Jump Box, Jumper Cables or Both?

[LONO100]

I carry both, but my jump box is the size of 4 Iphones stacked together. It only weighs a pound, and works pretty good.

 

[Downs]

+1

The magic box wouldn't cut it on my Duramax.

Jumper cables I can leave in each vehicle and never worry they are going to internally short out and burn my vehicle to the ground on a hot summer day. No need to maintain a charge in them either.

I have found the magic box to be most useful for folks whose electronic gadgets need a charge in order to operate.

The "Magic box" is quite good to have when there's no one around to give you a Jump. My dead battery can't jump itself. Well if it's got a little left in it you can use one of those other "magic boxes" that uses a capacitor.

 

[Graeman]

Have you thought about carrying a solar charger system?

Doesn't work too well in the dead of night.

 

[Graeman]

I have jumper cables and a 3rd option. Ultra capacitor jump box, it doesn't have a battery so it isn't affected by temperature or neglect. Lithium ion batteries bloat when they get too hot, and don't work in very cold environments. Ultra capacitor jump packs charge themselves from your "dead" battery, down to something like 5v. It's super light and does not take up much space.

I need to read more on this idea.

 

[Graeman]

I currently carry both - cables and jump box all the time in my JK. Setting up a solar panel in a Walmart parking lot and waiting 2 hours or when you are parked in the shade to get out of the Arizona sun isn't going to cut it.

 

[Anak]

The "Magic box" is quite good to have when there's no one around to give you a Jump. My dead battery can't jump itself. Well if it's got a little left in it you can use one of those other "magic boxes" that uses a capacitor.

Yep. That is why both are good ideas.

And even then that isn't always enough. I had an 18 month old Optima Yellow Top die on me on the trail. It was an Adopt-A-Trail event, so there were others who could help. Jumper cables wouldn't cut it. Battery was so badly shorted internally that there was no jumping it. That was when it was nice to have a manual transmission and be able to get it started again with the help of another Jeep and a recovery rope.

 

[South_Puget_Sound_OL]

Have you thought about carrying a solar charger system?

Doesn't work too well in the dead of night.

Well that is true.

 

[mface7]

I carry both, but my jump box is the size of 4 Iphones stacked together. It only weighs a pound, and works pretty good.

What brand/model?

 

[Graeman]

Has anyone watch on youtube - project farm? He does a comparison with various jump starters. I chose the Audew brand after watching it beat the noco brand.

 

[LONO100]

What brand/model?

It's called the winplus jump power bank. Just Google that phrase and it should pop up. There are a few different sizes. They are great in a pinch, and can be used as an external battery pack for phones amd other handheld devices. It also has a flashlight on it. I haven't yet used it to jump my truck, but I have used it on other people's cars in a pinch. Much easier than having to line up my truck and get the cables out.

 

[Billygoat Rocklanding]

I just carry my NOCO Boost HD saves a ton of space vs cables in the jeep where space is limited fits under passenger seat.

 

[MidOH]

Cables and spare battery.

I just make sure my camper has a battery that fits the truck. No camper? Empty bed? I might bring two batteries as ballast weight to smooth the ride.

 

[mface7]

It's called the winplus jump power bank. Just Google that phrase and it should pop up. There are a few different sizes. They are great in a pinch, and can be used as an external battery pack for phones amd other handheld devices. It also has a flashlight on it. I haven't yet used it to jump my truck, but I have used it on other people's cars in a pinch. Much easier than having to line up my truck and get the cables out.

winplus...definitely a Chinese company direct selling LOL...but if it works and it's cheap I'm more than pleased.

 

[LONO100]

winplus...definitely a Chinese company direct selling LOL...but if it works and it's cheap I'm more than pleased.

Well my wife bought it from Costco for me as a gift so I'm thankful for it. I've been able to help a few random people jump their cars, and it also doubled as a battery source as I sat with my dad through his cancer treatments which sometimes took hours. We were able to power our devices with it during those long mornings in treatment. So far, it's worked like a charm.

 

[Ty R]

Jump “magic box” only. I’ve used it more often for others than myself. However, I did find myself across the country with a dead battery first thing in the morning. I was glad to have the little box with me and, the connector type jump cables in the little pouch. Worked like a charm.

 

[Graeman]

winplus...definitely a Chinese company direct selling LOL...but if it works and it's cheap I'm more than pleased.

Is there a jump box that is made in the USA???

 

[Sparksalot]

Is there a jump box that is made in the USA???

Shirley ewe jest.

 

[mface7]

Is there a jump box that is made in the USA???

Yeah...ummm...that's part of the problem with the Made in the USA crowd - we no longer have the infrastructure for most of the items we consume. And that's speaking from the point of someone who works for a company that does domestically manufacture some items. I am all for it, but we've let it go for so long that it's not possible unless we're willing to go without for a while.

If someone does find a US made version I'd be happy to know, especially if it isn't 10X the cost of the rest of them.

 

[mface7]

Yeah...ummm...that's part of the problem with the Made in the USA crowd - we no longer have the infrastructure for most of the items we consume. And that's speaking from the point of someone who works for a company that does domestically manufacture some items. I am all for it, but we've let it go for so long that it's not possible unless we're willing to go without for a while.

If someone does find a US made version I'd be happy to know, especially if it isn't 10X the cost of the rest of them.

As a side note...my father fancies himself a bit of a prepper, and loves USA made and touts it all the time, but then he buys all the prepper stuff and it's all Chinese made...

 

[armyRN]

When overlanding I carry both. I have too many vehicles to have a box in all of them though. But all my vehicles (including my wife's Subaru and my daughter's Beetle) have jumper cables.