Battery pack will take abuse in outdoors

Portable battery packs are requisite gear for anyone heading outdoors for an extended period with a phone, camera, or GPS unit in tow. A new option, the Poseidon from Utah-based brand Dark Energy, is sold as a battery pack that’s rugged, “destruction-tested,” and waterproof.

The $99 product is simple, including two USB ports and a small LED that serves as a flashlight for close-up tasks. You can plug in anything USB-compatible, and the pack’s 10,000 mAh (milli Amp hours) capacity provides enough electricity for a weekend away.

I initially charged the Poseidon via a wall outlet at home. In the woods, I was able to power up my phone multiple times. (As a baseline, the company cites three to six full charges, depending on phone model.)

There are a lot of battery packs on the market. What makes the Poseidon stand out is its case. Made of a tough plastic with rubbery bumpers, it’s designed to take the abuse.

Indeed, in my test it was tossed onto rocks, plunked in water, and dropped off a 70-foot tower onto turf. Through it all, the power pack did not budge – after the deliberately rough test there was hardly a scratch on the case.

For a water test, the Poseidon took a one-minute swim in Lake Superior. After a shake-off, the unit was back to its normal functionality, charging a GPS unit without a blink.

A fun bonus is the included paracord-wrapped charging cable. Beyond the survivalist aesthetic, there is some functionality, as the cord protects the cable underneath.

In an emergency, you could unwrap the paracord and make a tourniquet or a shelter with the 20-foot strand, a USB cable for the first time in history ostensibly saving a life.

The Poseidon comes with a carabiner and a nylon strap, letting you clip it to a backpack. Its dual USB ports let you charge two gadgets at once.

The built-in LED light serves as a mini lantern, and, also for emergency situations, you can have the Poseidon blink out an SOS signal by pressing the light button twice.

Some of these functions sound silly. But in the field the Poseidon is actually very usable, a low-profile and truly “destruction-tested” unit that will serve to provide you power just about anywhere you go.