OldSchool-WI Loc: Brandon, Wisconsin 53919

I have read quickly through most of the topic posts about the wilderness off line charging. I am off line for half the year myself. Regular 12 chargers are available for most camera batteries. The cheapest is to pick up 12v batteries for lawn mowers or small engines if you need to walk or go by small boat. And if you can drive to your location--marine-type batteries not designed for power surging and starting engines. You want storage--not engine starting surging. I have found that solar is a bust. Even at high noon. Barely enough to run a laptop in July with four large panels. You don't need to spend gobs of money.----Eric

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

Here is the one I use made by IOGEAR. Its capacity is 16,000 mAh. Since I have had it for a few years, I suspect models with even higher capacity can be had. It has two USB ports. One is 5V at 1A for slow charging and the other is 5V at 2.4A for faster charging. It is small and can easily be carried in my camera bag. I can charge the camera and my cell phone with it. For a battery rated at 2000 mAh, it could probably charge it 8 times. Most I have ever tried is about 4 and it was still good to go.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/373531297641?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=373531297641&targetid=4580702890871448&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=418640321&mkgroupid=1233652283797640&rlsatarget=pla-4580702890871448&abcId=9300602&merchantid=51291&msclkid=4554cfbf5024118bc141ae6a7923ba6a

Watch the current capacity when you look for one. More is better. But also keep track of the size and weight. Buy what you think you are willing to carry around. I do have a larger one that I have started my car with it. But it is heavy, and I really wouldn't want to carry it around.

GAS496 Loc: Arizona

5x7 is no small camera either! Although I have been shooting almost exclusively with 8x10 large format for twenty years I still consider myself a rank amateur. You just can’t pick one of these up and make flawless images, it takes decades to master. Yes I was influenced by Ansel Adams to move up to large format film photography when I saw an exhibition of his at the Center of Creative Photography in Tucson AZ. His 8x10 contact prints were mesmerizing.

I love every aspect of the large format experience especially the taking of an image. While at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley in December I invited digital photographers standing next to me to look under the dark cloth. Seeing someone’s face light up from seeing the world through an 8x10 ground glass for the first time is inspiring and it makes lugging the sixty pounds of gear up the hill worthwhile.

I am reluctant to post here because it is not worth the time to argue with people. For instance my point of making this post in the first place was to say that maybe not shooting so many photos will help save your batteries and it is rewarding in its own way. Yet, some guy who posts a lot wants to make this a debate between analog and digital photography. Each medium has its own benefits and rewards and they are different tools for different jobs as far as I am concerned. Nothing worth arguing about. It is all photography!

rlynes Loc: Wisconsin

My extreme RV buddies use the Jackery products for power and solar combinations. Supposedly these are the best for rough situations, but they are pricey. https://www.jackery.com/

Their 1000-watt power station/dual solar panel combo runs about $1,500 US. The single panel unit is about $1,200 US. 500-watt power station/single panel combo runs about $800 US.

1,000 watt power station alone weighs in at around 22 lbs (10 Kg), 500 watt station weighs 14 lbs (6+ Kg), so that has to be taken into account.

wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

A few years ago I posted a comment somewhere suggesting the benefit of analog (film) on long, National Geographic style expeditions (like up the Amazon) where electricity wouldn't be available at all. Someone who claimed to know the facts replied that NG now simply bought/provided enough camera batteries to take as many digital photos as anticipated, with built in margins of course. The same way they would have bought a quantity of film for the trip, back in the day. Use 'em once, and bring 'em back to recharge/use on the next trip.

The OP says he "sometimes" runs out of power with the collection of camera batteries he has now. Maybe 1 or 2 more would be enough to guarantee no shortfall in the future. Certainly would be a cheaper, smaller and lighter solution than any portable charging system. Or, math project: what is the least expensive recharge system that would do the job, and how many extra camera batteries would that buy? It's a near certainty that THAT many extra batteries would cover ANY amount of shooting he may do on one of his excursions.

Of course, if there is a need/use for power to recharge other devices, the other suggestions above are the route to take. But if it's only the camera, some extra batteries may be the best and cheapest way to go.

scallihan Loc: Tigard, OR

I got an Avapow power bank that charges cars, boats, etc, and has usb ports, and a powerful flashlight/emergency flasher. There are many on the market at various price points.

MDI Mainer

A USD 100 solution:

https://www.goalzero.com/shop/solar-panels/by-activity-photography/