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bear-trek
01-22-2014, 17:57
How easy is it to charge electronics on the AT? Not expecting to be able to in shelter, but wondering how difficult it is to keep a device charged. I am bringing an IPhone to listen to books on occasion and make checkin calls/texts with. Does anyone have experience with solar chargers if power isn't readily accessible?

Sorry if this isn't the right place to post this.

Bear
NOBO 2014 starting March 19th

michaelosborne
01-22-2014, 18:42
I don't think you would have too much luck with a solar charger, rather look into an external charging device such as the NewTrent products. I use the iTorch and can get 2-3 full charges on my phone with that. You won't need to rely on that too much if you put your phone on airplane mode and turn the brightness down the battery should last until your next town stop.

RedBeerd
01-23-2014, 20:44
You may find some outlets in the shelters.

And I second what's mentioned above. Airplane more and dim everything. Phone should easily last in between resupplies. Keep it warm at night. The cold drains them quickly. Solar charges probably don't help much on the AT. But I've noticed the big flat chargers work the best..YMMV....

2ndCharter
01-23-2014, 20:51
I've been eyeing the new Brunton hydrogen reactor. A bit pricey but could be a great solution if someone at home can recharge and send them out to you. I've yet to inquire if the laded ones are USPS approved so YMMV.

mudsocks
01-23-2014, 23:11
A cheaper device with approx the same capacity of the NewTrent options is the Kmashi 806. I've used both and both work well.

CELTIC BUCK
01-24-2014, 00:45
How about leaving all that crap at home and learning from nature ; listen to the night and mornings around you. Talk with people and dogs; bring a book or poems; what a concept get off the damn grid.

Matthew82
01-24-2014, 12:47
How about leaving all that crap at home and learning from nature ; listen to the night and mornings around you. Talk with people and dogs; bring a book or poems; what a concept get off the damn grid.

Or stay on it if you prefer.

Tim Causa
01-24-2014, 15:14
How about leaving all that crap at home and learning from nature ; listen to the night and mornings around you. Talk with people and dogs; bring a book or poems; what a concept get off the damn grid.

DEFINITELY talk with the dogs :)

Happy44
01-24-2014, 15:37
im bringing a small solar charger that i can just throw on the back of my pack and charge when i hike! its 1 of my 3 luxury weights, i got it on sale for 22$ so if craps out i can just toss it and charge every fews days in towns!

jjchgo
01-24-2014, 15:50
i brought my easyacc 12000 on a cabin trip last weekend. it kept my tablet charged the entire 4days there, the 16 hour round trip car ride and random people charging their phones.

Tim Causa
01-24-2014, 16:42
One thing I definitely do not recommend is the Solio Bolt. You will never be able to charge the thing and with an I phone 5s I don't even get a full charge out of the internal battery.

Son Driven
01-24-2014, 17:06
How about leaving all that crap at home and learning from nature ; listen to the night and mornings around you. Talk with people and dogs; bring a book or poems; what a concept get off the damn grid.AMEN! I enjoy being off the grid. I only used the camera function of my iphone while on the AT, however while in resupply mode I used other functions. Hike your own hike, and if you choose to fill your mind with off trail stuff, it is not my concern.

jdc5294
01-24-2014, 17:13
In my thru I had a 4S which I used as a music player for on average about 50 hours in between charging at hostels and hotels. Had it on airplane mode whenever I wasn't in town and I don't think it ever died on me when I was out. Having one of those external battery packs might be a good idea but I never needed it. From what I saw the solar chargers rarely worked. Also I never ran into a shelter with power, not once. I guess I was staying at the wrong ones.

mtntopper
01-24-2014, 17:58
In my thru I had a 4S which I used as a music player for on average about 50 hours in between charging at hostels and hotels. Had it on airplane mode whenever I wasn't in town and I don't think it ever died on me when I was out. Having one of those external battery packs might be a good idea but I never needed it. From what I saw the solar chargers rarely worked. Also I never ran into a shelter with power, not once. I guess I was staying at the wrong ones.


What? No electric power at the shelters on the AT. Dang it. Guess I will thru the PCT and use those shelters.

