Bring enough portable gadgets on a trip and inevitably you’ll be looking for power to recharge them. Sporty’s now offers what it thinks is the ultimate solution with its $79.95 Flight Gear backup battery pack. I’ve been using it to charge my stuff and quickly learned to like its performance and utility.
At first blush, the battery seems big, measuring 7.75 by 3.75 by 0.5 inches, but its saving grace is the thin profile. That makes it easy to slide into a map pocket, flight bag and the front pocket of a backpack. I stashed it in all of the above, but it was a touch too large to comfortably fit in a jacket or pants pocket. The casing is anti-slip, which keeps it from coming out of the hand, but I wish it were even grippier. The drawback to the thin footprint is that it can easily slide between a seat. When the airplane is put away, the battery could work on a motorcycle or bicycle, if there’s the right on-bike storage.