Power · The rankings
Best trail camera external battery packs: tray packs, USB-C packs and the 12V box
Four ways to stop buying AAs, each tied to a jack: Spypoint's tray pack, Moultrie's USB-C mag, HME's lead-acid box for anything with a 12V port, and Tactacam's panel that's really a battery with a panel on top.
By Mike M.Updated Spec-checked, not field-tested
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Quick picks
The rankings at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Moultrie POWER MAG III A 5,000 mAh / 54 Wh USB-C pack Moultrie rates at 18 AA equivalent and 800 charge cycles, for every Edge camera. | Best pack overall (Moultrie Edge)Battery pack | 8.3 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 2 | Spypoint LIT-22 Lithium Battery Pack A 7.4V, 5.4Ah lithium pack that replaces the Flex AA tray; Spypoint claims up to 12 months on a Flex-M2 with it. | Best tray pack (Spypoint Flex)Battery pack | 8.2 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 3 | HME Trail Camera 12V/Solar Auxiliary Power Pack A sealed 12V 6Ah lead-acid battery in a waterproof box with a trickle-charge solar panel and a 10 ft cable: the cold-weather brute-force option for any camera with an external jack. | Best 12V box (any jack)Battery pack | 7.5 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 4 |  Tactacam Reveal Folding Solar Panel Two panels, a 7.2V/4,900 mAh battery and a 12V/2A output that Tactacam says supports up to 5,000 photos a day in direct sun; it fits every Reveal and most 12V cameras. | Best pack-with-panel (Tactacam / 12V)Solar panel | 8.4 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
#ad · Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Scores are ours, built from published specs, verified plan prices and cited independent tests, not our own field measurements. Photos are illustrative stock. Tap a row for the full write-up.
Three kinds of pack
- Tray packs replace the AA tray inside the camera. Spypoint's LIT-22 "slides in easily once the standard battery tray has been removed." Nothing outside the housing, nothing to cable. Brand-specific.
- USB-C / 12V packs sit beside or below the camera and plug into its power input. Moultrie's POWER MAG III (USB-C) and Tactacam's Folding panel (12V, with a built-in battery) are this kind. A box on the tree, a cable to the camera.
- 12V lead-acid boxes are the brute-force option: HME's holds a sealed 12V 6Ah battery under a trickle-charge panel with a 10 ft cable. Heavy, cheap per amp-hour, and lead acid is what people reach for in deep cold.
The four, side by side
| Evidence | Moultrie POWER MAG III | Spypoint LIT-22 Lithium Battery Pack | HME Trail Camera 12V/Solar Auxiliary Power Pack | Tactacam Reveal Folding Solar Panel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fits | All Edge series cameras | Flex series: Flex, Flex G-36, Flex E-36, Flex-M, Flex-S, Flex-Plus; slides in once the AA tray is removed | Trail cameras with an external power jack | Reveal Gen 1, X, X-Pro, X 2.0, X 3.0, Pro 3.0, Ultra, X SK, XB, plus most 12V cellular cameras |
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh / 54 Wh at 10.8V; '18 AA' equivalent (maker claim) | 5.4 amp-hours | 12V 6Ah sealed lead acid battery | 7.2V / 4,900 mAh (12V / 3,000 mAh equivalent) |
| Output | 18W peak, 12V / 1.5A | 7.4 volts | — | 12V / 2A |
| External power | USB-C, 4-hour charge; 800 charge cycles | AC charging cable included | Waterproof box with AC charger; 10 ft cable | — |
| Solar | — | — | Amorphous silicon panel, 12V 40mA (trickle charge) | Charges up to 400% faster than the V2 panel (maker claim); up to 5,000 photos a day in direct sunlight |
| Dimensions | 4.46 x 2.59 x 1.34 in; 0.65 lb | — | — | — |
| Score | 8.3/10 | 8.2/10 | 7.5/10 | 8.4/10 |
On paper the HME box has the most energy: 12V x 6Ah = 72 Wh, against the POWER MAG III's published 54 Wh and the LIT-22's 7.4V x 5.4Ah = 40 Wh. Moultrie is the only maker that publishes cycle life (800) and an AA equivalence ("18 AA"). Spypoint publishes a runtime claim instead ("up to 12 months" on a Flex-M2). Tactacam publishes a photos-per-day claim for its panel-battery. None of those are the same measurement, so the table shows what each maker actually states.