Oedipus
01-24-2014, 18:15
I used a hand crank radio and light combo. It had a solar charger on it, but never had enough sunlight to get it to actually work. The crank worked well enough in between towns and hostels. It was a bit bulky for the pack, but I did enjoy having the radio and extra light at camp.

CarlZ993
01-24-2014, 18:34
I saw a few outlets in shelters. Some lights too. Some enterprising individual installed them. Of course, there was no power to them. It was amusing to watch people trying to make them work.

jdc5294
01-24-2014, 19:53
http://npowerpeg.com/

lbbrown
01-24-2014, 20:16
Check out Biolitestove.com. Cooking fire and charger.

2ndCharter
01-24-2014, 20:31
I bit the bullet, sort of, and ordered the Brunton Hydrogen Reactor. I used Moosejaw rewards points so I didn't really bite any bullet.

rocketsocks
01-24-2014, 20:44
I bit the bullet, sort of, and ordered the Brunton Hydrogen Reactor. I used Moosejaw rewards points so I didn't really bite any bullet.No you didn't...sounds like ole MooseJaw bit the bullet on this one...Score! enjoy your electrons :)

saltysack
01-24-2014, 22:37
Newtrent I torch works great for about 3 full charges on my 5s... Light slso


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk (http://tapatalk.com/m?id=1)

Wise Old Owl
01-24-2014, 23:24
AMEN! I enjoy being off the grid. I only used the camera function of my iphone while on the AT, however while in resupply mode I used other functions. Hike your own hike, and if you choose to fill your mind with off trail stuff, it is not my concern.


You are old....

rocketsocks
01-24-2014, 23:26
You are old....
...and wise.

Wise Old Owl
01-24-2014, 23:29
finished the rebuttal - thanks...

atmilkman
01-24-2014, 23:38
http://www.solarhome.org/15wattdiysmallwindturbinekit.aspx?gclid=CLyhs-qymLwCFUUV7AodP04A0Q

HikerMom58
01-24-2014, 23:52
Wow... would you look at that, all my favorites on one thread.. :sun I'm happy!! Now, I'll gather up all my electronics, charge them up & go to sleep so I can dream of real electrical outlets in all the shelters on the AT. Sweet!

Seriously, I do think that a solar charger is a good idea. But, you'll have to see if you really need it after you are on the trail for a while.

Wise Old Owl
01-25-2014, 00:28
http://npowerpeg.com/

Ok go ahead and buy that,,,,honest let us all know how this works for you... might work out as an interesting thread someday.


Check out Biolitestove.com. Cooking fire and charger.

Nope. too heavy .... for long distance.. not my opinion.. just been hashed to death for years here... look guys - You have ideas and the folks here have tried - tried - tried this stuff and when new things show up ya need a bit of skepticism. We are here to help.

Theosus
01-25-2014, 10:38
Powergen makes some good battery packs. I use my phone very sparingly, usually just at night. I keep it on plane mode and listen to music or maybe watch something or play a game. That's still "off the grid"... I can get four days out of it like that. My power pack could recharge it four times, so that's sixteen days worth. No way I'd ever need that much power. But I mainly bought it as a one time phone charge and a gps battery backup, to keep me from having to carry a pack of disposable batteries.

Oak88
01-25-2014, 12:54
I don't think you would have too much luck with a solar charger, rather look into an external charging device such as the NewTrent products. I use the iTorch and can get 2-3 full charges on my phone with that. You won't need to rely on that too much if you put your phone on airplane mode and turn the brightness down the battery should last until your next town stop.

I agree with the above, I got around 2 charges with the iTorch, charging my Iphone. I do suggest Verizon as your carrier.

Wise Old Owl
01-25-2014, 14:11
http://www.solarhome.org/15wattdiysmallwindturbinekit.aspx?gclid=CLyhs-qymLwCFUUV7AodP04A0Q


I know you are being funny - imagine that strapped to the top of a pack on a trail runner....

Wise Old Owl
01-25-2014, 14:21
im bringing a small solar charger that i can just throw on the back of my pack and charge when i hike! its 1 of my 3 luxury weights, i got it on sale for 22$ so if craps out i can just toss it and charge every fews days in towns!

