View Full Version : where to charge phones or camera
thruhiker101
02-10-2009, 16:32
Hey guys im leaving for my hike in a few weeks..... i was trying to make my thru hike a more communal with nature and wasn't planning on staying at any hostels or shelters along the way.... obviously i have to go into town every now and again.... im wondering if anyone has any tips how i could charge my camera and phone........
im trying to figure a different way charging other then hooking up to outside soda machines and such ...
thanks guys, and gals
freebird'08
02-10-2009, 16:53
On my thur every time I did laundry, when I stay at hostels, and not recommend for a long time but a quick 5 mins. outside c- store. You may get a few weird looks but who cares, I would ask the person working if I could do and all said yes. Plus anytime in town like fast food places or restraunts. Every time I went into a fast food place I always seemed to see someone with their lap top plugged in. Hope this helped good hiking to you
most like to plug the charger into standard 120v receptacles:eek::eek:
http://www.olympus.net/dsl/images/6.JPG
most hostels, hotels, some restaurants(ask first) have those receptacles
Nice to have a picture for those who don't like to 'read the manual' on how to plug in their phone! :eek: :p :D
Slo-go'en
02-10-2009, 17:56
Just remember, unless you have a really quick charger, it can take hours to fully charge the batteries, espcially if thier pretty dead. 5-10 minutes isn't going to get much life back, but I guess it would be better than nothing.
If you manage to not stay in any shelters or hostels on your entire thru hike that would be a feat. I wonder if any one has ever done that?? (any one at all?).
You can charge your batteries for camera/cell phone at most any hostel, library or restaurant. There is absolutely no way in hell you are going to by pass every single hostel and restaurant. In fact, I bet many folks spend as much time eating in restaurants as they do hiking the trail!
David
Ramble~On
02-10-2009, 18:03
:eek: I just looked at my charger and it only has TWO prongs on it...not like the one in the picture that has THREE . I looked at my wall socket and (Holy Cow):eek: ! It is like the one in the photograph with THREE holes. What should I do with a two prong charger and and a wall outlet (like the one in the pretty picture) that has three holes ? -- I know, I'll call an electrician and have him come out and take a look at it.:-?
thruhiker101
02-11-2009, 00:26
On my thur every time I did laundry, when I stay at hostels, and not recommend for a long time but a quick 5 mins. outside c- store. You may get a few weird looks but who cares, I would ask the person working if I could do and all said yes. Plus anytime in town like fast food places or restraunts. Every time I went into a fast food place I always seemed to see someone with their lap top plugged in. Hope this helped good hiking to you
thank you very much for the only informative response... unfortunately you guys duped me i saw 6 responses and got really happy... then i read the first one.. this is going to be good... o nope spoke too soon (children socializing).......i agree this website is awesome but i only wish we could keep to the point... with that said........
If you manage to not stay in any shelters or hostels on your entire thru hike that would be a feat. I wonder if any one has ever done that?? (any one at all?).
You can charge your batteries for camera/cell phone at most any hostel, library or restaurant. There is absolutely no way in hell you are going to by pass every single hostel and restaurant. In fact, I bet many folks spend as much time eating in restaurants as they do hiking the trail!
David
Thanks, library is a good idea..... i didnt think of that... are there many along the way?
yea im sure people have hiked it in the past without luxuries... people had explore the unmapped land at one point or another (unfortunately google earth hasn't always been around)... im planning on bringing about 25lbs+ of long lasting high energy food... everything from corn bread (many variations) to pemmican.... plus a lil foraging n trapping along the way...taking (within reason) what is available... ever try pine tea? great source of vit C........
Matt
I think I have seen a throw away battery charger that you can buy. I think I saw it at a gift shop in the airport.
I think I have seen a throw away battery charger that you can buy. I think I saw it at a gift shop in the airport.
just what the environment needs...
