I have a plan for trouble. When it rears its ugly head again, I’m grabbing my all-hell-has-broken-loose list, dumping the items on the list into my trusty backpack and hauling ass. I figure there’s still the zombie apocalypse and the Mayan whatsit (which may well be the same thing) to worry about, so I might as well be prepared.

I’ve populated the list with things I would need in a disaster scenario: things like a sleeping bag, first-aid kit and rum. Of course, my iPad is also on the list. Oh, I’ll be taking my phone for sure — but the iPad’s large screen will be invaluable in any disaster situation as a navigation tool, for work (yes, even in a zombie apocalypse, blogs must be updated) or just keeping up with current news; mine’s a wifi+cellular, so I suppose wifi-only versions would be somewhat less useful in that last role.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “A disaster zone, Eli, is no place for an iPad.”  That’s true only if you don’t have the right gear to accompany it. The following list will show you how to turn your iPad from a liability into an asset when things go very wrong.

There’s an important list every serious outdoor junkie has at least heard of — it’s called the Ten Essentials, and it lists gear no adventurer should journey into the wilds without. But it was codified long before the digital age arrived; now that power-hungry electronic gadgets are a part of adventuring, a relaible backup fuel tank is pretty important. It could even make the difference between life and death.

That’s where Mophie’s Juice Pack Powerstation Pro ($130) comes in. It’s a monstrous 6000 mAh chunk of a battery guarded by a ruggedized, military-spec housing — and it’ll charge practically anything short of a laptop.

My first decision is easy when heading out on an outdoor adventure: Take the iPhone with me? Oh, you betcha. The next one is much more difficult. Since the iPhone requires a boost in both protection and juice when playing Indiana Jones, I’m forced to choose between slipping on a battery case and worrying about my iPhone shattering on a rock, or (painstakingly) wrapping it in a rubber case and hoping it doesn’t run out of power.

But Mophie’s new $130 iPhone 4/S battery pack — sort of a cross between a tank and a tanker — says “COMPROMISE IS FOR THE WEAK.” And also, the poor.

Morphie’s venerable line of iPhone-charging Juice Packs were bound to get an update with the new iPhone 4 redesign, we’re just surprise it’s taken them this long. All’s well that ends well, though: Morphie has just announced their next-generation Juice Pack for the iPhone 4, doubling your handset’s battery life while slightly expanding your iPhone’s waistline.

The Juice Pack comes in the form of a hard-shell case, shielding the edges from accidental death-gripping and protecting the glass back from accidental shattering. Inside is a highly condensed lithium-ion battery that Morphie says will give you an additional six hours of 3G talktime, 12 hours of 2G talktime, 36 hours of audio playback or 9 hours of video. You can see how your Juice Pack is keeping up thanks to a handy power gauge on the bottom of the device, and if you’re worried the case will obscure your iPhone 4’s clear sound, Morphie even claims the case will act “as a virtual speaker box.”

If you’re interested in owning Morphie’s latest Juice Pack, it can now be purchased over at the official website for just a nickel short of $80.