Video summary
The video reviews the Core Power Bank S5000, a specialized energy solution designed specifically for minimalist outdoor enthusiasts who face the common dilemma of heavy devices draining battery life during long ultras or fast packing trips. Traditional power banks are often too bulky and heavy to carry comfortably in race vests or waist belts, leading runners to leave them at home until their essential gear like GPS watches, phones, and headlamps finally die. The S5000 addresses this by offering an incredibly slim profile measuring just 5.8 mm thick and weighing only 78 grams, which is lighter than a standard set of keys or a couple of energy gels. This lightweight form factor allows the device to slide flat against the chest or into a shorts pouch without adding bounce or pressure points, effectively solving the primary excuse for not carrying extra power on the trail.
Beyond its impressive portability, the device features a robust carbon fiber composite shell that provides scratch resistance and a premium tactile feel even when hands are cold or sweaty. The casing is rated IPX7 for weatherproofing and utilizes a fully sealed touch button interface rather than mechanical switches to ensure durability. Internally, the power bank employs semi-solid state battery cells instead of traditional liquid electrolytes, which significantly enhances safety by preventing fires or thermal runaway even if punctured or subjected to extreme compression. This advanced chemistry also ensures reliable operation in sub-zero temperatures down to minus 20 degrees Celsius, making it dependable for winter trail running and alpine conditions where standard batteries would suffer severe voltage drops.
In terms of performance, the S5000 offers a capacity of 5,000 mAh with a rated output capable of delivering up to 22.5 watts via Power Delivery and Quick Charge protocols. It includes two distinct charging modes: a high-speed blue LED mode for rapid recharging of phones and other devices, and an orange LED low-power mode that limits output to 5 watts to safely trickle-charge endurance gear like GPS watches or headlamps without wasting energy or generating excess heat. The unit can recharge itself via USB-C at up to 18 watts, reaching a full charge in approximately two and a half hours. This combination of high-speed charging for emergencies and low-power maintenance ensures that critical technology remains functional throughout long events, such as 24-hour races or multi-day treks, keeping users connected even in remote areas via satellite services.
The reviewer concludes that the Core Power Bank S5000 hits the perfect sweet spot for weight, form factor, and durability, making it an essential tool for training runs, long-distance races like 100Ks or 100-milers, and extended hiking trips. While a single unit is sufficient for most events lasting up to a couple of days, users undertaking expeditions longer than that might consider carrying two units or planning to recharge at night. The video highlights that this device allows runners to carry necessary power without the burden of extra weight, ensuring that phones stay topped up for safety and communication when it matters most. Currently available on Kickstarter, the product represents a significant step forward in outdoor tech gear by merging high capacity with the lightweight requirements of modern trail running and ultra-lightweight hiking.
Read the full video transcript
If you run ultras, or you do fast
packing, or spend long hours, or even
days out on the trails, then you well
know the power dilemma. Modern GPS
watches, navigation apps on your phone,
headlamps, all chew through battery
power. My watch has gone off,
which has got my navigation and my time
and distance on it.
So annoying.
I just hope I don't get lost between
here and the end. But carrying around
standard power banks can be really
frustrating. They're heavy, they're
bulky, they bounce around in your race
vest, and you really can't be bothered
to take them half the time. Right up
until your headlamp dims and your phone
and your watch both die, then you really
regret it.
Today, we're testing a dedicated
solution built specifically for
minimalist outdoor use. It's the Core
Power Bank S5000
from Oz Tech Labs. Now, full disclosure,
they did send me this unit, and this
video is sponsored by Oz Tech Labs, so
make of that what you will.
The standard feature right out of the
box is the form factor. It measures just
5.8 mm thick and weighs a mere 78 g.
That's just 2.8 oz.
To put that into perspective, at 5.8 mm,
it's actually slimmer than most modern
flagship phones. And when you slide it
between your fingers, there's virtually
zero bulk.
In a running pack, it slides flat
against your chest flask, or into a
waist belt without any bounce or awkward
pressure points. In my race vest here,
I've got water, I've got my poles, I've
got my mandatory kit for the race, my
phone. The last thing I want is another
heavy item bouncing around in the pack,
weighing me down, and that's why we
often [music] don't bring our power
packs with us.
>> [music]
>> It weighs less than a standard set of
keys or a couple of energy gels.
It completely solves that excuse that we
use that it's too heavy [music] to carry
a power bank. The casing is built from a
rigid carbon fiber composite shell. You
can see the weave structure. It gives a
solid rigidity, scratch resistance, and
tactile premium feel that doesn't slip
when your hands are cold or sweaty. For
weather proofing, it is IPX7
rated, and notice there are no
mechanical switches on the device. OZ
Lab use a fully sealed touch button next
to the USB port.
A single tap wakes up the four battery
level LEDs. It also features two
distinct charging modes. Normal mode is
a blue LED, and it gives you full speed
discharge of up to 22 and 1/2 watts. PD
and QC fast charging. Low power mode is
the orange LED, and it drops power
output to a steady 5 [music] watts. This
is crucial for endurance gear. It
reduces heat loss during conversion, and
safely charges low draw devices like
your GPS watch or headlamp without
[music] wasting valuable milliamp hours.
