It's good to think ahead. On the trail you might not be able to get nose to nose or even side by side, so the jump starter would be handier. Jumper cables (even quality long ones) will likely be less expensive and take less room. My vote is for the jump starter because it'll do the same as the cables and is handier if the dead vehicle is blocking the trail.

As far as giving or accepting a Jump start, I've given a jump start to a Honda van with my RZR when Mrs. Lucky and I were out in the SXS. The guy in the Honda van was surprised that the RZR battery would start his van.
Why would a person not accept a jump start if their battery was dead? What else could they do?

Good Luck, L.M.

 

I always help on the trail as much as I can, tools, jumpstarts, extra pair of hands. I don't know why someone would decline a jump and on the flipside someone will give you one if you need one, even if the first person doesn't the next guy will. Most offroaders are more than willing to help if they can. I have a portable jumper that I bring with me, that way as @Luckymac said I don't have to worry about blocking the trail or not have someone who can get around to help me. I also like to be able to get myself out of a jam without others if I can. If you are in a group you can guarantee someone else will be there but if you are not it could be a long time before you see another person depending on where you are. In the off season in Colorado I have not seen another person for hours sometimes. I don't want to be sitting there wishing I had a jumpbox while holding my jumper cables in that situation. Not everything can be avoided but I think a jumpbox is a good piece of recovery gear to carry at all times.

 

I have both, jumper cables and a portable jumper for the just in case. on the portable jumper I went with this one couple of years ago, but there is a ton of options out there.

Amazon.com: DBPOWER Peak 1600A 18000mAh Portable Car Jump Starter(up to 7.2 Gas, 5.5L Diesel Engines) Battery Booster with Smart Charging Port, LCD Display, Intelligent Jumper Clamps, Compass and LED Light (Red) : Automotive

Buy DBPOWER Peak 1600A 18000mAh Portable Car Jump Starter(up to 7.2 Gas, 5.5L Diesel Engines) Battery Booster with Smart Charging Port, LCD Display, Intelligent Jumper Clamps, Compass and LED Light (Red): Jump Starters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

This reminds me i haven't checked that darn thing in 2 years and i'm supposed to check it out every 6 months. When not in use you hook things to it like your laptop and cells etc until it's battery runs low, then you'll charge it full and store it. Rinse and repeat every 6 months.

 

I carry one of these and have given a jolt to people on the trail, on the side of the road and in the grocery store parking lot. It's terrific and much easier than cables, at least in my opinion. As said, in one particular situation I can recall, there is no way we would have been able to noise up and jump a guy on the trail, even with very long cables. Expensive, yes, but priceless at the same time.

Amazon.com

 

I carry one of these and have given a jolt to people on the trail, on the side of the road and in the grocery store parking lot. It's terrific and much easier than cables, at least in my opinion. As said, in one particular situation I can recall, there is no way we would have been able to noise up and jump a guy on the trail, even with very long cables. Expensive, yes, but priceless at the same time.

Amazon.com

x2 I have the same brand, nice unit for sure. I dont know offhand if its the same model but I know its the same brand.

 

I use jumper cables for battery welding repairs as well.

 

I have jump boxes in my 2 primary vehicles, and my wife carries cables. I take one of them on the boat with me as well.

I will give a jump or receive a jump, always. Assuming I have the gear, and I'm not fearful of being mugged. But I want to be the one connecting cables. I trusted some dumbass in a parking lot once when I was in college, and he hooked the cables up wrong on his end. I knew something was wrong, but not until the cables had melted two nice little spots in my front bumper.

Incidentally, that's one of the reasons I carry a box instead of cables. It's A LOT safer. Plus there's not a lot of space in the Jeep, and the box is smaller than a good set of cables...

 

I have the NOCO GB70. Plus jumper cables. I have started a few engines as a test.

But one day, at the grocery, I saw a guy with his hood up.

I brought out the jump starter... And nothing. But the cables worked.

It had been a little over 10 months since it had been charged. So now I charge it quarterly.

Two more points of interest:

1. Following the manual instructions, it never reaches full charge. The green light never stops blinking. I saw another one and it was the same. A third finished charging just fine.

2. One time I was drawing from the 12 volt port and shorted the output. No more 12 volt output.

Your experience could vary, but I never trashed my jumper cables.

