Mobile phones are a fantastic invention but how many times do you find they run out of power when you are out walking or cycling? The batteries on many smartphones can quickly de-charge if you are regularly using the internet or utilising the gadget as a satnav. But without a working phone you could end up being stuck in a tricky situation. At worst you may find you’re without a navigation system or emergency contact when you really need them. In addition, it’s a shame not to be able to take photographs of your walk or bike ride when a phone is out of power. That’s why more people are adding a portable charger to their rucksacks.

Brunton’s phone chargers

Brunton, an acclaimed outdoors gadgets innovator, has brought a range of robust smartphone chargers to the marketplace. These chargers can be carried in a rucksack or pocket and used to recharge a phone. The Brunton power chargers are small and tough and are created for people who like to be outdoors for days or overnight.

Small and handy: Brunton Pulse 1500 charger

It weighs less than a bar of soap and the chances are you will not even notice you have it stashed in a pocket or your rucksack, but when you need a phone charge boost, the it Brunton Pulse 1500 is there to help. (Pictured above.) The Brunton Pulse takes around 1.5 hours to fully charge at home when plugged into the electricity. The innovative gadget can also be recharged itself via a Brunton Solaris 4 solar powered panel if you are spending longer away from mains electricity. And when fully charged the Brunton Pulse’s Lithium polymer energy batteries can recharge most mobile phones fully once. The Brunton Pulse costs £30 and is available in orange, yellow and white from Outside.co.uk.  Also see  www.bruntoneurope.com

Robust and high energy: Brunton Metal 4400

A great little powerhouse the Brunton Metal 4400 is a neat, sleek and tough. The shell is durable and water-resistant and is ideal for chucking into the bottom of your rucksack for times when you need it. And when you do need it, the 5.3cm x 2.5c, x 1.7cm gadget can recharge the typical smartphone up to four times. That’s a lot of power for one small recharger gadget. The Brunton Metal 4400 costs £50 from Outside.co.uk

For extreme conditions: Brunton Hydrogen Reactor 

What do you do when you need to generate electricity in the great outdoors but you have no access to electricity? You could use a solar charger or perhaps a wind turbine charger but you need a gadget that will adequately recharge a mobile phone (and that takes some power). Thank goodness then for great new inventions. The Brunton Hydrogen Reactor uses hydrogen stored as a safe hydride in a “Core” fuel cell, which is plugged into the reactor body. How it creates energy is by the hydrogen reacting with oxygen in the air (at a controlled rate), which is converted to electricity, with only pure water as the by-product. Each of the two core cells is twice as large as an AA battery and will deliver around 9000mAh, which is enough to charge an iPhone six times. (It can also recharge a GPS, UV purifier, head torch battery or video camera.) Given that a really good AA alkaline battery will hold around 2000mAh, this represents a significant improvement in recharging power. The cells also hold on to the energy and have zero discharge so you can leave it in your rucksack for when you need it. Priced £129 from www.outside.co.uk Also see Brunton for other gadgets and innovations