Most phones need 700ma to 1amp for reasonable charging. I suggest you test it at home with measurements before and after, A few phones will not accept solar charging...and I hope you kept your return paperwork. Roughly the latest generation panel needs to be as large as 8x10 and anything less would be toying around. There is a lot more detail here if you use the search feature.

ChinMusic
01-25-2014, 14:30
Solar charging is not ready for primetime on the tree-covered AT. Those that I saw with solar chargers were getting the vast majority of their juice by plugging in the unit in town. It was a waste of weight. Save yourself the headache and just carry a rechargeable battery, a unit that uses throw-away batteries, or one of the fuel cell units.

Different Socks
01-25-2014, 14:57
How about leaving all that crap at home and learning from nature ; listen to the night and mornings around you. Talk with people and dogs; bring a book or poems; what a concept get off the damn grid.

Other than wishing to have my tunes and pocket digital camera, I agree with you.

rocketsocks
01-25-2014, 15:46
It should also be remembered that everyone's power requirements are different, not all who post here are out to do a 6 month AT hike...thus some are only out for a few days, and just need a little extra power...that is all. :)

ChinMusic
01-25-2014, 15:54
It should also be remembered that everyone's power requirements are different, not all who post here are out to do a 6 month AT hike...thus some are only out for a few days, and just need a little extra power...that is all. :)

Power needs for an individual are not that different with regards to a 3-5-day hike or a 6-month hike. A 6-month hike is really only a series of shorter hikes.

rocketsocks
01-25-2014, 16:13
Power needs for an individual are not that different with regards to a 3-5-day hike or a 6-month hike. A 6-month hike is really only a series of shorter hikes.
Point taken, I spouse what I mean is if out I'm out for say three or four days I can get by with a single Disposable CR123A battery as a posed to bringing my much larger heavier solar panel.

verysimple
01-26-2014, 09:38
Newtrent powerpak 11,000 served me well

jdc5294
01-26-2014, 09:43
I saw several people using solar chargers, sitting them in the baking sun on a big rock and I don't think I ever saw someone actually getting their phone charged. Maybe they just had bad chargers or ones with not enough amperage.

Weather-man
01-26-2014, 12:36
I use the Newtrent 5000 mAh lithium pack and it gets me 5 days of daily intensive iPhone use (GPS, Instagram uploads, weather, etc...). I usually have enough extra juice to help other folks out. I carry 3-5 days of food on the AT which means a resupply stop, hence the ability to top all batteries off every 3-5 days. I would recommend a powerful charger as the smaller iPhone chargers take about 12 hours to top off the Newtrent. I think my iPad charger took about half that time. It helps if you're just running into town for some food vice nero or zero.


Just looked on Amazon and here's a dual 10 watt charger that looks good. It would allow you to quickly bring your phone and battery pack up to full charge. http://www.amazon.com/New-Trent-NT90C-high-speed-Smartphones/dp/B009RXU59C/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_y

Solar chargers that I've seen were not so good. Nice idea, poor execution.

Edit: I second using Verizon as well, especially in GA and NC.

StubbleJumper
01-26-2014, 13:20
First off, to each his own with respect to the use of electronics on the trail. Personally, I do carry a cheap Android smartphone so that I can:

1) Use it as a GPS when navigating poorly marked trails;
2) Send an occasional text message from a mountain top to let family know that I'm still alive;
3) Make an occasional phone call to loved ones when I'm in town (lotsa luck to find a pay phone these days, and many motels no longer have telephones in the rooms);
4) Do a little surfing using motels' wifi when I'm taking a zero-day;
5) Maintain notes about businesses that are not listed in guidebooks;
6) Maintain my address book.

So, those are my principal uses, and they might not apply to other hikers which means my advice/observations might not apply to everyone.

Personally, I have found that the best way to ensure that I have enough power is to buy an Android phone which has a removable battery. That allows me to purchase a second (or third) battery off of E*Bay which usually costs about $5 each. On zero-days, I watch TV, drink beer and recharge all of my batteries using the relatively lightweight charger that came with my phone. Since I keep my phone turned off at all times that I am not actually using it, I find that I can typically get 5 or 6 days out of a battery (partially because I rarely turn on my phone). In effect, the second battery is just insurance in case I forget to turn my phone off.

