Keep Power in Your Pocket: EDC Charging for Field Work and Actual Life
There's a particular brand of frustration that comes with watching your phone die at 3 PM on a job site. Not because you were doomscrolling—because you were actually using it. Maps. Flashlight. Answering calls about a deadline that doesn't care about your dead battery.
For years, my solution was the same as everyone else's: a tangled cord and a prayer. Then you realize that the EDC philosophy—carry what you use, skip what you don't—applies to power just as much as it does to knives.
That's why I've been running the Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Foldable Charging Station for the last six months. It's not sexy. It won't impress anyone at a coffee shop. But it solves a real problem with genuine elegance.
The Setup
The MagGo is a folding pad about the size of a paperback book when closed. Three charging spots: phone, watch, earbuds. All wireless. All at once. No cable hunting. No "wait your turn."
Here's the thing about wireless charging that took me a minute to stop being stupid about: it's not slower than cables, it's different. Your phone doesn't drain while you're charging it. You set it down, it charges. Overnight, or during a meeting, or while you're actually working.
The magnetic alignment is tighter than some competitors. Your phone doesn't creep around. Your watch sits exactly where it needs to. If you're the kind of person who notices that stuff (and if you're reading The Barnwell Journal, you probably are), you'll appreciate it.
The Field Reality
When I'm running wiring in a barn, or working on a server that won't cooperate, or just spending a Saturday fixing things, my phone is either in my pocket or on a nearby surface. Dead battery means dead utility.
The MagGo folds up and takes up less space than a hardcover book in my work bag. When I get to the job, I find an outlet—any outlet, a generator, a truck—and set the thing down. Phone, watch, and buds all charge while I work. When I leave, it collapses back flat.
No cable coil. No wrestling with magnetic rings on your phone. No "is this compatible?" No bullshit.
For folks who move between jobs, locations, or just between the kitchen and the garage, the Anker Prime 26K Power Bank is the offline backup. 26,000 mAh. Charges most phones 6+ times. Solid steel exterior, not plastic. It's heavy enough that you notice it, light enough that you don't resent carrying it.
The Ecosystem
The MagGo philosophy is this: magnetic alignment + folding design + smart charging means one thing—less time thinking about power, more time doing actual work.
Pair it with the power bank, and you've got the core of an EDC power setup that doesn't scream "tech guy." It just works.
The wall charger is standard USB-C. The cable is braided (we have those, too, if your cord situation is chaos). Everything talks to everything else. No proprietary nonsense.
When You Don't Need It
If you're a "charge it once a week" person, or you work indoors near an outlet all day, the MagGo might be overkill. If you're tethered to a desk and your phone lives in your pocket, you probably don't need it.
But if you move. If you work field jobs. If you build or fix or debug things in the real world—if you're the person who knows how to get things done when the easy route isn't available—then having power on your terms is just competent.
That's what the Barnwell approach to gear is about. Not more. Better. Not fancier. Smarter.
Anker gets that. The MagGo is the proof.
