The Nitecore NC10000 is a 10000 mAh USB battery bank that uses 2 5000mAh 21700 batteries instead of pouch cells like their NB10000. Nitecore bills this as a highland appropriate USB power bank, likely because the 21700 battery cells and the enclosure do a better job of keeping the bank from swelling at higher altitudes. I asked Nitecore for this battery bank for review.
Packaging & Form Factor
Compared with the flat but pokey NB10000, the NC10000 has rounded edges and feels sturdier, so it should be better to just chuck into a backpack.
The extra cell and packaging materials add up to 18 more grams than the NB10000 but I think they’re worth it for all but the most extreme gram counting ultralight backpackers.
And for the extra weight, you also get a pair of low power (50 lumen) LED lights. The battery bank makes a faint buzz when the lights are on. These low power lights would be fine for in-tent lighting or for basic lighting while doing meal prep.
There’s only 1 USB-C port on the battery bank that’s used for both input and output. It can take 18W in and will do up to 20W out via QC or PD, so long as your phone asks for it. The battery bank will work in charging low power devices as well (some battery banks auto-shutoff with the low draw from some devices.) You may need to carefully choose your phone and headlamp but standardizing on USB-C for simplicity seems to be the way to go if you can.
The IPX-5 rating is good for rain, but you won’t want to dunk this battery bank in a lake or puddle.
Conclusion & Competitors
There are a few obvious competitors to the NC10000 battery bank. Smaller, single cell 21700 based battery banks will be ~100 grams instead of 160 but with only half the capacity and likely no backup light capability, they’re better suited to shorter excursions.
The previously mentioned NB10000 is lighter. It is also tougher to pocket than the NC10000 but stacks well with a cell phone.
Most other 10000 mAh capacity battery banks are going to be bulkier and heavier but they’ll also likely come with more USB port options.
If you’ve already standardized your electronics gear on USB-C, you might be able to get away with fewer cords, a nice simple interface, and very easy to stash battery bank in the NC10000.
