Jackery Explorer 240D Delivers the Power Campers / Travelers Need Without Weighing Down Their Packs

Long trips into the backcountry or extended stays at a campsite often hit the same wall once phones, laptops, and cameras start running low. Most standard power banks simply run out of capacity or lack the wattage to charge current electronics at a reasonable rate. Jackery designed the Explorer 240D, priced at $129 (was $179), to tackle just those scenarios, with a focus on real-world portability and convenience.

The unit has an impressive 256 watt-hours of energy stored within it, but it weighs only 4.85 pounds. That means it has the power of several ordinary power banks combined, all wrapped up in a compact body that fits easily into a backpack or the side of a vehicle. One of the reasons it’s so svelte is that it lacks a traditional AC inverter, so it’s lighter and smaller than comparable models with wall outlets.

A thick braided USB-C cable links directly to the unit while also serving as a high-power charging line and carrying handle. This means that users can take the unit by the cable and sling it over their shoulder, or clutch it while moving between the tent and the picnic table, eliminating the need to hunt around in the backpack for the proper cord at the wrong time. At 140 watts, the connection can sustain fairly demanding devices such as laptops without ever being a limiting issue.

Three USB-C ports and one USB-A port are lined up on the front panel, and they can deliver a total of 200 watts of electricity at once. That means a laptop can charge swiftly from one port while phones and tablets continue to charge without noticeably slowing down. There’s a little front display that shows you how much power you have left and how long it will last, allowing you to plan the rest of your day.

Recharging the unit is rather flexible, providing a wide range of scenarios that you may encounter on the road or trail. Dual-input AC charging can charge it from empty to 80 percent in roughly an hour, with the extra benefit of being able to charge gadgets at the same time using the pass-through feature, but if you’ll be off-grid for an extended period of time, you can also utilize solar input to recharge the unit’s battery. If you’re on the go, vehicle charging makes it simple to recharge between destinations, or you may connect it to another power source via USB-C.

If you intend to use it for camping, the 240D is an excellent choice because it can easily recharge a laptop many times, keep your phone and tablet charged for days on end, power your camera or drone during a shoot, and even support a Starlink Mini for extra connectivity. It’s all thanks to the LiFePO4 battery inside, which can withstand high temperature swings, which is useful because the device is frequently left lying in a tent overnight or riding around in a truck bed during shoulder seasons. Combine that with some solid safety measures and a lengthy cycle life, and you should expect the battery to last for years of frequent usage.