Nice to have a picture for those who don't like to 'read the manual' on how to plug in their phone! :eek: :p :D
its kinda what i do for a living, pluggin things in, that is... but i give that answer 'is it plugged in' more than anything else
its kinda what i do for a living, pluggin things in, that is... but when it comes to fixing problems i give that response/answer 'is it plugged in' more than anything else
correction
... o nope spoke too soon (children socializing).......Name calling will win you a lot of friends around here! :eek: If you can't take or don't like a little humor mixed in with gaining information then this probably isn't the site for you. :p
One thing to bear in mind. If you're going to plug in your charger anywhere like a library, outside a convenience store, etc., ask permission first. If someone tells you no when you ask, respect their decision and authority and move on. Someone's got to pay for that electricity, regardless of how much or how little you use, and it probably isn't going to be you. Respect and trail (town) manners go a long way in maintianing good relations between locals and hikers.
Gaiter dont use batteries hugh? I bet you do!:) Battries arent bad if you recycle them and dont be a dummy and throw them in the trash. Most radio shacks and some food store have a place you can recycle used battries.
catfishrivers
02-11-2009, 10:10
Google "minty boost" and build it. Charges iPhone off of aa batteries. If you don't have an iphone then maybe there is a similar kit for the phone you use. Sorry to not post the link, I'm typing from my phone. Good luck.
Several different companies make "small" devices that use between 1-4 "Double A" (A-A) batteries to power a portable charger (or to serve as a supplemental power supply). Some brands also have interchangable tips to permit you to charge different kinds of devices using the same base battery pack. I got mine at Radio Shack--but I've also seen similar types of chargers at places like Walgreens over the past few years.
Here are links to a couple of products that use batteries, hand cranks, or solar power to charge your devices--or to at least give you some supplemental power:
This is the one I use when the National Guard sends me to emergency/disaster areas where there might not be any electrical power available. It uses two AA batteries and you can purchase different tips to charge/power different devices. It is called:
iGo powerXtender™ Battery Operated Charger:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2762495
This device uses one AA battery:
http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/emergency-phone-charger/index.html
Here are several kinds---battery, crank, solar powered:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3504_7-6427792-1.html
This one uses 4 AAA batteries--to give you about 30 additional minutes of talk-time on your phone:
http://www.cellphoneshop.net/emcephch.html
This 4.8 ounce crank-powered device ALLEGEDLY does 10 different things--including help you charge devices:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2941760&tab=techSpecs
Hi don't if you want to do this But their are a lot of camera out that take AA batteries
and their are pay as you go phones like tracfone and net10 that have really good
batterie life they will last 10 days on stand by. Just a few ideals
:confused:
most like to plug the charger into standard 120v receptacles:eek::eek:
http://www.olympus.net/dsl/images/6.JPG
most hostels, hotels, some restaurants(ask first) have those receptacles
This made me laugh out loud. :sun
Blissful
02-11-2009, 14:19
Ask at places you are going to if you can charge -like at a restaurant where you are buying a meal.
But you will be at a hostel eventually...guaranteed. :)
Ramble~On
02-11-2009, 14:51
:banana Really helpful electrician just left...it took me a while to get one to come out.
He fixed the problem with my wall socket, he put some special electrical tape over the extra hole and only charged me $5.00 for the tape and $75.00 for the "emergency call" He said he might have to come back once a month to replace the piece of tape.
For those of you hiking thru here in Damascus you may stop here at my place and recharge your cell phones!
Gaiter dont use batteries hugh? I bet you do!:) Battries arent bad if you recycle them and dont be a dummy and throw them in the trash. Most radio shacks and some food store have a place you can recycle used battries.
i never said not to use batteries, thanks for twisting my words.... why buy a throw away battery to feed a rechargeable battery when you can just recharge it w/o sending more things into the landfill...
and not all batteries can be recycled... standard alkaline batteries can be recycled, but lithiums can't (or at least the recycling of them isn't as developed as alkalines
:banana Really helpful electrician just left...it took me a while to get one to come out.
