Zinc-Air batteries for cell phones

[BigToe]

Much as I hate the idea of carrying a cell phone on the trail, my wife asks that if I hike alone to please carry my cell phone. Yes I know the coverage is poor to non existent. It's really a comfort item for my wife's peace of mind.

The stock Lithium Ion cell phone batteries typically don't last for more than a few days, even if you mostly keep the phone powered off. I have looked at the Cellboost/Instant Power type zinc-air battery rechargers but those require you to also have the stock battery in place. They act like a battery charger, not a battery replacement.

I though that some manufacturer was offering zinc-air batteries that would replace your stock battery, not act as a supplement. That would be the way to go because you would only have to carry the zinc-air replacement, not both. The power/discharge profile of a zinc-air battery should give you 60 minutes or so of talk time over many weeks, which would be ideal for the trail.

Has anyone seen or used the zinc-air batteries like this? How about the Sidewinder type wind-up rechargers? How do other folks handle the cell phone power requirements?

[Dances with Mice]

I've gotten 2 weeks life out of stock batteries by storing the battery & phone separated in a baggie, taking them out to put together once a day. I pre-arrange a window when I'll attempt to call, say noon to 2pm every day. If not enough bars, then I disassemble and try again the next day. The clock and whatever other auto functions that run when the phone is "off" still drain the battery. Removing the battery from the phone seems to at least double its life.

[chicote]

You could also look at these two solar options

Brunton's solar rolls and the Solidius solar charger. A quick google will net the results you'll need. Pretty lightweight for what they do.

[Zero_Six]

We are currently testing a solar product that will charge cells, laptops, batteries etc. Its lightweight and real packable. I think the future looks pretty good for the miniaturization of solar products that will have great applications for field use and remote research. They are still pricey but not completly out of range and this should go down as demand and interest increases.

[ARambler]

Hundreds of hikers have carried cell phones on the AT without your strategy and I don't know of any who have.

The rechargable Li ion batteries are getting pretty cheap on the internet. You might want to consider buying a backup. It would be lighter than a charger, which you could then bounce. (I bounced my charger without a spare battery.) My phone lasted 3 weeks turned off, but that may depend on the phone and age of the battery.

Coverage is much better on top of ridges, so mid day may be better than at the shelter at night. Make sure you call a number with an answering machine or text messaging, so you can leave a message.

I recommend being a single jerk, so there are less people who want to hear from you, but this dosen't work for everyone.;)
Rambler