Did I mention that the GERD travels?  Did I mention that when he does he HATES to run out of juice for any of his technological friends?  Is there anything more sad that an iPhone, iPad, or Galaxy (fill in the blank here) that’s as dead as Julius Caesar?  Don’t you hate it when I ask a bunch of questions to start a blog?  Sorry!

The answer to your power grid-less needs is a good external battery.  Now these things can be expensive, heavy, and not very good so pay attention to the GERD and he will steer you straight.  There are two batteries I recommend for the serious Tech Geek who either travels or lives in fear of zombie attacks during power outages. The first is for your typical phone or media device; the second is the “Mother-of-all-batteries” to meet any need you may have, including laptops.

First, the Anker® Astro3E External Battery Pack Charger.  My go-to external battery for my iPhone and hotspot device, the Anker packs 10000mAh in a battery just a bit larger than your Samsung Galaxy S3.  That will give you 4-5 full charges or 40 hours of talk time to iPhone 5 / 4S / 4 / 3GS, 3 full charges for Samsung Galaxy S3, or a full charge for iPad / iPad 2.  It has 2 USB output connections (marked “Apple” and “Android”) and charges via a micro-USB connection (thus fulfilling the GERD’s requirement for standardized connectors).  It comes with a spring USB power cable with 4 interchangeable connectors (including micro/mini-USB and 30-pin Apple adapter).  If you are using the iPhone 5 or new iPod MP3 players, bring your own Lightning cable or adapter!

Second is a battery I would marry if I were not already a happily married man!  The Tursion Ultra Capacity High Quality 33600mAh Portable Charger External Battery Pack Power Bank Charger for Laptops and Notebooks packs a lot of power in a surprisingly small (pink) package.  About the size of a paperback book, albeit a heavy one (8.4 x 0.8 x 5.1 inches; 1.8 pounds), this jewel has a USB and proprietary plug; it comes with a variety of tips (14 to be exact) for all your devices including laptop computers!  If anyone makes a device that one of these tips won’t fit, let them be banned from the Kingdom, ever to roam the wastelands, unloved and unmissed. I used this on my trip to Hawaii last month; 11 hours in the air each way and I never tapped it out.  This battery ends your need to recharge anything!

Listen to the GERD!  If you need power for your phone or MP3 player, go with the Anker – if you need enough power to fight off zombies, the Tursion will do it for you; both for a reasonable price!