Solar charging when canoeing

[Christine_Runs]

Hi everyone,

I realize there are a number of threads about solar panels but I am hoping for advice on my specific question. I am a solo canoeist. I do not carry a cell phone but I carry 2 pieces of electronics. A spot (battery charged) and a GPS which requires charging.

I am comfortable with maps but I carry a GPS as a backup just in case. On a 2 week trip if I use GPS on large lakes to make sure I am on course - which I like to do - I was considering carrying a solar charger - probably from goal zero.

My plan was to lay out the charger on my canoe to charge the gps and the battery pack on sunny days which includes significant direct sunlight so that on days with no sun I would still have the battery pack. Realistically on a 12 day trip I probably would need to charge the system once or twice to have it at full charge at all times in case of an emergency. Viable?

Thanks.

Christine

[Rasty]

Probably the best place to use a solar charger is while on the water because of the amount of direct sunlight.

[Wise Old Owl]

Waterproof > http://www.rei.com/product/837625/jo...-solar-charger
Water Resistant > http://www.rei.com/product/834125/go...olo-flashlight

Do not go any cheaper. Just because this leads to dissapointment.

[mn_scout]

Christine,
Makes sense, but if it's just 12 days, it might be easier, cheaper, and lighter to just take 1 or 2 backup sets of batteries. Those products mentioned by WOO weigh 24 and 32 ounces. My solar charger is sub 8 ounces, but I have to carry it on my back so weight's more important to me. :-)
Also, all the documentation from SPOT is pretty adamant about NOT using rechargable batteries. I don't know why, though. I found in the SPOT 2 that a set of lithium batteries in tracking mode for 10-12 hours a day lasted about 10 days.

[kayak karl]

i have the 18 watt one. they are all waterproof. http://www.voltaicsystems.com/kits.s...roduct-section

[JAK]

It would be temping with a canoe to have something permamently deck mounted at the bow or stern above a watertight bulkhead where your batteries could be recharged. On the other hand, even without portaging, I think minimizing weight is as important in paddling as it is with hiking. Reducing body weight and gear weight allows for a narrower boat which is easier to paddle, which allows for reduced freeboard, which all in turn coming for a lighter boat easier to carry and easier to paddle and still be stable. The easier it is to carry your boat to your car and the water the more you will paddle it. That said, once designed and built and on the water, you should have room for 20-30 pounds of gear and clothing as long as you keep your body weight down, and if you lose more weight you will most certainly have room for more gear weight. By room I really mean weight and still be stable.

[Christine_Runs]

Hi,

Thanks for all the feedback so far.

Wise thank you for the recommendations. I will check them out.

I should have been clearer - I take back up batteries for the Spot - I just want the solar charger for the GPS. We have an older GPS which I am trying to avoid replacing for the time being. So while I could buy some extra batteries I guess I figured the solar panel has more potential uses and a longer life expectancy than replacement GPS batteries. I agree that it is a lot more weight and I am really trying to get the weight of my pack down but I see having a back up for the GPS as the one place worth adding weight. I guess I will do a comparison of extra batteries versus a solar panel.

just out of curiosity what do you use that is sub 8 oz scout?

Christine

[Christine_Runs]

Karl,

Thanks.

Jak, I actually have multiple canoes - 3 solos and 3 tandems - so my plan is just to lie it on top of gear bags while paddling. I paddle mostly on Algonquin Park where there is a lot of portaging so weight is important. The solo boats I paddle frequently can handle weight well. I am trying to trim weight mostly because of the portaging.

Christine

[kayak karl]

another set up http://voltaicsystems.com/blog/solar...n-ocean-kayak/ the battery needs to be kept dry.
if you are a backpacker my guess is your gear in already lighter then most boaters. i have found mine being 1/3 rd. that of others.

[poopsy]

Christine,

I am seriously considering Powermonkey's eXplorer for similar reasons .https://powertraveller.com/index.php

Mountain Equipment Co-op has it in Canada.

My understanding is that they have tweaked the electronics recently so it works better in low light. Shade and cloud are tough on small solar chargers.

I don't if it is widely available in the US

[JAK]

Never been to Algonquin park but I've heard it beautiful, lots of lakes, and wolves and bears to keep thing, interesting. I have a sort of hacked up 16' hard chined kayak I reworked into a decked canoe for the Kennebecasis River. Needs a little more work. lol. I'm not a very skilled canoeist so I use a kayak paddle. Built a sprint kayak for my daughter out of the ends of a broken down K2 and K4. It is 16 feet long and only 12" wide but she has good balance in it at 80 pounds. Boat weighs 16 pounds mostly because it is so small. I am going to build two this winter. 17'1" x 12" for her and 17'1" x 20" for me. My old hard chined beast is 16' x 24" and I am going to stretch it into something for 3 person family at maybe 22' and keep it up at the cottage where it doesn't have to get moved too much. Love paddling. Margaret and I did alot together this fall until the end of October, even in the mornings before school and work, and down the Kennebecasis from Apohoq to Gondola Point in 2 stages over 2 Saturdays, 40km in all, mostly current.

[Christine_Runs]

Hi Poopsy,

The reviews on the mec site are mixed but things are easy to return to mec and it is light. So one thing I was not clear on is can it do both of the following: charge something directly from sunlight and save sunlight to charge something at night?

Christine (who lives very near Ottawa)

[Christine_Runs]

Poopsy - an FYI - Sail sells goal zero stuff - also considering that based on other recommendations - is heavier but also much quicker charge due to size.

[Christine_Runs]

Hi Jak,

My light Royalex canoe for pond hoping is 33 pounds. My bigger canoe is lighter material but larger so iris about 40 isn't pounds. Sounds like you are having a lot of fu. With your family.

Christine

[Christine_Runs]

Jak, Silly spell check! Should have read : larger so it is about 40 pounds. Sounds like you are having a lot of fun with your family.

[Wise Old Owl]

Well Jack its an ultimate backpack kayak spot it - its a playground to the gods.... dscf0104.jpg

This is a private photo from my collection - never posted before please do not qu0te this post.

[Christine_Runs]

I definitely like the park - the fees are reasonable - 10 dollars a night - and the north end of the park is pretty quiet most of the time. Among hard core canoeists in Ontario, Algonquin is considered too urbanized - signs for portages, pre booking for camping, etc. for me right now it is the right balance - not completely wild but getting there - the south end of the park is too busy for me- still some lakes I want to paddle but the number of people feels more like a small town than the wilderness.

[Wise Old Owl]

Christine, I was there for more than a week and we did not see anyone outside the group until we got to the pull out. Yes the Northend is awesome...

DSCF0190.jpg

[saltysack]

Joos orange is by far the best personal charger. I used mine on my 2 week solo stand up paddle board trip up the stjohns river in Fla. over 312 miles total off grid. It kept my iPhone 4 charged as well as my go pro . I used both frequently as used google earth.

[Christine_Runs]

Hi Wise, I think your experience is more the exception than the rule, even in the north end I do not think I had a whole trip where I did not see anyone (I spent 30 days canoe camping this summer) but in the north end I definitely saw a lot fewer people. I am going to do some of the more popular routes on weekends early in the year this year to avoid the crowds. I would like to go to some of the more northern parks but as you are much farther from help and routes are not marked I want more time soloing in Algonquin first.

Salty, have you used other systems - just curious what led you to this conclusion- buying the goal zero one would be much easier as I know a retailer who sells it in Canada so if I am going to buy the joos it would be more money and more work to get it. If it really is that much better I will consider it but if it is more brand preference I would go with the goal zero.

Christine