The gear that gets you there.
Only the best. Nothing else makes the list.
A bank that lasts to the next town. USB-C. No brick.
Three picks. Updated weekly. That is the whole list. If it is not here, it did not earn a place.
· Top three updated weekly. Listed prices and shop ratings stay live.
Surveys 40% · independent tests 30% · merchant ratings 15% · relative street price 15%. Sources & method
Listed prices and shop ratings stay live once a shop page loads. GEAR UP has the current figure.
Built from published thru-hiker surveys and independent testing — not commissions. Sources & method · Disclosure
Swipe — three picks side by side
10,000 mAh · 5.3 oz · USB-C
Listed price
8.7 / 10 Thru Picks
10,000 mAh power bank at 5.3 ounces. Keeps a phone charged to the next town.
Sources: REI Co-op · Garage Grown Gear · Halfway Anywhere · Thru Picks method
GEAR UP →Also at Garage Grown Gear →Affiliate link. We may earn a commission. Not a paid ranking.
20,000 mAh · 10.2 oz
Listed price
8.4 / 10 Thru Picks
Twice the cells when the carry is longer. Heavier. The bank if town is five days out.
Sources: Garage Grown Gear · CleverHiker · REI Co-op · Thru Picks method
GEAR UP →Affiliate link. We may earn a commission. Not a paid ranking.
10,000 mAh · 7.2 oz · USB-C
Listed price
8.3 / 10 Thru Picks
Slim 10,000 mAh, a lower price, easy to find. The bank you can replace in a grocery town.
Sources: REI Co-op · CleverHiker · Thru Picks method
GEAR UP →Affiliate link. We may earn a commission. Not a paid ranking.
This ranking already sits in a finished kit. Every item is among the best. Weighed. Ranked. Ready.
The lighter pick among the best in each slot. Dyneema shelter, open-foot quilt, flask filter.
7 lb 7.3 oz base · Open kit →02 · Highest performingThe highest-performing pick in each slot this site already ranks. Dyneema shelter, closed-foot quilt, SOS in the hipbelt.
7 lb 15 oz base · Open kit →A thru-hike battery is light, USB-C, and big enough to reach town. That is the whole job. Headlamps and messengers have their own lists.
Nitecore NB10000 is first: 5.3 ounces, 10,000 mAh, the bank a lot of a PCT class already carries. Nitecore NB20000 is the Premium Pick when the carry is longer. Anker 533 is Best Value: slim 10,000 mAh, a co-op and Amazon shelf.
Rankings and kits are based on published surveys and independent analysis. They are opinions for informational purposes only. Users are responsible for choosing and using gear appropriate to their conditions and experience. Thru Picks is not liable for outcomes related to product use. Terms