So, my approach costs about $100 for a cheap Android, and then another $5 or $10 for a spare battery or two. My Android weighs about 4 ounces, the charger weighs about 2 or 3 ounces and the spare battery about 1 ounce. So the whole shebang is about 8 ounces and a bit more than $100. I've hiked with other folks who carry I*phones, and while they get roughly the same functionality from their device, the fact that they cannot remove their battery means that they require a somewhat more expensive and heavier option to extend their usage time.

Just my 2 cents.

SunnyWalker
01-28-2014, 00:35
My solar charger requires DIRECT sunlight for quite a while to charge up. I don't think I could charge it up while on the AT even if it was on top/back of my backpack during the day. The AT does not seem that open enough with all the trees and all. Also, on overcast days and etc., it would not probably charge all the way up. I'd mainly use it as an extra battery (plug it into an outlet in town and charge it up then use it to charge phone or Ipod on trail if I needed to). However, when I do have access to direct sunlight it works great. Surprisingly, it is the Bear Grylls Mini Solar Panel. :-?

Timinator
01-28-2014, 01:17
The only solar panels that work on the AT are heavy ones weighing a pound and a half or more. This device may be the solution to everyone's power problem when it is released though https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/764467377/solepower-power-by-walking-0. 1 iphone charge per 2.5-5 miles...yum.

double d
01-28-2014, 01:28
How about leaving all that crap at home and learning from nature ; listen to the night and mornings around you. Talk with people and dogs; bring a book or poems; what a concept get off the damn grid.
excellent idea,but most people go into withdrawl from lack of cell phone use while on any long distance trail.

bear-trek
01-28-2014, 06:25
Thanks for everyone's input. Finally settled on a New Trent battery pack, the "Travelpak +". Hear you about getting off the grid, but with two parents with increasing health issues, and a wife who will sleep better with regular checkins, need to make sure I have text/phone access when needed.

HikerMom58
01-28-2014, 08:02
Thanks for everyone's input. Finally settled on a New Trent battery pack, the "Travelpak +". Hear you about getting off the grid, but with two parents with increasing health issues, and a wife who will sleep better with regular checkins, need to make sure I have text/phone access when needed.

Hear ya! Yeah, when people just shoot off random responses like "get off the damn grid", they don't take the time to understand why someone would want or need to carry electronics with them. It seems they don't really care anyway, they are just spouting off. :D *Big Smile* Thankfully, you were kind in your response back to them. :D Kudos to you bear-trek! I'm glad you settled on something.

Kc Fiedler
02-02-2014, 00:44
http://npowerpeg.com/

I used a PowerPeg for a trip and then returned it. I guess my backpack doesn't jiggle enough to harvest energy because I hiked with it for days and it never got a charge. When you think about it, it makes sense tho. How often do you stand around with your pack on jumping up and down?

Josh Calhoun
02-03-2014, 23:02
solar chargers are not practical, Anker Astro Series of chargers are the way to go

Wise Old Owl
02-03-2014, 23:36
solar chargers are not practical, Anker Astro Series of chargers are the way to go


Hey Josh like a lot of folk that show up here, There are solutions you have not discovered or equipment that you have not seen! misguided you are. It's OK there are trail towns- with power, no need for the dark side. It's not personal.

Damn Yankee
02-04-2014, 08:04
I know in Waynesboro Virginia they are putting in power stations just for the AT hikers to help draw them to town to raise income so maybe more towns are doing it. I will have a pay as you go with me only because my wife will want me to check in when I can. Most of my time will be writing my journal and when I get home, my wife is going to write a memoir and hopefully, I will be able to get it published. I am 100% for being off the grid and just enjoying the sounds of the woods. I spent three months living in the Sonora Desert working with the Border Patrol and the best part of the whole thing was listening to the coyotes, watching the kangaroo mice at night along with all the other critters. Using devices on the trail is your option as long as it doesn't interfere with others solitude. Good luck, you shouldn't have much trouble.