Carry both. Don't trust the technology.

 

Also carrying both...

PowerPro All-in-One Emergency Starter and Tire inflator

Battery powered jump starter, portable USB charger , SOS LED flashlight and Air Compressor. This compact, multi-functional device combines a high-power 1200A starting current and 2000A peak current, capable of jump-starting 12V vehicles up to 8.5L gasoline and 6.5L diesel engines. The built-in...

www.mojaboffroad.com

 

When I asked if you guys would give or accept a jump, I was thinking about the damage that can be done to either vehicle. Like the last thing Bob said about the portable jump starter. "It's A LOT safer". That's the way I'm leaning.

Thanks for the input, Mark

 

I've heard of damage potential around jump starting but I've never seen it myself or observed it in my lifetime of jumps- a lot. Thankfully. I really don't even 2nd guess it...

 

Leaving a store one day, I saw a car with the hood up and 2 people standing there looking around for help. Had that gut feeling that they would ask as I drove by. I was thinking - Talk about stereotyping! Just because I am driving a Jeep, they just assume that I will have tools and jumper cables. Prepared myself not to get offended.

Sure enough, they asked if I had cables. Wow! I couldn't believe that people have assumptions on what other people are like just based on first impressions. Unbelievable. In this day and age.

So I replied, "Yea sure" and helped them out.

 

You resemble your remark...

 

I’ve jumped plenty of vehicles with my own. Also had to ask for help a couple of times myself. Not sure why anyone wouldn’t help out if you had cables and weren’t in a rush to get somewhere.

 

I have both and I've used both as well. Always good to be prepared.

 

When wheeling I take 2 jump packs, cables and am also equipped with a manual transmission. Parallel connecting two packs doubles the chances enough current will start a vehicle when only one won't. I use cables as a last resort if convenient. I won't touch a JL.

 

HardSell, why won't you touch a JL?

 

Reading JL forums has provided fair warning regarding that platform's electronic aversion to simple trail-fix solutions; e.g., screens and cryptic notifications; display scrambles; RF dependent ignition circuitry; ESS; multi battery platform; inability to start in neutral without a clutch depress ["As for the (sic) starting the engine without depressing the clutch, I find it very disappointing that there isn’t a switch to bypass. (My FJ has a button to bypass clutch)"]. Therefore, due to the thorough Stellantis enshittification of the platform, I'm compelled to take the position to do no harm by doing nothing......I might hand the stranded driver one of my jump packs, but I'm not about to do more than that, or at least offer the sense of feeling his pain. Stellantis has successfully exchanged trail fixability for cell phone dependency. Today's Jeeps would serve no advantage on a battlefield as once intended and admired. Amusingly, when viewing news, one only sees Hilux pickups doing the bidding of middle eastern urban warfare and personnel delivery 🤣

 

I don't have a jump pack yet so for now I'll carry cables. Either to jump or be jumped.
I think I'm gonna write up a release form to have a jumpee sign if they ask me for a jump.
I'd still make the connections myself but if some electronics on the jumpees vehicle takes a dump maybe I'd be in the clear.

 

if some electronics on the jumpees vehicle takes a dump maybe I'd be in the clear.

Most of the jump packs I've seen have a fail safe when the wrong connection is applied, nothing happens and their idiot lights simply don't come on..... a lot better than a welding spark in the presence of under hood fuel vapor.

 

@HardSell
well, hiluxes and this poor guy’s old f250

 

I'm gonna save my pennies and get a jump pack. I'll leave the cables home. Now I just gotta figure out which one to get.
Thanks for all the replies. Mark

 

I'll leave the cables home.

Take your cables too. Create as many opportunities to get started as possible.

 

If you need it out on the trail just once, this is cheaper than calling for assistance.

https://www.northerntool.com/products/noco-genius-boosthd-heavy-duty-compact-lithium-ion-jump-starter-2000-amps-model-gb70-53861

Good Luck, L.M.

 

When I clicked on this originally I was REALLY hoping for some Dukes of Hazard type pics....

 

You are not alone- as one who "may or may not have accidentally got a little air", I was expecting some cool stories. (derail deleted) Perhaps another thread...

 

"When I clicked on this originally I was REALLY hoping for some Dukes of Hazard type pics...."

That kind of jumping might lead to the other kind of jumping.