He fixed the problem with my wall socket, he put some special electrical tape over the extra hole and only charged me $5.00 for the tape and $75.00 for the "emergency call" He said he might have to come back once a month to replace the piece of tape.
lol glad to help :welcome
Ramble~On
02-11-2009, 15:14
For those of you hiking thru here in Damascus you may stop here at my place and recharge your cell phones!
Thanks ! :-? Do you have two or three prong outlets ? Guess, I could call that electrician back and see if he'd sell me a roll of that special tape. I could carry it with me and tape my own sockets...save some money that way too!
All joking aside, it's a good question. I'm hiking this year too and this will be the first longer hike I've been on with things that will need to be recharged. I plan to carry a charger - price to pay for wanting to have these luxury items. Reality being what it is - it's easier to sit here and think about hiking with them but in all liklihood I'll be sending the iPod home and switching over to a lighter, smaller AAA mp3. I wouldn't want to be without music.
The phone...it'll probably get sent home.
Sorry Gaiter, miss understood what you were talking about.
ChinMusic
02-11-2009, 16:12
Anyone ever calulate what the cost of electricity is for charging a cell phone? I wouldn't think the math would be too tough.
ChinMusic
02-11-2009, 16:17
Anyone ever calulate what the cost of electricity is for charging a cell phone? I wouldn't think the math would be too tough.
I did a quick Google search.
Typical answer was well UNDER one penny.
I checked and to charge a non typical cell phone with a ground on the transformer on a substained charge of 8 hours it came to 1538 watts and 87356 kilowatts and the price was $37.54. So if you have 5 cell phones charging in your house or business for 8 hours it comes to $1501.06. I dont know but that alot to me.
lol glad to help :welcome
you have 6 posts on this thread and I didn't find any of them helpful.
Slo-go'en
02-12-2009, 15:00
I checked and to charge a non typical cell phone with a ground on the transformer on a substained charge of 8 hours it came to 1538 watts and 87356 kilowatts and the price was $37.54. So if you have 5 cell phones charging in your house or business for 8 hours it comes to $1501.06. I dont know but that alot to me.
Thats a mighty non-typical cell phone! More like a space heater. It costs me 0.0171 cents a watt/hour for electricty (17.1 cents per KWH) It takes maybe 1/4 watt/ hour to charge a phone battery. Thats well less than a penny, even with the high cost of power here.
thruhiker101
02-13-2009, 00:30
i think after going over all my options i will bring a $9 radio shack hand crank radio with 10 different "tools" which includes a 9volt battery charger(linked earlier in this thread)... im pretty sure i can adapt this to my phone battery (which has a + and - port on the back of the battery) should work... i pick this because it gives me one less reason to stop in towns...
i would love it if i could not stop in a single town along the way... im not hiking to get my name on a list, im trying to commune with nature, learn how i can help it and how it can help me... see ya out there ill probably be the guy with a fur frame on my pack tanning my new hat or gloves
happy hiking
ps snowhoe kicks ass, really nice and informative guy
Wise Old Owl
02-13-2009, 00:47
AFTER I FOUND MY CHAIR AND PULLED MYSELF OFF THE FLOOR. A picture is a thousand words..
OK, Cell Phone batteries have come a very long way, carry a second battery as it will weigh nothing and hold a charge over a month if new. Purchase the battery though Amazon for best bet price.
Thru Hiker 101, Most hand crank anything take more than a half hour to charge or more. The weight has not been worth it and Cell phones are three volts, they need a down converter. It can be done, I just cant stand the weight when a second battery can suffice.
Chin Music its KWH in other words 25 cents per charge.
thruhiker101
02-13-2009, 01:00
what can i say, the man makes sense... but it brings me back to my original problem of how to charge these batteries... i guess ill just wing it... or plug it into a potato
AFTER I FOUND MY CHAIR AND PULLED MYSELF OFF THE FLOOR. A picture is a thousand words..
OK, Cell Phone batteries have come a very long way, carry a second battery as it will weigh nothing and hold a charge over a month if new. Purchase the battery though Amazon for best bet price.
