I would like to talk about a compact portable charger that I bought about a year ago, which has pretty much become an indispensable piece of kit for me. It is a sleek, matte black rectangular device, roughly the size of a deck of cards, with a robust metallic casing that feels quite durable in the hand. Despite its relatively small footprint, it has a high capacity, meaning it can recharge my mobile phone at least three or four times before needing to be plugged in itself.
I actually picked it up at an electronics shop in London just before heading off on a weekend camping trip. My old power pack had finally given up the ghost, and since I knew I would be spending a couple of days away from mains electricity, I needed a reliable backup. The sales assistant recommended this particular model because it supports fast charging and has multiple ports, allowing me to juice up both my phone and my wireless headphones simultaneously.
These days, I use it almost on a daily basis. I tend to pop it straight into my rucksack whenever I leave my flat in the morning. Because I use my phone for everything from navigation on public transport to answering work emails and listening to podcasts during my commute, the battery tends to drain rather quickly by mid-afternoon.
The main reason it is so vital to me is sheer peace of mind. There is nothing more stressful than seeing your battery drop to single digits when you are out and about and still need to check train timetables or pay for things with contactless. Having that extra reserve of power tucked away in my bag eliminates battery anxiety entirely.