View Full Version : Solar chargers... recommendations/experiences with...
I'm curious if anyone has info on solar chargers. The "Solio" from REI for example. I'm contemplating the purchase but wanted input. Also considering the alternate type that recharges "AA" batteries.
I used a High Gear Solar Pod Charger for 900 miles. It has an internal battery that is charged by the solar panel during the day. The panel can then be plugged into your device to charge it up.
In practice i found the panel could produce enough power during a single day of hiking to charge it's 600 MAH battery provided I kept it oriented towards the sun while I hiked. My cellular email device had a 1200 MAH battery so it took two days of sun to full charge that gadget. Usually I would just plug the solar panel into my gadget at night and let it recharge while i slept. Sometimes I left it plugged into my gadget while i hiked but the solar panel, at 80 MAH did very little to charge gadgets on it's own. With this panel it's all about the solar cells internal battery.
Now this panel was capable of recharging my Ipod shuffle with a bit of charge left over.
This solar panel and it's adaptors weighed 5 ounces. It was practical if all you need is to top off a cell phone or similar device every few days. I would not recommend it if you expect to fully charge your cell phone every day.
Realisically i decided it was not worth the weight. It was easier and simpler to carry and Apple wall plug charging cube (The kind that comes with the shuffle) and use a cord adaptor to charge my cellular email device while in towns.
My favorite thing about this High Gear Solar Pod was the carabiner attachment and the rugged design. I actually dropped it into a creek at dusk and retrieved it the next day. upon opening it with my Swiss Classic knife I drained and dried it out and it worked just fine.
All that being said someone at Alaska airlines stole it from deep inside my pack on the return from Canada last year. Good thing cause i am "anti-gadget" for the AT this year anyways.
Anyhow this Solar Charger worked for my purposes but was really sensitive to the angle of the sunlight. You will have to keep it oriented constantly while you hike if you expect to keep it's internal charged enough to be useful.
http://gearjunkie.com/images/3142.jpg
The long green tunnel=too much shade. Charge your devices in town.
I don't see the point on an AT thru, and I already have a Powerfilm.
Chubbs4U
01-25-2011, 04:20
recently asked the same question. Heres some info I got.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=68105
JaxHiker
01-25-2011, 11:40
Don't get the Rocksta. My info about it is in the link Chubbs provided.
markfickett
01-25-2011, 20:48
The long green tunnel=too much shade. Charge your devices in town.
That is what I found, too (in mid to late fall, Sep-Oct). I had a PowerFilm AA charger (95g), and found that it charged AAs (eneloop NiMH 2000mAh) about as fast as my GPS (eTrex Legend HCx) ate them – that is, about every two days for a full (dis)charge on a pair. But, despite more or less working, it meant I was constantly thinking about which side of my pack the panel should be on, or where there was a sunny spot to set things down in; I didn't want to be babysitting it.
I ended up getting a collapsible Energizer charger (http://www.energizer.com/SiteCollectionImages/products/high_tech/rechargeable/products/large/CHDCWB4%20Large.jpg) that was roughly the same mass (88g), and by carring a few changes of batteries (which I did anyway) I could just charge in town.
Trailbender
01-25-2011, 22:25
I was wondering about charging an ipod too, for if I decided to just live on the trail, hostels and ect wouldn't be an option that often due to a really strict budget.
Red Beard
01-26-2011, 00:00
It isn't solar, but I spoke with a woman from nPower (http://www.npowerpeg.com/) today. Looks like they should be selling them by late February.
Delta-Dawn
01-26-2011, 00:12
It isn't solar, but I spoke with a woman from nPower (http://www.npowerpeg.com/) today. Looks like they should be selling them by late February.
Wow, that's cool! Think those things would really work? I am not even going to worry about charging except for in town because every section I have ever been on was always heavily shaded so I think a solar charger would be dead weight but this is a great idea. If it works I could go for that. :-?