You know what it's like
when you're getting pretty tired on a
trail run,
and you're climbing a hill, you're
walking.
What we often do is we just
get our phones out and
>> [music]
>> check Facebook or whatever social media
we're using.
And I like to tuck my phone into my
pouch just at the front of my shorts
here, and I can have the battery pack
attached on the back of the phone
[music]
in my shorts without it weighing
anything more, hardly anything at all
[music] extra. Just tuck it in there.
It's nice and snug, no extra weight,
it's easy to get out, and I know it's
charging.
>> Under the hood is where the tech gets
interesting. Traditional power banks use
standard lithium-ion or liquid polymer
battery cells. The CPBS5000
uses a semi-solid state battery cell.
What does that mean though in plain
English for us trail runners and hikers?
Well, it means the battery is extremely
safe. Semi-solid state cells replace
volatile liquid electrolytes with a
stable solid gel matrix. In lab safety
testing, these cells are puncture tested
without catching fire or suffering
thermal runaway. And it can withstand up
to 3 tons of compression. If you take a
hard fall for example on the trails, you
don't have to worry that this battery is
compromised and dangerous sitting
against your chest.
>> [music]
>> If I fall over and I smash the Core
Power Bank S5000 on the floor, the
likelihood is it survives because of its
robust carbon fiber build. By the way,
just to make it clear that was a fake
fall. I'm perfectly fine. I didn't
really fall over on the trails. It was
for illustration purposes only, but I
did throw this on the floor, and it did
survive perfectly well.
In cold weather, standard batteries
suffer severe voltage drops and rapid
drainage in sub-zero conditions. This
semi-solid chemistry is rated for
reliable operation down to minus 20°C,
making it dependable for winter trail
running and alpine snowy conditions.
>> [music]
>> So, let's look at real-world specs and
output. The capacity is 5,000 mA hours,
19.4
W hours with a rated capacity of 3,500
mA hours at 5 V.
That is the sweet spot, enough to give a
modern phone a full emergency recharge,
or to top off your Garmin or Coros
watch, or a Petzl headlamp, or a Silva
headlamp multiple times over. Modern
trail runners rely on a lot of tech, and
the last thing we want is for that tech
to let us down when we most need it,
which is why carrying a power bank can
be really useful. And the Core Power
Bank S5000
is so light and so small, it will allow
you to carry it, keep your phone
charged, keep your watch charged, and
your head torch, so that when you most
need them, they don't fail you. We often
leave these at home because we can't be
bothered to carry them. [music] They're
too heavy, they're too bulky. Not with
this.
It supports 22.5
W power delivery and quick charge. When
connected to your phone on the go, it
triggers rapid charging immediately,
getting your device back into safe
battery percentages in minutes rather
than hours.
And when you want to recharge the unit
itself, the power bank accepts up to 18
W input via USB-C. This means it can
recharge fully in around about 2 and 1/2
hours.
For trail runners and fast packers and
ultra-lightweight hiking, the Core Power
Bank S5000 hits the sweet spot of
weight, formfactor, and field
durability. It is so thin, it will just
slide inside your race vest. It's so
light at 78 g that you won't want to
leave it at home. Weight is no longer a
problem. And it's backed by the safety
and cold weather resilience of that
semi-solid state cell. So, that's my
rundown for the day. I've managed to
keep my phone topped up with the Core
[music]
PowerBank S5000 despite a couple of
trips and walking up the hills. I've
managed to stay connected, and that's
most important when you're out on the
trails, especially if you're somewhere
remote. You need to have your phone
connected. [music] These days, your
phone can connect to satellites as well,
remember. So, it's absolutely vital to
have your phone on, and this will help
you stay connected while keeping it
light and [music] easy to carry in your
backpack or, as I do, in the pouch of my
shorts.
So, when would I actually use this?
Well, I'd certainly use it on training
runs. If I'm going out on the trails for
even just a 10K, 10-miler, up to 20-mi
training on the South Downs here where I
live, I'd put it in my pack just in case
I ran out of battery power on my phone.
Then, for races, in long races, so
100-mi races where you're going to take
24 hours or 100K races in the mountains,
which could also take around 24 hours,
this would be good for that. So, your
phone is probably going to last the
majority of that time. Depending on the
conditions that you're in. If it's
really cold, it might last less [music]
time. But, generally, it will last the
majority of that time. But, this will
help top it up when it gets to, you
know, 18 hours and the phone's on 10%,
stick this on, and it'll charge it back
up to the top. And in case your watch is
dying as well, it'll charge that back up
to the top as well. So, long races,
100K, 100-mi, 24 hours or so,
this is absolutely the thing that will
help you through that and keep your
devices charged. For anything longer
than that, this is 5,000 milliamps, so
it's going to last most things. Anything
longer than say a couple of days, you
are probably going to need two of these
or maybe charge up when you get back to
your campsite at night or your hotel
room or whatever it might be. If you'd
like to check out the CPB S5000 for
yourself, then Oz Teck Lab have launched
on Kickstarter this week and the link
for that is in the description of this
video. It's right at the top, so you
can't miss it. Go and check them out.
Thank you very much for watching. Let me
know in the comments, how do you manage
emergency power on your long runs and
your treks and your hikes? Thank you so
much for watching to the end. Take care
and I'll see you on the start line next
time.