With this hand-powered gadget you'll never run out of battery

UK: Battery life remains the Achilles Heel of most of our favourite gadgets.

Charging your smartphone each night isn't a problem if you're near a socket, but it gets much harder once you're away from the mains.

Addressing that problem is the Crankmonkey - a new charger from accessories company Powertraveller.

Launching today, the pocket-sized hand crank charger is meant to serve as a backup power source for outdoorsy types as well as rescue teams.

Ten minutes of winding the handle is enough to provide 20 minutes of talktime on a dead iPhone 6.

"Whether you are part of a rescue team on a mountain or in distress out at sea, just a few minutes of cranking can provide enough charge to revive a completely flat smartphone and enable a potentially life-saving call to be made," said Jerry Ranger from Powertraveller.

"The Crankmonkey is your lifeline for keeping essential lines of communication open when batteries on crucial electronic kit run out," he said.

The Crankmonkey itself is waterproof and comes with a lifetime guarentee. It weighs 346g and outputs a 5V 1A current that will charge 5V gadgets (like smartphones, action cameras, electric torches or a GPS) through a microUSB connection.

It's available to buy today and will cost you £99 (about Sh16,000 at the current exchange rate). If that's too much, then you can always follow our five top tricks for making your battery last longer.