View Full Version : for those who like to bring kindles or smartphones
Finn&Fionna
12-31-2012, 08:53
I stumbled on this solar charger kickstarter campaign today, and thought it was pretty cool. I know for my thruhike in 2014 I will bring my phone with me (going to try to keep a trailjournal on it) and I have been looking for solar chargers. this one actually seems pretty neat. it started out as a solar powered emergency light, and I guess through user feedback they are coming out with the wakawaka power which is a solar charger with those same lights on it. Its an added luxury item, and I know not everyone wants to bring technology, but for those who do I think this one seems like a great option. the specs down the bottom say it weighs about 200 grams (7 ounces) so its not too bad for what it adds to my hike. An added bonus is for every one you preorder through the kickstarter campain, they will donate another to Haiti. they have already reached their goal so you will definitely receive one some time in May. doesn't work so much for the nobo march/april starters, but for me and some sobo hikers it should be out in time. also if they hit $250,000 it will come with a waterproof pouch, but there is a picture of it with water drops on it so I'm not sure how waterproof it actually is. I'll probably pack it in a sandwich baggy just to be safe. Anywho, its $59 for the next 11 days, which is $20 less than what they will retail for on actual release. just thought I'd throw it out there. lemme know what you think!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wakawakalight/wakawaka-power-the-best-compact-solar-power-statio?ref=live
I have never used a solar charger on the AT but in the years I've been hiking I can't think of a single person who thought they worked very well on the AT.
Best bet is to get a USB battery charger like so: www.newtrent.com (http://www.newtrent.com). You'll hit a town every few days to recharge the battery pack. I have one and it works great.
Chinmusic gets my award for "Most valuable recommended piece of gear for 2012" for suggesting the Newtrent charger.
Finn&Fionna
12-31-2012, 09:31
I thought about them, but I think overall this solar charger is cheaper and fits me better. I like the addition of the reading light, but the big thing is that my phone has the worst batter ever (droid razor). If I have the internet browser open, I have seen it die between 1 and 2 hours. its pathetic. Also consider my wife will be going with me, she will have hers as well and I might need more than 6 charges in the 5 days between towns, depending on how many 0 days we take in the first month. The way I look at it I can either have 6 full charges, or unlimited full charges but with a not-as-good device. I understand a lot of solar chargers suck, but I'm going to give this one a shot because its supposedly 1.5-2x as effective as solar charges on the market, and will still charge in gray nasty cloudy weather (which most others will not).
Finn&Fionna
12-31-2012, 09:40
also as a note, one of the main reasons I am concerned is I want to have my phone always on. the battery is fidgety so if im doing nothing it can last 2 days and 12 hours. but I thought about keeping it off unless I needed it, in which case a battery charger would be best, but it occured to me if I NEED it, I can't wait for it to boot up, which takes like 2 minutes to be functional. If I have an emergency with me or my wife I need it on immediately so keeping in on makes me more comfortable.
Cool, keep us updated. A lot of hikers would like a functional solar charger.
I've got a low-end Newtrent charger. It was like $29.95 and it'll charge my iPhone fully 2.5 times (actual, I've tested it). I normally leave it in airplane mode and use it as a camera but even checking my email a few times a day and checking Facebook at night while I'm in my tent I can make an initial charge last 3 days so I seldom even need the Newtrent.
also as a note, one of the main reasons I am concerned is I want to have my phone always on. the battery is fidgety so if im doing nothing it can last 2 days and 12 hours. but I thought about keeping it off unless I needed it, in which case a battery charger would be best, but it occured to me if I NEED it, I can't wait for it to boot up, which takes like 2 minutes to be functional. If I have an emergency with me or my wife I need it on immediately so keeping in on makes me more comfortable.
Try it - nothing says you can't do something different if it doesn't work as well as you hope.
Good luck on your hike!
I have an old ASTAK ebook. It is just like the early kindle. I find the battery lasts a week on the trail. I never turn it off. (I've been told unlit Kindle's don't use any juice until you turn the page.) Since I "tag up" with an electrical outlet at least that often, I don't need a solar charger.
I have seen people with cell phones hiking with a small solar panel hung over the top of their packs. It might do something.
Nighthauk
12-31-2012, 10:04
One thing that I have used is the Goalzero Nomad 7 and guide 10 battery pack. A little pricey but you have the ability to charge off of either AA batteries or the solar panel for either your phone or camera or any other rechargeable electronics.
Nighthauk: Husband, Father, Scouter.
Which trail are you thru-hiking? Since you say that you're going SOBO then IMO I guess that doesn't matter because I can't think of any trail I'd start going SOBO on that I'd start out with a solar charger. I carried one for much of the PCT going NOBO, would consider it dead weight and wasted money on the AT, and opted not to take one on the CDT (and didn't regret that). If doing the PCT again I wouldn't bother with a solar charger this time.
