The KUXIU S2 laying on a rock, quite impervious to accidental damage

Taking a few photos from my canoe with the KUXIU S2 power bank attached

There’s a pretty well known rule of thumb… “the best camera is the one that you have with you”. For a lot of my life I’ve gone the extra kilometre and brought a DSLR on all my camping trips, but that was pretty bulky, fragile and cumbersome.

These days, while I still use a DSLR for work, I’ve simplified documenting my personal adventures by simply using my iPhone. Mobile phone technology has come a long way and you can’t beat the convenience of having a camera right in your pocket. To top it off, your phone can do so much more than a camera with its accurate GPS and handy library of outdoorsy apps.

Similar to its bigger brethren, it’s only handy as long as the battery is still functioning. So it goes without saying that for a device that is so integrated into our lives, you best bring a battery backup on outdoor adventures. There’s no shortage of choices out there but one that differentiates itself is the KUXIU S2 Qi2 MagSafe Solid-State Power Bank.

It weighs 143g (5.04oz)
supports Qi2 for 15W wireless charging
5,000mAh at 3.8V (19Wh) which has the capacity to charge an iPhone from zero to full with a little left over
Has a USB-C port on the bottom (and includes a nice braided cable in the box) to charge other devices as well as being able to charge the power bank itself
four LED lights on the bottom indicating 100% through 10% charge remaining
a button on the bottom to put it in lower current mode for charging devices like your headphones or watch

Where pretty much every single other charger on the market (including the ones you own) has a liquid battery, the KUXIU S2 features a semi-solid state battery which means no risk of it leaking or spontaneously catching on fire. With the amount of knocks and drops your gear will go through in the outdoors, this is almost a necessary feature. Another perk is that the battery’s capacity doesn’t degrade as quickly after repeated usage. After 1,000 charges KUXIU claims that it will still hold true at least 80% which is double to triple what the average battery pack’s life would be.

Just attach the KUXIU S2 before bed and you will have a fully charged phone well before morning

After many camping and backpacking trips, I’m happy to say the MagSafe connection is nice and tight. I had no worries of it dropping off the side of my phone into the water while canoeing (Make sure your camera case doesn’t have any bumpers on the edges or the power bank won’t sit flush). The face of it is covered by a layer of double-sided American Corning glass, reinforced with an explosion-proof film for toughness and durability. The aluminum body is very smooth and solid and I have no fear of tossing it into the lid of my pack unprotected. It organically picked up a few scratches on it, but nothing to worry about.

This power bank has been my new companion on each of my backcountry trips this year thanks to its versatility. It looks great and matches the body of my iPhone while still being able to charge my AirPods or Apple Watch Ultra in a pinch. Having the peace of mind that having it accidentally slip out of your hand and drop on a rock, or having another piece of gear press against it in the depths of your pack won’t set it off and is exactly what you need for your outdoor adventures. I highly recommend the KUXIU S2.