Thru Hiker 101, Most hand crank anything take more than a half hour to charge or more. The weight has not been worth it and Cell phones are three volts, they need a down converter. It can be done, I just cant stand the weight when a second battery can suffice.
Ramble~On
02-13-2009, 01:33
I understand your question..and it's a good one. I also understand your wanting to commune with nature and stay out of towns entirely..it's a great idea and I wish you well with it. Sometimes such things come at a price though and you speak of tanning leather, hunting and trapping along the way etc..and if you do wish to do these things you'll likely not be putting in many miles while doing them and perhaps in your case a solar charger would answer your needs.
Avoiding towns entirely and all the things that they offer might make for a difficult thru hike. If what you have said is what you want out of your hike and you're willing to follow through with it you could end up having an extremely rare experience, one that I'm pretty certain no one else has managed to do before. Your thru hike would be unique enough to make for a very interesting book if you were able to pull it off.
I am a bit confused though by your wanting to commune with nature and avoid towns, tan leather and trap etc..kinda have a bit of a rustic experience and have electronic devices at the same time.
Thanks ! :-? Do you have two or three prong outlets ? Guess, I could call that electrician back and see if he'd sell me a roll of that special tape. I could carry it with me and tape my own sockets...save some money that way too!
All joking aside, it's a good question. I'm hiking this year too and this will be the first longer hike I've been on with things that will need to be recharged. I plan to carry a charger - price to pay for wanting to have these luxury items. Reality being what it is - it's easier to sit here and think about hiking with them but in all liklihood I'll be sending the iPod home and switching over to a lighter, smaller AAA mp3. I wouldn't want to be without music.
The phone...it'll probably get sent home.I've got an extension cord with three prongs........
I checked and to charge a non typical cell phone with a ground on the transformer on a substained charge of 8 hours it came to 1538 watts and 87356 kilowatts and the price was $37.54. So if you have 5 cell phones charging in your house or business for 8 hours it comes to $1501.06. I dont know but that alot to me.
If that's the case then Greyhound Bus Depots would not be letting their passengers charge their cell phones.
Hey you guys missed the point thru said I was a nice guy. That pretty much sums it up. I was just kidding about the non typical cell phone. FOS
ChinMusic
02-13-2009, 14:54
Chin Music its KWH in other words 25 cents per charge.
Not a chance. Charging a cell phone is well under a penny. There are plenty of sources with the math.
thruhiker101
02-14-2009, 03:22
I understand your question..and it's a good one. I also understand your wanting to commune with nature and stay out of towns entirely..it's a great idea and I wish you well with it. Sometimes such things come at a price though and you speak of tanning leather, hunting and trapping along the way etc..and if you do wish to do these things you'll likely not be putting in many miles while doing them and perhaps in your case a solar charger would answer your needs.
Avoiding towns entirely and all the things that they offer might make for a difficult thru hike. If what you have said is what you want out of your hike and you're willing to follow through with it you could end up having an extremely rare experience, one that I'm pretty certain no one else has managed to do before. Your thru hike would be unique enough to make for a very interesting book if you were able to pull it off.
I am a bit confused though by your wanting to commune with nature and avoid towns, tan leather and trap etc..kinda have a bit of a rustic experience and have electronic devices at the same time.
i love the response.... as i would love to hike the entire length of the trail, i HOPE i can keep my miles up to 10 a day... (five hours ish right??) if i do not.... o well ill just have to settle for whatever distance i cover while having the time of my life...
i just purchased an IGO AA phone charger from radio shack.... i cant wait for my phone to completely die, so i can try this... i will post results asap....
TOW, thank you so much for your hospitality... you will see me this season...
i must say
thruhiker101
02-20-2009, 23:32
using the igo charger with 2 reg. duracell batteries i got 24 hours of stand by with quite a bit of texting and 10 calls... (2.5/4 bars of power) it took 1hour 15min to get that charge...and the batteries were completely done
i can only imagine what the lithium batteries can do...
so this will be my choise when i cant grab a charge while foodshopping and such