We all just want our stuff to work, right?

Since most of us have abandoned landlines, our cell phones are our lifelines and the main way we communicate with each other and stay informed.

One of my bigger fears is my phone or laptop running out of power just when I need it most, so I’m an “overcharger.”

My phone transitions from one charging spot to another throughout my day. I go from my nightstand charger to my car charger to my desk charger at work, then to a charger in my living room after work and finally back to the nightstand.

This is all great until the power goes out, but I’ve got that covered as well.

Here are a few of the external batteries and portable power stations I’ve been using and recommending this year. Any of them would be great gifts. I’ve included list prices, but look for sales.

Anker Solix C300 DC

My current favorite battery is the Anker Solix C300 DC ($199.99, anker.com).

The C300 DC has a 90,000 milliamp-hour capacity, a 300-watt output and a form-factor about the size of a Coleman lantern. Speaking of lanterns, the C300 DC has a built-in LED light on top that makes this battery the first thing you’ll look for if the power goes out.

It measures 4.9 inches by 4.7 inches by 7.9 inches and it weighs just over 6 pounds. One of my favorite features is the carry strap.

As you might have guessed from the name the C300 DC provides DC power only, so there are no AC plugs.

What it does have is four USB-C ports, two USB-A ports and a 12v DC charging port, or what us old-timers call a cigarette lighter port.

Two of the USB-C ports are 140-watt input/output ports. They can each provide 140 watts of power for your stuff, and they can both be used at the same time to power up the internal batteries.

If you max out the input, you can charge the unit from zero to 80 percent in just an hour.

You can also charge from solar panels or from the 12v port in your car.

I use a CPAP to sleep, and when I connected it to the 12v outlet, I could run my machine for four nights on a charge. Note, I don’t use the water tank or heat.

The C300 DC can charge your phone 19 times or your laptop four times.

I’ve even started taking it on weekend trips to keep on my nightstand to charge my stuff without having to worry about where the nearest wall plug is located.

Jackery Explorer 2000 v2

Jackery has a long track record of making high-quality portable power stations, and the new Explorer 2000 v2 ($1,499.00, jackery.com) is no exception.

I reviewed the previous Explorer 2000, and the v2 is a big improvement, especially in its size and weight. The original 2000 weighs 43 pounds and measures 15.1 inches by 10.5 inches by 12.1 inches.

The v2 weighs 39.5 pounds and measures 13.2 inches by 10.4 inches by 11.5 inches. Jackery says it's 40 percent smaller and 34 percent lighter than comparable power stations from other brands.

It has a built-in handle that folds down flat, so you can easily stack things on top.

It has LiFePO4 batteries with a capacity of 2,042-watt hours and a total power output of 2,200 watts. From a wall plug, the v2 can charge from zero to 100 percent in 102 minutes.

Outputs include three AC outlets, two USB-C outlets (100W and 30W), one USB-A outlet (18W) and one 12V/10A DC outlet.

The v2 can run your refrigerator or microwave or TV as well as your phone or laptop or virtually anything else that can use USB, 12V DC or 120V AC power.

The v2 is a beast that doesn’t require a dolly to move it around.

Bluetti Handsfree 1 Backpack Power Station

Hardcore hikers, campers and outdoors enthusiasts take note, Bluetti has two new power stations that are designed to be carried around — in fact, they come with their own custom backpacks.

I’ve tested the smaller Handsfree 1 ($429.99, bluettipower.com), which has a 268Wh battery with 300W of output inside a 42-liter backpack. The power station is 11 inches by 3.7 inches by 11.3 inches and sits in a special vented and weatherproof section of the backpack that’s up against your back as you carry it. The LiFePo4 battery weighs just 11 pounds and can charge from zero to 100 percent from AC power or a 200W solar panel in just 1.5 hours.

The 300W output certainly limits what you can power with the Handsfree 1, but it is designed to power your camera gear or drone batteries or other camping/hiking gear.

The backpack is very nicely designed and very high quality and comes with enough padding and dividers and compartments to carry most, if not all your gear. It also has an extensive external attachment system to tote sleeping bags, tents, solar panels and more.

The Handsfree 1 has one AC outlet (up to 300W), two USB-C and two USB-A ports.

Bluetti says it can charge your cell phone 12 times, your laptop four times and a drone up to 10 times.

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