Get a phone with a removable battery if you can, or if you have an iPhone or one similarly battery-crippled then get one of the add-on units, Morphie Juice or the like (I don't know which of these is currently the "best"). Charge both phone and one or two spare batteries in town, restaurants, gas station mini-marts, whereever you can along the way. After some experience/study then good battery management skills will make this much easier and overall simpler.
I thought about them, but I think overall this solar charger is cheaper and fits me better. I like the addition of the reading light, but the big thing is that my phone has the worst batter ever (droid razor). .
I'll admit I've never used one but AT has too much tree cover for a solar charger to be effective.
lukabrazi
12-31-2012, 23:24
Will you be eligible for a phone upgrade by 2014? Maybe you can get something with better battery life which would make a huge difference if you're getting 1-2 hours on a full charge.
+1 I use the Newtrent as well! Maddog:D
Hot Flash
02-11-2013, 14:21
Get a phone with a removable battery if you can, or if you have an iPhone or one similarly battery-crippled then get one of the add-on units, Morphie Juice or the like (I don't know which of these is currently the "best"). Charge both phone and one or two spare batteries in town, restaurants, gas station mini-marts, whereever you can along the way. After some experience/study then good battery management skills will make this much easier and overall simpler.
For an iPhone, if you want to leave it on all day, simply toggle airplane mode. Then turn off bluetooth and wifi so it's not constantly seeking for those, and your battery will last a good amount of time. Personally I hike with a rechargeable battery pack that will fully charge my iPhone about six times before the battery pack needs to be charged, so unless I were to have a very long time in between town days, I probably wouldn't even turn my phone to airplane mode.
Slo-go'en
02-11-2013, 14:39
To the OP (if he's still around), if you do a SOBO from Maine, cell reception is so spotty there that leaving your phone on all the time is pointless. If you do have to call for help, the 2 minutes it takes the phone to boot is insignificant compared to the amount of time it would take anyone to reach you. If you happen to be in a place where you can get a signal at all.
Once you get into NH and points south, cell reception is a bit more reliable, but its still pointless keeping the phone on when you don't need it.
Carry-On
02-11-2013, 16:37
Which trail are you thru-hiking? Since you say that you're going SOBO then IMO I guess that doesn't matter because I can't think of any trail I'd start going SOBO on that I'd start out with a solar charger. I carried one for much of the PCT going NOBO, would consider it dead weight and wasted money on the AT, and opted not to take one on the CDT (and didn't regret that). If doing the PCT again I wouldn't bother with a solar charger this time.
Get a phone with a removable battery if you can, or if you have an iPhone or one similarly battery-crippled then get one of the add-on units, Morphie Juice or the like (I don't know which of these is currently the "best"). Charge both phone and one or two spare batteries in town, restaurants, gas station mini-marts, whereever you can along the way. After some experience/study then good battery management skills will make this much easier and overall simpler.
This is what I did. I carried four batteries total for my Droid X. That was probably overkill, except for a couple of times where I did get down to the last battery. However, it gave me the freedom to use my phone to do my daily blog, sometimes for music and audiobooks, and as a phone when there was service. The batteries were $5 each on Amazon, so it was cheap and easy. In town I just charged as many as I could in time time I had. I broke my Kindle early on, so I sent that home and used my phone to read with the Kindle App, though I rarely had time for reading books.
I kept my phone turned off or on airplane mode almost always, and then checked it on mountain tops, ridges, and/or during breaks. I never once had a completely dead phone battery and that gave me peace of mind and allowed me to blog with little worry about the battery. As far as weight, those batteries are dense and I never did weigh all four of them, or my phone itself, but I can't imagine they would weigh more than another charger/solar charger.
colorado_rob
02-11-2013, 17:00
This is what I did. I carried four batteries total for my Droid X. That was probably overkill, except for a couple of times where I did get down to the last battery. However, it gave me the freedom to use my phone to do my daily blog, sometimes for music and audiobooks, and as a phone when there was service. The batteries were $5 each on Amazon, so it was cheap and easy. In town I just charged as many as I could in time time I had. I broke my Kindle early on, so I sent that home and used my phone to read with the Kindle App, though I rarely had time for reading books.
I kept my phone turned off or on airplane mode almost always, and then checked it on mountain tops, ridges, and/or during breaks. I never once had a completely dead phone battery and that gave me peace of mind and allowed me to blog with little worry about the battery. As far as weight, those batteries are dense and I never did weigh all four of them, or my phone itself, but I can't imagine they would weigh more than another charger/solar charger. Yep, same here, I just don't see a need for an on-trail charger of any sort, my Droid with two extra batteries and a minimalist 110V charger/cord (for in town charging) tips the scales at 8.9 ounces total (the phone alone being 6 oz of that 8.9). The extra batteries are about 0.8 oz each. I get about 10 days out of the phone and 2 extra batteries, occasional calls, occasional emails, reading (Kindle app) nearly every night maybe 1/2 hour average.