The two-pack rotation
A panel needs sun. A pack needs you. On a timber set you visit monthly anyway (to pull a card, check a stand, freshen a scrape), two packs beat one panel: one in the camera, one charged at home, swapped on each visit. Moultrie's four-hour USB-C charge and Spypoint's included AC cable make that a five-minute job. Moultrie sells the POWER MAG III in 2- and 3-packs for exactly this; Spypoint sells a LIT-22 twin pack. The panel is for the sets you don't visit.
In detail
The picks, in full
Rank 1
Stock photoBest pack overall (Moultrie Edge)
Moultrie POWER MAG III
A 5,000 mAh / 54 Wh USB-C pack Moultrie rates at 18 AA equivalent and 800 charge cycles, for every Edge camera.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not field-tested by us
| Category | Battery pack |
|---|---|
| External power | USB-C, 4-hour charge; 800 charge cycles |
| Fits | All Edge series cameras |
| Output | 18W peak, 12V / 1.5A |
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh / 54 Wh at 10.8V; '18 AA' equivalent (maker claim) |
| Dimensions | 4.46 x 2.59 x 1.34 in; 0.65 lb |
How the 8.3 score breaks down
- Fit & compatibility (30%)
- 8
- Capacity & output (30%)
- 9
- Weather durability (20%)
- 8
- Value (20%)
- 8
What the spec sheet supports
- Published capacity, cycles and dimensions, unlike most packs
- Four-hour USB-C charge
- $49.99 list; 2- and 3-packs for rotation
Where it falls short
- Moultrie Edge only
- No runtime claim published
Skip this if…
…you don't run an Edge.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Moultrie POWER MAG III
Rank 2
Stock photoBest tray pack (Spypoint Flex)
Spypoint LIT-22 Lithium Battery Pack
A 7.4V, 5.4Ah lithium pack that replaces the Flex AA tray; Spypoint claims up to 12 months on a Flex-M2 with it.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not field-tested by us
| Category | Battery pack |
|---|---|
| Batteries | Flex-M2: up to 12 months on a LIT-22 versus up to 6 months on AAs (maker claim) |
| External power | AC charging cable included |
| Fits | Flex series: Flex, Flex G-36, Flex E-36, Flex-M, Flex-S, Flex-Plus; slides in once the AA tray is removed |
| Output | 7.4 volts |
| Capacity | 5.4 amp-hours |
How the 8.2 score breaks down
- Fit & compatibility (30%)
- 8
- Capacity & output (30%)
- 8
- Weather durability (20%)
- 8
- Value (20%)
- 9
What the spec sheet supports
- Doubles the Flex-M2's claimed runtime versus AAs
- Slides into the tray slot; nothing to route or mount
- $49.99 list
Where it falls short
- Spypoint only
- You need a second pack to swap without downtime
- Charging is indoors on AC; pair with the SPLB-22 for the field
Skip this if…
…you run anything other than a Spypoint Flex.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Spypoint LIT-22 Lithium Battery Pack
Rank 3
Stock photoBest 12V box (any jack)
HME Trail Camera 12V/Solar Auxiliary Power Pack
A sealed 12V 6Ah lead-acid battery in a waterproof box with a trickle-charge solar panel and a 10 ft cable: the cold-weather brute-force option for any camera with an external jack.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not field-tested by us
| Category | Battery pack |
|---|---|
| External power | Waterproof box with AC charger; 10 ft cable |
| Solar | Amorphous silicon panel, 12V 40mA (trickle charge) |
| Fits | Trail cameras with an external power jack |
| Mount | Tree grip ridges |
| Capacity | 12V 6Ah sealed lead acid battery |
How the 7.5 score breaks down
- Fit & compatibility (30%)
- 6
- Capacity & output (30%)
- 9
- Weather durability (20%)
- 8
- Value (20%)
- 7
What the spec sheet supports
- Lead acid tolerates cold better than a small lithium buffer, per HME's positioning
- 6Ah is far more than any camera-brand pack
- 10 ft cable lets the box sit on the ground or a second tree
Where it falls short
- 40mA of solar is a trickle, not a recharge; plan on periodic AC charging
- Heavy, and the box is an obvious object at the base of a tree
- Jack polarity and plug size must match your camera; HME lists no per-brand cable
Skip this if…
…you want set-and-forget solar; this is a battery first and a panel second.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to HME Trail Camera 12V/Solar Auxiliary Power Pack
Rank 4
Stock photoBest pack-with-panel (Tactacam / 12V)
Tactacam Reveal Folding Solar Panel
Two panels, a 7.2V/4,900 mAh battery and a 12V/2A output that Tactacam says supports up to 5,000 photos a day in direct sun; it fits every Reveal and most 12V cameras.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not field-tested by us