jdc5294
02-04-2014, 08:26
If you're in a town you should be able to find a power outlet regardless. Any restaurant under some/most of the tables (fast food or otherwise) and if you can't find them the staff will most likely let you plug it in back in the kitchen while you eat. Bartenders are also more then willing to plug it in behind the bar for you, most of the time they'll have the cable back there already. Gas stations will usually have some outlets you can use if you ask. Hostels and hotels obviously, too. Sporting goods stores are always hiker friendly and will let you use one of theirs. Establishments in towns along the trail are used to these requests so you shouldn't feel shy about asking, the worst thing they can do is say no.

magic_game03
02-04-2014, 08:52
Solar charging is not ready for primetime on the tree-covered AT. Those that I saw with solar chargers were getting the vast majority of their juice by plugging in the unit in town. It was a waste of weight. Save yourself the headache and just carry a rechargeable battery, a unit that uses throw-away batteries, or one of the fuel cell units.

I have some experience in this matter but ChinMusic has summed it up best. I used a solar charger a lot in the Sierras and it rocked on my 2012 JMT hike. I had 16 gigs of music, all JMT maps (and Google maps in town), reserved camping spot at General Grant Grove, got cheap internet hotel tickets at end of trip, photos, videos, and a lot more but I'm not going to go on about that. But since I've been back to the east coast I've not had the same value out of the Solar Charger, mostly because of the trees and the clouds. I'm not saying that my charger is absolutely useless, but it has been useless more often than not.

Since then I've mostly just carried a back up battery. I've had the HTC Vivid and Samsung S4, both of which allow memory expansion and access to swapping out the battery. If I'm correct you cannot do that with the iPhone (and with some other smartphones, like the new HTC One.)

So for now, I agree with ChinMusic, on the AT I carry a back up battery and would recommend a portable battery booster for anyone who cannot swap out a battery.

Wise Old Owl
02-04-2014, 21:39
Recently added products on the internet gives Goal Pro a Run for the money. This is all about what to take when Backpacking so I will relate this as best as I can. The physical collector or panel has gone thru many changes over the years. What you could buy a few years ago, is easily trumped by better quality products. The power gets better, as collection lines get thinner and tighter together according to the innovators over in Japan. Goal Zero & Joos are dominating the market and at the same time are pricier than the rest. but here is the rub - Almost all of them have to have a perfect day to work 100% On the other hand you can flip a Goal Zero backwards to the sun and still get some charge. The only time these larger panels don't work is when you are getting rained on. - Leaves scatter the light, so its 50% nowadays and some charge is better than nothing. Look at the size difference, most of the working panels are 8"x10" or larger. One only has to see something smaller like the size of a DVD and read the complaints on Amazon... The Smaller ones like Solio are budget wasters. There are also a load of knock offs, that appear cheap & lack power management and protection diodes and after a season are broke.

Flex film require far more panels to collect the same amount of power, recently there was a Bear Gryls version, a quite a few complaints. It doesn't mean it doesn't work - but if you remember Bruton was twice as big for a reason, and a hefty price too.
Measuring circuits ( a series of resistors and chip) on the Motorola Android, Apple Iphone, and Samsung will prevent you from direct charging a smart phone on most solar chargers, the circuit or short on data wire tells the phone you are not using the proprietary charger that came with it...* You charge directly to a battery backup or a older phone and later send the power into the Smart Phone. I will order and test the Anker to see if they solved this.

Enter in a new candidate. Anker 14 Watt 1 Amp per 5volt port 2 amp total gives Goal Pro a boot to the side on price and amount of panels, Charge two Items at the same time!

www.amazon.com/Anker-Foldable-Dual-port-...luding/dp/B00E3OL5U8 (http://www.amazon.com/Anker-Foldable-Dual-port-USB-charged-Including/dp/B00E3OL5U8)

http://img.dealmoon.com/images/c/14/02/03/2rSBEUU.jpg (http://img.dealmoon.com/images/c/14/02/03/2rSBEUU.jpg)


This panel claims 27 ounces.

What I am trying to accomplish is decent power in the woods and charge something during a one to two hour lunch break, and get the weight down as low as I can get it. If there is no sun mount it to the top of the pack and hang it all day... Yea I know there are a few out there (leave it at home) but I have been a geek all my life.

dmax
02-04-2014, 21:57
So what are you trying to say??
Just go with the battery back up, unless your out west?
So far it looks like the battery pack would be the lightest?

