Is this portable power station for your outdoor adventures worth the price?
Last month, I took a camping trip to the Grand Canyon. We had the typical gear you would expect: a tent, tarp, cots, sleeping bags, camp stove, flashlights and more.
I also brought along a home theater of sorts that included a projector, Apple TV and a 100-inch screen designed to attach to a portable canopy. It was all powered by a high-end Lithium-ion power station and four solar panels.
Check out my full review on that one here, but I get that not everyone has or would be willing to spend $2,700 on a solar generator set. If you don’t need that much juice for camping trips or to power large appliances during outages, other options are far more affordable …
Say hello to the Anker PowerHouse II 800
Credit: Anker/Amazon
The Anker PowerHouse II 800 is a portable power station with some pretty impressive specs for its relatively small size. Here are the highlights:
777 watt-hours
2 AC outlets
2 DC outlets (including specialized “Anderson” ports)
2 USB-C ports
4 USB-A ports
11.8″ x 8″ x 7.2″
18.3 lbs.
Retails for
This power station is also capable of recharging via solar panels, which are not included. What is included in the box is an AC adapter, USB-A to USB-C cable, USB-C to USB-C cable and a DC cable to plug into your car.
It’s powerful enough to handle your mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, laptops and more, along with certain small appliances rated under 500W. So it’ll power lamps, TVs, blenders, mini-fridges, etc., but don’t try to plug in bigger appliances like toasters or microwaves. More on that later.
The best part about this whole thing is that you can have everything plugged in simultaneously. That’s up to 11 devices total.
Getting to know this power station
This power station had roughly a 30% charge out of the box, so the first order of business was to plug it in. It reached 100% in a little over four hours.
It took 41 years: Windows Notepad finally has spellcheck and autocorrect. In Windows 11, it’s enabled by default. You’ll know it’s working if you see a squiggly, red line under typos. To turn it off, click the gear icon in the top right corner of Notepad and toggle off both under “Spelling.”
Move over, DJI: A U.S. company called SiFly says its new drones are way better. The Q12 model can fly for up to three hours, and the Q250 can carry 200 pounds. That means longer range, more gear, better performance in emergencies and no secrets sent back to communist China.
On the grid: Turning on the grid on your phone’s camera helps you line up your shot. Using the rule of thirds, it splits your screen into nine boxes. On iPhone, go to Settings > Camera and toggle on Grid. For Android, open your Camera app > Settings (gear icon) > switch Grid lines on.
📧 Sent the wrong email? Gmail lets you undo a sent email before it actually goes out. Click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top right > See all settings > under General, go to Undo Send and set the Send cancellation period to 30 seconds for extra time. Next time you slip up, just hit Undo in the bottom left corner.
🗣️ You got to hear this: I called a networking gear company and got “Heather.” I could barely understand her. Those days may be over. Teleperformance, the world’s largest call center company, is using AI to change Indian accents into American or British ones in real time. You need to take a sec, click here and select Demo. Pick a person, hit Play and toggle the button on and off. Amazing.
Speaking of recalls: Ford is recalling 552,188 model-year 2014 F‑150 pickup trucks after reports of unexpected downshifting into first gear. Scary stuff, since it could lead to a crash. Call Ford’s toll-free number at 1‑866‑436‑7332 or contact your dealership.
