I have been using the 16000mAh and the older 10400mAh powerbanks for a while now, which has been pretty good for overnight and multiday walks. The 16000mAh powerbank is great, but is quite hefty. Unless I was doing a week long unsupported trip I would carry it, otherwise I would take the smaller 10400mAh powerbank and ration recharging.
I have bought a new slimmer/lighter version of the Xiaomi 10000mAh. It is called the 10000mAh Version 2 or "Powerbank 2".
It is a bit lighter than the older 10400mAh, thinner, slightly more efficient, and has Quick Charging compatibility.
Annoyingly however, there are a few models of Xiaomi 10000mAh powerbanks now, and their naming conventions are terrible for these:
But so far as I understand it, this is a list of the 10000mAh powerbanks they have:
- 10400mAH (Fat)
This is the original that weighs 250g, size 90.5 x 77 x 21.6mm. This one takes around 5.5 hrs with a 10W (2A) charger, and 12 hrs with a 5W (1A) charger. It uses 4 x 18650 batteries inside which accounts for the greater weight. - 10000mAh (Fat)
This is the same thickness as the 16000mAh and 10400mAh powerbanks but is smaller and lighter. Weight 207g Size 91 x 60.4 x 22mm. This one has a slightly higher charging/discharging efficiency, but still charges around about the same duration as the original (around 5.5 hrs with 10W charger and 10 hrs with 5W (1A) charger). They got it to a lower weight than the previous one by using 3x higher capacity 18650 cells compared with 4 x 18650 cells in the older 10400mAh - 10000mAh (Powerbank 2)
This is the one I bought with a micro USB input. Weight 217g 130 × 71 × 14.1mm If you have a capable charger, it will actually fill this faster than the previous model in about 4.2 hours (18W charger) About 6.2 hours (10W charger). It will also output faster, with the ability to use QC 2.0 standards of 9V/12V if you have a compatible phone/tablet. These slim versions use a flat lithium battery pack (like those used in your phones/tablets). - 10000mAh (Pro)
This is a version with USB C input - they include a microUSB to USB-C converter plug. Slightly thinner and shorter than the Powerbank 2, but is wider. Weight 223g. 128.5 x 75 x 12.6mm Takes 3.5 hours (18W charger) 5.5 hours (10W charger)
The faster charge times and the ability to faster charge QC compatible devices is great.
The Pro (USB C) version is a bit more expensive than the Powerbank Version 2, and I didn't go for it as most of my kit is still micro USB so I didn't want to carry another cable or an adapter plug.
So far I have run a few tests on the Powerbank 2, and it is quite a capable. I am getting around on average 6950mAh output (at 5V) which is about 9652mAh at 3.6V (the voltage of the internal batteries - getting to the 10000mAh value) so has about a 96% efficiency. The older 16000mAh and 10400mAh I tested were getting around 90% efficiency depending on the current draw from the devices being charged.
The 10000mAh Powerbank 2 currently goes for around $23-$28
The 10000mAh Powerbank Pro currently goes for around $35-$40
Comparison pics between my 16000mAh/10400mAh/ new 10000mAh powerbanks.
Comparison pics between the new 10000mAh and new 10000mAh Pro (USB C) powerbanks. The Pro model is the one in gold