How the 8.4 score breaks down
- Fit & compatibility (30%)
- 9
- Capacity & output (30%)
- 9
- Weather durability (20%)
- 7
- Value (20%)
- 8
What the spec sheet supports
- Two-panel folding design gathers more sun than a single flat panel
- Built-in lithium buffer keeps the camera up overnight
- 12V/2A output works with most 12V cameras, not only Reveals
- $99.99 on the Reveal X 3.0 page when checked
Where it falls short
- Tactacam publishes no wattage or waterproof rating on the product page
- Charges the Reveal lithium pack, not AA batteries in the tray
- Bulkier than the V2 panel
Skip this if…
…your camera isn't 12V; check the jack before you buy any external panel.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Tactacam Reveal Folding Solar Panel
Buyer's guide: packs
Check the jack and the polarity
The HME box is "compatible with trail cameras equipped with an external power jack"; it doesn't list per-brand plugs. Confirm the barrel size (5.5 mm on most, 4.5 mm on Tactacam per HME's own panel page) and polarity before you plug in a 12V source.
Cold changes the math
Lithium packs lose capacity below freezing and charge poorly; lead acid tolerates cold better but self-discharges. HME positions its lead-acid box as "ideal for extreme temperatures." Details in batteries in cold weather.
Keep AAs in the tray anyway
Cameras with both a tray and a jack (Tactacam, Browning) fall back to the AAs when the external source dies. Put lithiums in and leave them; see best batteries.
A box is a target
A 12V box at the base of a tree is the most visible object at the set. Cable it to the same tree as the camera, or bury the cable and set the box behind cover. Hiding a trail camera covers boxes too.
How we scored this
Cameras we claim to have field-tested: none we don't own
Plenty of sites say they hung every camera on this list in a tree for a season. We don't say that, and we say so on every page. What we do instead: read the maker's published trigger speed, flash type, battery configuration and detection range; verify each brand's plan tiers on its own plan page and compute the real monthly cost at one and four cameras; cite the independent shootouts (Trailcampro, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, TechGearLab) as their measurements, never ours; and score every pick on a public rubric. Every figure links to where it came from.
Scores are editorial judgments from that documented research, not lab results. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is the best external battery for a trail camera?
Depends on the jack: Moultrie POWER MAG III for an Edge (USB-C), Spypoint LIT-22 for a Flex (tray), HME 12V/6Ah box for any camera with a 12V jack. Two of whichever fits, rotated, outlasts a panel in shade.
How long does a trail camera external battery last?
Makers publish claims, not measurements: Spypoint says up to 12 months on a Flex-M2 with a LIT-22; Moultrie rates the POWER MAG III at 18 AA equivalent. Real life depends on photo volume, night activity and cold.
Can I use a 12V battery on a trail camera?
If the camera has a 12V external jack (Tactacam, Browning, Stealth Cam, GardePro list one), yes, with the right barrel plug and polarity. Moultrie Edge is USB-C only.
Is a battery pack better than a solar panel?
In shade, yes; a panel that sees no sun is just a small pack. In open sun, a panel-with-battery (Spypoint SPLB-22, Tactacam Folding) covers a whole season. Many people run both.
Keep reading
Related on Cam & Canopy
Receipts
Sources
- Moultrie — POWER MAG III product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- Spypoint — LIT-22 rechargeable lithium battery pack product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- Spypoint — FLEX series overview (checked 2026-09-21)
- HME Products — Trail Camera 12V/Solar Auxiliary Power Pack product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- HME Products — 5,000 mAh Solar Power Panel product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- Tactacam — REVEAL Folding Solar Panel product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- Spypoint — Lithium Battery Solar Panel (10W) SPLB-22 product page (checked 2026-09-21)
We don't claim to have field-tested these cameras and we don't pretend to. Specs come from the maker's own product pages (linked on every product), plan prices from the maker's plan page with an “as of” date, and independent measurements are attributed to whoever made them. Amazon prices change often, so we don't print them. Where a figure isn't published, we say so. Read the full method.