"Just charge in town."

[Solex]

"Just charge in town."

This appears to be the answer to most everyone's electronics not using AA or AAA batteries. But what does everyone exactly mean by this? Where in towns? Are you asking private businesses (e.g. gas stations, Mom n Pop stores, restaurants) to use their electrical outlets or are you utilizing public facilities like public bathrooms or a public library?

I'm trying to decide whether to take electronics that run on AA and AAA batteries, or to rely on businesses' goodwill to charge up my electronics.

[Don H]

I just charged my phone at the hostel or motel when I stayed in town which was about once a week. I also found outlets by the vending machines outside of stores and other public places occasionally. No one seemed to care or ever said anything about it. It doesn't hurt to ask when your feel it's appropriate, just do what you feel is right. I carried a spare phone battery with me and kept the phone off except when using it. Charging once a week at the hostel/motel was enough so I really didn't have to "stealth charge" a lot.

I didn't carry a charger for my camera but I carried a spare battery and when one went dead I sent it home and used the spare. Did that probably four times throughout the trip and took over 1,000 pictures. Some people carries extra memory cards for the camera and sent them home maybe once a month. It would suck to loose your camera and all your pictures so at least doing this limits your risk. Another hint, your first picture on your camera should be of a closeup of something with your name, address, phone number and email address just in case you loose your camera. Hopefully some nice person will find it and know where to return it.

The only other thing I carried that needed power was a headlamp. I used Lithium batteries in that and they lasted about half the trip. I didn't carry spares just picked up new ones in town when the lamp started getting dim.

Hope this helps.

[Lone Wolf]

ALWAYS ask to charge up things.

[RWheeler]

ALWAYS ask to charge up things.

I'd agree, it's common courtesy to ask before plugging into someone else's power source. Unless you're in a motel or something, in which case that's to be expected. But places like restaurants, stores, etc, you should definitely ask. If they say no, don't make it seem like they're being unreasonable, either.

[Don H]

Well, I agree that that would be the right thing to do, if you can find someone to ask.

I remember one time in Lincoln, NH I was waiting for a ride and decided to charge my phone from an outlet by the vending machines of the grocery store. I asked the guy collecting the shopping carts if it was OK. He could have cared less. I don' think I would have gone into the store and tracked down the manager and bothered him about it though. Just use common sense.

[Heald]

A postal worker once told me that every post office has an exterior outlet. He said that sometimes they aren't in plain sight, but they are there somewhere.

[DripDry]

I used an iGo "Charge Anywhere" (http://www.igo.com/invt/ps002730001) which allowed me to charge the battery in the iGO while charging my phone, etc. It works with just about anything with a USB.

The iGO held 1-2 additional charges for my phone that I could use away from town. One nice advantage is that you can just plug the device in without attaching cords, etc. for "stealth charging", and also almost everybody would allow you to plug it in while you were in their store, etc.

[rusty bumper]

I carried a charger and extra battery for my phone. When I stayed overnight in town, I left the next morning with 2 fully charged batteries. Most times when I stopped for a quick resupply and/or a bite to eat, I asked permission to top-off the charge on my phone's battery even if it was only 15 minutes worth. In my 5 months of hiking, only one in-town store didn't give me permission...in that case I went next door to the post office and they happily let me charge while I packed up my resupply of food.

[Solex]

Excellent. Thanks for the responses, everyone. You've given me a good idea what to expect in towns, as well as some good tips. Much obliged.

[RevLee]

I used an iGo charger and kept it in one of the outside pockets of my pack for quick charges during meals. Was never turned down when asking at restaurants, and with the iGo the server could take it and plug it in somewhere more convenient without having to hand over my phone. Further north, parks are more plentiful and often have pavilions or bathrooms with outlets for lunch time charging.

[jbwood5]

There is an outlet in the restroom (near the shelter) at Fontana Dam. Only problem I saw was several octopus outlets tied in and about 8 cell phones being charged. There was no more room for another.

[Spokes]

A postal worker once told me that every post office has an exterior outlet. He said that sometimes they aren't in plain sight, but they are there somewhere.

Yep, I found that to be true when I bicycled across country in 2008.

I never had any problems with my electronics going dead on my thru hike. Heck, you learn to conserve and just know town is usually only about 5 days away. Ain't rocket science.

[Movin']

I highly recommend the Minty Boost charger if you really need juice: http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/

[4eyedbuzzard]

Generally no need to ask permission to charge up in places that have public wifi like McD's, Starbucks, DD, etc. or hotels or hostels - they all expect people to connect to their internet connection, plug in devices, etc All others it's just common courtesy.

[WingedMonkey]

You don't need electronics on the trail.

[SCRUB HIKER]

Generally no need to ask permission to charge up in places that have public wifi like McD's, Starbucks, DD, etc. or hotels or hostels - they all expect people to connect to their internet connection, plug in devices, etc All others it's just common courtesy.

I felt the same. I always charged my stuff either in a hotel/hostel or in the chain restaurants. Anywhere else and it didn't feel right. I recognize now that the logic behind this is a little specious (i.e. McDonald's franchise owners are people, too, and their profits do take a tiny cut with each freeloading hiker), but that's how I and a lot of other hikers rolled.

[Don H]

You don't need electronics on the trail.

Maybe not in '95 but in 2011 you sure did. How else do you expect to text all your trail buddies to find out who's where and what's goin' on?
Not to mention checking emails, weather forecasts, stock updates, and facebook.

[ALLEGHENY]

I'll conserve my phones power and re energize in towns. I have looked at one of these one pound bricks.

http://www.k-tor.com/hand-crank-generator

[bflorac]

Well, if you get to Partnership shelter next to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Headquarters, don't bother looking around the outside for an outlet, none to be had. I scoured ever nook and cranny late one afternoon. I'm sure if you ask the nice folks in side they may let you charge inside but they were closed at the time.

[Solex]

I'm pretty shy I guess, so staying at a hostel was the only situation I could think of where I would be comfortable charging my electronics freely. And though I would like to stay in a hostel once a week, I don't think I can afford that at this time.

The iGo charger does seem a little less intrusive than handing over your cell phone, camera, or whatever it is you're charging, but I'm not sure if that's my answer. It's more of the "problem" of having someone else footing my electricity bill. I would always ask first, of course, but knowing myself, I won't like that "cost" for carrying electronics.

Good point about certain restaurants, like Starbucks, which have outlets readily available. It's almost become part of the service (e.g. sit with your laptop for a while and sip coffee thing). I'm going to start researching my town stops with Starbucks-like restaurants and the spread of my hostel stays, before making any decisions on my electronics.

If it's still a no-go, I'll probably travel with this setup: a Spare One Phone (1 AA battery) and an AA camera and call it a day.

Yes, it would be nice to travel without electronics, but I want to send some peace of mind home and take a few video/photo memories along the way. And I'm just working out the least intrusive way to do so.

Again, thanks for the helpful comments and information on what to expect. Everyone has been really helpful with my oddball question, despite its somewhat obvious answer. Just wanted some other opinions and I got them. Thanks very much!