I had two extra batteries for my Android phone (would recommend 4), kept it on airplane mode so I could use the camera, take notes, use the GPS and read the trail guide. Solar power would be nice for a base camp, but doubt it'll be functional while hiking with all the twists and turns (you're never or rarely hiking north even if NOBO).
Perhaps when the pack fabric is all solar panel then you'll see functional solar power for thru hiking.
Perhaps a clever one will figure out how to generate power via the trekking poles.
glassman
02-12-2013, 02:40
I can see how solar might be frustrating but how about those crank chargers has anyone heard of a good one?
Adfischer
02-12-2013, 15:15
I have quite a bit of experience using solar power in the outdoors. The problem with solar is people frequently underestimate how much power they need vs. the output of the solar panels. Smartphones take a lot of power, especially if you use the GPS or camera. You likely need at least 1Ah (Amp hour) minimum per day to keep a smartphone going. I just cant see how this device can sustain a smartphone for more than a few days but since they do not publish the solar panel output specs that I can find its hard to know what to expect.
The internal battery will give you about 1.5 charges of an iPhone, but I really have doubts of their claim you can charge the battery 75% in six hours. For that you would have to maintain 275mA of power constantly for the full 6 hours. That would be a big stretch for a 2.6" x 3.9" solar panel even in full sun constantly. I would expect you would get more like 50mA - 100mA depending on the efficiency of the panel. At that rate you are looking at 22 hours + of sun to fully charge. I appreciate what they are trying to do socially, but I think there is going to be some disappointed people if they think they can keep their smartphones charged with this. A B&W Kindle or flip phone sure, but not a smartphone.
The most reliable solution I have found is to use a combination of a NewTrent battery pack along with a SunTactics 5-Watt panel. The Suntactics panel has over 6 times the square inches of solar panel and still can be a challenge to keep an iPhone charged. You will definitely pay more for it in both money and weight. This setup weighs almost 16 oz, but its going to keep you going even in overcast situations.
Just my 2 cents worth.
I've had a decent time using solar out west but the AT just isn't conducive to it. Between the cloudy days and the tree cover you are better off spending your money on a bigger battery and forgetting about solar.
I can see how solar might be frustrating but how about those crank chargers has anyone heard of a good one?
I don't know about those but here's an interesting scheme. I ran into these guys at trail days: http://www.rei.com/product/849998/npower-peg-personal-energy-generator
I bet Wingfoot would be having a stroke about now if he read this thread. :)
jacobwalking
02-14-2013, 11:54
As for power supply devices, I will be taking the nPower PEG. Its a kinetic energy charger that captures energy from the up and down movement while walking! It was developed by a former thru-hiker who hiked in 1996. Not sure how it will perform on the trail yet, but plan on taking it on my thru hike starting this March. Its a bit heavier than many solar chargers, but am hoping that it will be a more reliable source of power since its energy comes from walking (something that there will be plenty of on the trail) and not the sun. I will be able to charge both my phone and my headlamp. It cost around $200 so not a bad deal for me. Here is the website you can get it from.
www.npowerpeg.com
Hope this helps!
-Angus
The nPower PEG would interest me if it didn't weigh almost a pound. Angus, please follow up here after your trip with a post on how well this worked for you and whether you would recommend it to others.
Rock Lobster
02-16-2013, 16:39
Agree with Bucho. Unless you plan on setting up a mini-camp in the middle of the day when you come across a sunny spot, and chilling there for a few hours just so your phone will charge, your solar charger will be dead weight on most of the AT. My dad joined me on the trail for two weeks last summer, and brought his iPhone with an AT Maps app and a solar charger. My buddy and I spent most of the day laughing and blowing past him while he fiddled with his phone. He never got a successful charge out of it. Also, his satellite-linked, GPS-enabled maps were far less accurate than the Thru-hiker's guide mileage chart combined with our experienced mileage estimates, which made me laugh. Isn't it supposed to be the younger generation that's hooked on tech?
I would STRONGLY recommend unplugging a bit. In the backcountry, with a partner, there is literally no emergency where two minutes of boot time will make a difference. If the problem's that immediate, help won't arrive in time anyway. I think you'll find that breaking the phone addiction (which I fall victim to as well in normal life) provides a much more substantial and satisfying experience on the trail. Plus, you won't be "that guy." But that said, HYOH. I won't judge.