pouch. This is, of course, insanely wasteful and unfair to consumers. Do you want yet another one of these stupid pouches? No. Do you want to pay for it? Double no. But too bad, in 2025 every knife comes with one of these pouches and you paid to get it.
I have been a fan of minimalist packaging since I got my first ziplock baggied Strider, but, alas, I am a salmon swimming upstream. People make videos of themselves opening things, because, apparently, that’s what counts as an accomplishment these days. I remind you we are the same species that sent men to the Moon in the 1960s on a machine that has the computing power of the average microwave today. But that is another topic for another day. The point is, people LOVE reveling (or wallowing, depending on how you see it) in materialism and there is no other ritual more materialistic than an unboxing. Be clear—this is all marketing mumbo jumbo.
But we get these pouches anyway. What do we do with them? Well, I have an idea. And I tested it out. And it worked pretty well. I am on the road a lot. I need my computer to work all over the place. I also have a phone and a pair of wireless earbuds that need charging. So I took one of these pouches and converted it into a charging kit for my briefcase. In doing so, I have the following added to a generic Civivi pouch: the VPSun AC adapter, a generic ultra thin power bank, the 3-in-1 multi cable. This got me through quite a bit and though not as comprehensive as the above kit, it was quite small and easy to stow away.
The Terrain365 pouch works perfectly here and it is exceptionally small and rigid enough to find quickly in a packed bag. This just might be my go to.
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