Wise Old Owl
02-04-2014, 21:59
Who was this directed towards? An Anker battery backup is the one of the lightest ideas so far. A solar panel is an enhancement.

dmax
02-04-2014, 22:04
It's directed towards anyone who knows anything about chargers. I have no clue. ... But I do see on all of these threads that people pop in and say that wont work, but never says what does work ... It would be great to have a list of good chargers for the AT.

Weather-man
02-04-2014, 23:15
So what are you trying to say??
Just go with the battery back up, unless your out west?
So far it looks like the battery pack would be the lightest?

I can't imagine a scenario during an AT hike that a solar charger would make sense. Perhaps if someone planned on not hitting a resupply (town..) for 2-3 weeks...perhaps. Other than that scenario the weight and low efficiency of a solar panel would preclude its use. For 27 oz (as suggested above) I could carry enough lithium power packs to supply an iPhone for 2-3 weeks.

27 oz of lithium battery (30,000 MaH + or -) would provide a non-smart phone with enough juice for an entire thru-hike, I would imagine.

So as far I see the workable solution of efficiency (weight balanced with power) is one of the many 5000-10000 maH lithium power packs that are available. My 5200 newtrent, which weighs about 4.5 oz, will keep my iPhone happy for a week of fairly regular usage if I use an intelligent power management strategy. The Anker looks like a great product as well.

dmax
02-04-2014, 23:30
My wife has been wanting to buy a Patriot Fuel+ for the last couple of weeks. But since she hasn't bought one yet I'll have her look into the Ankers. ... I still use a stick and a can. Actually I still use an old flip phone. No high tech phones here, yet...

Wise Old Owl
02-04-2014, 23:47
Dmax - if your phone is on this list this is what I would suggest - several charges in one unit

http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Compact-Portable-Sensation-ThunderBolt-Blackberry/dp/B00CTK762E/ref=sr_1_27?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1391572020&sr=1-27&keywords=ankers+battery

dmax
02-05-2014, 00:30
Dmax - if your phone is on this list this is what I would suggest - several charges in one unit

http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Compact-Portable-Sensation-ThunderBolt-Blackberry/dp/B00CTK762E/ref=sr_1_27?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1391572020&sr=1-27&keywords=ankers+battery

Hers is, mines not .. Thanks Woo!

jdc5294
02-05-2014, 07:43
I'm just curious as to why anyone would need anything besides a wall charger with them. I used my iPhone pretty intensively as a music player and ebook reader along the way, always made it into town with some juice left. Obviously I had it on airplane mode when I wasn't in town, so I guess needing extra power means you'll be receiving phone calls and texts while you're out? I consider myself pretty attached to technology but even I enjoyed being unreachable while I was actually out in the woods. Turning everything on and getting the surge of texts and missed calls once a week was plenty frequent for me. /endrant

ChinMusic
02-05-2014, 13:16
Just got an email for a heck of a deal on a really powerful unit from New Trent:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009TCUPIC/ref=pe_316350_112527210_em_1p_2_ti

Wise Old Owl
02-13-2014, 01:45
I'm just curious as to why anyone would need anything besides a wall charger with them. I used my iPhone pretty intensively as a music player and ebook reader along the way, always made it into town with some juice left. Obviously I had it on airplane mode when I wasn't in town, so I guess needing extra power means you'll be receiving phone calls and texts while you're out? I consider myself pretty attached to technology but even I enjoyed being unreachable while I was actually out in the woods. Turning everything on and getting the surge of texts and missed calls once a week was plenty frequent for me. /endrant

My company I phone works 2.5 days with low use, I suspect it has a larger battery - however - never use a Chinese knock off! Please just the cube that it comes with... I have seen multiple websites and test bench stuff that would make ya cringe.


Just got an email for a heck of a deal on a really powerful unit from New Trent:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009TCUPIC/ref=pe_316350_112527210_em_1p_2_ti

Hey almost anything with two - three charges between trail towns is fine. I don't have New Trent, I am sure its very good tech. I am working on UL solar solutions that work but that's for me.

kennyxedge
02-13-2014, 03:51
I used mine to listen to music and make calls/texts when possible. Keep your phone in 'Airplane mode' unless you absolutely NEED to make a call or text and it should be fine to wait until you get into a town to resupply and use electricity.

