Prepare-aphernalia: Forget Batteries, Use A Monkey! -

Powermonkey, that is. I just discovered the Powermonkey Portable Charger. You can plug it in to charge it up, and then put it straight into your emergency kit because it will hold that charge for a whole year!

How much power are we talking about? Enough to keep a cellphone charged for 96 hours, or an iPod juiced for 40 hours. (And yes – unlike many other cellphone chargers – this one does actually have a USB connector to power your iPod or computer.)

At $50 it’s not a cheap investment, but when your lifeline could literally be your phone or PDA, that’s one helpful monkey!