User Review: Power Pot The PowerPot

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February 5, 2013

swensor
28 reviewer rep

Rating:
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $150

Summary

Bought one on their Kickstarter last year, and boy was it worth the wait! I'm getting pretty respectable charge times with a simple MSR stove and boiling water! Best new piece of gear I got in 2012 :)

Pros

Surprisingly fast charge times
Lightweight, dual-purpose, fits easily in your day pack or overnight setup
USB. Enough said, it charges whatever you throw at it

Cons

Bit of a learning curve, you have to use it correctly or the output suffers
Didn't work with my iPod until I used the PowerPot's charging connectors

The Power Pot came up on Kickstarter last year, and quickly hit its funding goal. I was really excited to try the device out. The company said they had overwhelming demand and ended up shipping the unit at the end of summer. But it was totally worth the wait! During my first test I added a cup or so of water, and put it on a mid-sized flame on my home stove. It bumped my iphone up 30% in about an hour. Seemed allright, but not quite the speed I was hoping for.

Then I read the instruction manual :)

Turns out, if you use the right kind of flame and focus it on the bottom of the pot, fill it to the brim with cold water, you get TONS of power! Now I can milk this baby for all it's worth! I can add a full ~40% to my charge level in a half hour!

Granted this is a niche product, only suitable for backpackers who like to get down, and people concerned about rolling power outages and emergency preparedness. It's also going to be a huge hit in the 3rd world where people don't have regular access to power. For those inclined, check this bad boy out!