The Kodiak Power Bank will keep your iPhone charged in the rain, snow, or sand

Outdoor Tech Kodiak beach

Samsung called us iPhone users wall huggers in their recent commercial attacks. Sure, we charge fairly frequently, but iPhone owners just like using their device more and do it more frequently. Right? Sometimes that leads to a low battery. Even with an iPhone 6 Plus touting about 10 usage hours before depleting, I sometimes find myself in scenarios where additional charge is critical.

There are loads of battery backups on the market. Just walking into a 7-11 convenient store will reveal small stick sized charging devices for a few bucks. But, a backup is one of those you-get-what-you-pay-for experiences. Take a look inside for details on Outdoor Tech’s Kodiak Power Bank.

Charge it up

Built for a rugged lifestyle, Kodiak is water resistant and shock proof. With what feels to be a silicon outer layer and gridded design, the Kodiak appears to hold true to its claim. I didn’t leave it in the rain, dunk it in the pool or drop it out of my pocket while doing a misty flip from a parking garage deck, but Outdoor Tech is quickly becoming a brand associated with quality ruggedized products. According to the product listing, Kodiak is rated IP67, which is an industry standard designation for waterproof at 1 meter for 30 minutes. Consequently, it will also hold back dust, sand, and grime.

With one of the lowest waterproof ratings, it is best to treat it like a water resistant device. The difference being, waterproof can be completely submerged, while water resistance guards against splashing water or a driving rain. As you can see in the video below, simply getting tossed in the pool is nothing to be concerned about, but don’t leave it down there for long.

Kodiak’s onboard 6,000mAh packs quite a charge. It will replenish an iPhone 5s (1560mAh) 4 times, or even an iPhone 6 Plus (2915mAh), almost 2 times. The efficiency rating is 80%, so expect a little bit of variance in your true charge capacity, but this is definitely an easily pocketable sidekick for your excursions. At 9.4 oz or 0.6 lbs it will not slow you down. Packaged in 3″ x 1.25″ x 4″ it is a little stouter than I would hope, but that is a personal preference. I currently carry a battery backup in my daypack, but it is broader, thinner, and taller.

An onboard battery level indicator makes sure you never leave civilization without knowing the details of your backup charge. Next to the indicator is a micro-USB input charging port and the 5v 2.1Amp output USB port. The output is strong enough to even charge a tablet, along with phones, GPS units, e-readers, GoPro, etc.

The battery indicator is my only gripe. Press the power button once to light up the power meter, showing existing onboard battery power. Press and hold the power button to turn on the device. However, there is a small difference from the press-once and press-hold actions. I found sometimes what I thought was a quick press, actually had the unit turned on. For insurance, I would really appreciate an “on” indicator light that would shine while the device is emitting power.

Conclusion

Outdoor Tech Kodia hero

Kodiak is a rugged little companion that is designed for abuse and I appreciate Outdoor Tech for sending it for review. If you are hard on your tech, definitely check out the Kodiak. Likewise, if you are looking for a backup battery to charge a tablet or an iPhone 6 Plus, two times! I would like to see an indicator light separate from the battery meter for security. Also, you really must make sure the cap is sealed around the charging ports and power button. In the image above, the top lid hides the ports. The silicon lid clamps down around the top to form a waterproof seal, but it is easy to miss smashing it down all the way around.

At $49.95, the Kodiak is well priced for the package of features and comes in black, camo, red, blue and green. A waterproof design that has a hefty battery pack in a small, compact size is well priced at $50. Again, battery packs run the full pricing spread. If you are doing comparative shopping, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. It also makes a great gift! Many times people wouldn’t buy themselves a battery backup, but everyone with a small electronic device will benefit.

Anyone out there looking for a rugged battery backup?