For better or for worse, campers are taking an increasing number of electronic devices into the wilderness. A device known as the Hikerpower was designed with that trend in mind, as it's a portable power station in backpack form.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the Hikerpower features a padded waist belt, padded shoulder straps, a padded mesh back and a hard-shell aluminum body, the latter of which houses a 600-Wh-capacity/1,000W-maximum-output lithium-ion battery pack.
Utilizing multiple output ports on top of the device, users can charge or directly power electronic devices such as drones, laptops, cameras, headlamps/flashlights, camp lights or smartphones. In fact, an integrated adjustable-angle LED panel allows the pack itself to serve as a light source – that panel can be set to three intensities, the highest of which is 350 lumens.
![The Hikerpower can power external lights, or serve as a light source itself](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/0bf0c1d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1345x897+0+0/resize/1345x897!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F58%2Fd3%2Ff547fe3e4b44ab20595beb4dc818%2F278366808-103792085642684-284891332013024768-n.jpeg)
The Hikerpower gets charged either from an outlet or an optional 120W folding solar panel. Its charge level (and output wattage) can be viewed on a built-in LCD screen.
And yes, it is capable of carrying stuff – to a limited extent. An included soft-bodied nylon backpack can be detached from a cavity in the Hikerpower's underside (the side against the user's back), then used on its own as a daypack. Few details have been provided about that smaller pack, other than the fact that it features multiple pockets.
There's also a zippered external pocket on the back of the Hikerpower, along with hooks for lashing on gear such as rolled-up tents or camping mattresses. Other features include four-color LED running lights for night-time visibility, and a pull-out rain cover.
![A daypack can be detached from the underside of the Hikerpower](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/a635542/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1043x695+0+0/resize/1043x695!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffb%2F1c%2F5e26d5ae49ce9e1bdac3ffcc1dc8%2F278246886-103793278975898-5871601363454025632-n-1.jpeg)
The whole thing reportedly tips the scales at 18 lb (8 kg), and is IPX6 water-resistant – that means it can resist high-pressure water jets coming from any direction.
Pledges start at US$649, with the planned retail price sitting at $1,199. Assuming the Hikerpower reaches production, it should ship in September. Its functionality is demonstrated in the video below.
Sources: Kickstarter, Hikerpower