Texaco
02-13-2014, 10:45
I've got a New Trent unit that I just picked up, $38 on amazon prime, that's 10,000 mAh. I'm a heavy iPhone user with work. After charging the New Trent to 100%, I started charging my iPhone solely from the unit.

The last time I plugged my iPhone into a wall was Friday. I've been using the NT since Saturday night, running my phone dead (~5%) every night and charging it to full with the NT. I'm now on my 5th day of operating the phone solely off battery backup, and the New Trent LED indicator is still blue (40-70% charge). I'd imagine using this and keeping the iPhone in airplane mode with minimal cell use would get me nearly two weeks between needing an electrical outlet.

kayak karl
02-13-2014, 11:04
Just got an email for a heck of a deal on a really powerful unit from New Trent:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009TCUPIC/ref=pe_316350_112527210_em_1p_2_ti

i bought the kids new trends for christmas. they work great.

Theosus
02-13-2014, 20:34
powergen makes a good unit too. I have one (forget the milliamps). It will charge my phone about 5 times. Its on-off button is on the side, and if you push it and there's nothing to charge, it waits somewhere around 20 minutes and shuts itself off. It has a little LED flashlight on the end, as well. I suspect that one little LED would go a LONG time on 12,000mah or so...

LIhikers
02-15-2014, 18:50
In NJ charge right at the shelters .................................................. .................................................. ............................... NOT

bobp
02-15-2014, 20:56
The outlet complements the satellite dish :^)

jdc5294
02-15-2014, 21:31
I heard there's a jacuzzi only visible to those who've donated $500 or more to the ATC

LIhikers
02-15-2014, 21:50
No, there really is a sat. dish on the roof of Rutherford shelter

Newb
02-20-2014, 11:29
Nomad Go. works like a charm. makes you popular with other hikers ;0

Wise Old Owl
02-21-2014, 09:45
..........................

Shutter
02-21-2014, 11:48
I'm going to try to keep this sort and sweet. On the A.T. I carried 4 spare batteries for my phone, never used more than 2 of them. Keep your phone off or on airplane mode when listening to music. Only turn it off airplane mode when you need to make a call or text.

Solar is useless on the A.T. There's zero debate, it's useless.

Airplane mode = the phone no longer uses power to communicate with cell towers, this saves a tremendous amount of electricity. Cell, Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS are all shut off. In this mode you can go weeks in stand by. Especially with an iPhone.

These are the best 2 external batteries for mAH to weight ratios I have found:
EasyACC = 5000mAH
Real world mAH = 4000mah
4.6oz
http://www.amazon.com/EasyAcc%C2%AE-Ultra-Slim-PowerBank-Flashlight-Smartphone/dp/B00EK3UHS8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392996949&sr=8-2&keywords=easyacc

New Trent 10000mAH
Real world mAH = 8000mAH
7.75oz
http://www.amazon.com/New-Trent-Powerpak-10000mAh-Smartphones/dp/B00EB1BY36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392997192&sr=8-1&keywords=new+trent+10

External battery packs run at ~80% efficiency due to power conversion, heat, etc...

If you have a phone with a replacable battery I'd highly recommend just buying an extra battery or two. You will get more energy per oz.

Popular phone battery capacity:
iPhone 4s - 1430mAH
iPhone 5 - 1440mAH
iPhone 5s - 1560mAH

Samsung:
S3 -2100mAH
S4 - 2600mAH
Note 2 - 3100mAH
Note 3 - 3200mAH

Wise Old Owl
02-21-2014, 21:46
OK Shutter, I am not going to tear your post apart.... but you don't drive a Ford 1973 LTD or some Edsel, solar panels are just as different. We have gone some seven generations of quality and the new ones can charge with the panels backwards on a sunny day. The new ones can charge on a super cloudy day, but if its raining you can put them away. Now my answer is NEVER SAY NEVER, or perhaps useless.

I am fan of New Trent and Anker