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Thread: solar charger?

  1. #21
    Flip flop, flip flopping' LASHin' 2000 miler
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    Today, New Trent released a coupon code, redeemable on Amazon for their new ACD66. It's a 6600 mAh LiIon battery, compatible with most everything, allegedly weighing 8 ozs. Does not come with a charger, but can be charged with the diminutive Apple USB Wall Charger.

    That would theoretically charge my HTC Incredible 2 four times

    Amazon coupon code: 2X52FVJN (code only good for Asin # B002D4IHYM)
    http://www.newtrent.com/ACD66-dual-U...ry-p/acd66.htm
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    Why not use your phone sparingly on the trail and take a couple hours to charge it when you're in town? Keep the calls short and consider texting your journal updates to a site like Postholer so that you can keep all your friends updated in a single stroke instead of communicating with them individually. Also, you already pass through towns frequently to resupply and the charger doesn't weigh much, and external batteries already require charging time and another charger, so I see bringing the cell phone charger as a much better option. Now if you can make the cell phone battery last a few weeks you may want to consider bouncing (mailing) the charger up the trail.

  3. #23
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    I use a small back up charger I got at the airport. It uses one lithium AA battery and will run my phone for about 20 minutes.

    Weight is less than two oz.

    It came with adapters for just about every phone except iPhone.

    There was a special one that cost more for the iPhone


    Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

  4. #24
    Flip flop, flip flopping' LASHin' 2000 miler
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChillyWilly View Post
    Today, New Trent released a coupon code, redeemable on Amazon for their new ACD66. It's a 6600 mAh LiIon battery, compatible with most everything, allegedly weighing 8 ozs. Does not come with a charger, but can be charged with the diminutive Apple USB Wall Charger.
    Once again, New Trent's weights were off - This time in my favor. Tho spec'd at 8 ozs, it weighs 6.9 ozs on my scale. Add an Apple USB Wall Charger at .5 ozs and a 1 oz USB cable, and the whole thing weighs 8.4 ozs.

    I'm thinking I might carry the droid, the ACD66, two Apple chargers, two USB cables and maybe a multi-outlet wall adapter so I can charge everything off one AC outlet ...
    Last edited by LDog; 08-20-2011 at 19:07.
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  5. #25
    Registered User ReNew's Avatar
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    I will be carrying the New Trent Arcadia Pack ACD66 6600mAh External Battery Pack and Charger. 8 oz with some good reviews.

  6. #26
    Registered User Shutter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChillyWilly View Post
    Once again, New Trent's weights were off - This time in my favor. Tho spec'd at 8 ozs, it weighs 6.9 ozs on my scale. Add an Apple USB Wall Charger at .5 ozs and a 1 oz USB cable, and the whole thing weighs 8.4 ozs.

    I'm thinking I might carry the droid, the ACD66, two Apple chargers, two USB cables and maybe a multi-outlet wall adapter so I can charge everything off one AC outlet ...
    This all sounds like total overkill for what you want to do. I used my droid almost every day, I had it on airplane mode, used it for music, writing blog entries in town, the random call, and I'd download e-mail responses from blog posts when I felt like I was on a mountain that would have good reception. I carried my phone + 4 batteries + a wall charger. That was total overkill. I could get 22 hours of music out of one battery. I hardly every used more than 2 batteries, and I guarantee I was using my phone much more than the average hiker.
    Personally I'd suggest just buying an extra battery, there are super cheap ones off of amazon and just using that. Once you get to a hostel or town, charge your phone. Even if you're just popping into town then leaving, I guarantee you that you'll be sitting at a restaurant, hostel, or grocery store for 1-2 hours, plenty of time to charge a battery. I realize that you're saying it's "only 8oz" but by the time you get to NC you'll be hating everything that is excess, by the time you get to PA you'll have trimmed down to what you need to survive, by the time you get to NH you'll have trimmed everything so you can just barely survive.

    Just make sure you keep the thing in airplane mode, keep it off when you're not using it, you'd be surprised how long the battery will last when in airplane mode, close to a week.

    Ditch all notion of having a solar charger, won't work out there, you're never in the sun long enough for them to fully charge. I met lots of people with solar chargers, not one of them had a good experience, and after a couple hundred miles, no one had them anymore.

    Remember, you're not on a 6 month hike, you're on 40 4-day hikes, only plan for 4 days and your pack weight will be kept down.

  7. #27
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    I have on eof these
    http://www.rei.com/product/805459/et...lipray-charger
    It is a wind up flashlight, weather radio and charger.
    Not the best built item but it works.

  8. #28

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    I saw a handful of solar chargers on my hike this year, and only 1 person was happy with their purchase/carry.

    I would strongly suggest not getting one.. and would instead suggest buying 2 or 3 identical cheap phones, carrying one phone, and the batteries from the others. This is only of course if you're that worried about always being able to use your phone.

    I didn't read the thread, but, if you have AT&T don't plan on always being able to use your phone : ) Verizon was much better.

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deadpete View Post
    I would strongly suggest not getting one.. and would instead suggest buying 2 or 3 identical cheap phones, carrying one phone, and the batteries from the others. This is only of course if you're that worried about always being able to use your phone.
    There's no need to buy extra phones just for their batteries. Batteries are available separately, and they're only a few bucks each.

  10. #30
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    Get extra phone batteries. They are lighter than your recharging unit. Use your airplane mode and your set.

  11. #31
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    There is a downside to carrying extra phone batteries. You have to wait that much longer for them to charge.

    On my next thru attempt, I'll carry extra batteries, but I might try something a little different with charging. I think I'll get enough batteries that I can send them home occasionally to be charged. I'm also going to try out using a tiny & light custom lithium charger that plugs into a usb port and uses magnetic alligator clips to attach to the battery. The charger is made to charge 18650 lithium ion batteries, but I believe it would work for a cell phone battery too. I'll start doing mail drops with my batteries if charging becomes inconvenient. Personally I love doing mail drops. My mail drops are sorted at home so that all I have to do is transfer the food from the box to my food bag. That saves me from wasting countless hours at every grocery store. I also don't mind eating the same thing over and over.

  12. #32
    Flip flop, flip flopping' LASHin' 2000 miler
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shutter View Post
    This all sounds like total overkill for what you want to do.
    I'm not sure you have any idea of what I want to do ...

    Personally I'd suggest just buying an extra battery, there are super cheap ones off of amazon and just using that. Once you get to a hostel or town, charge your phone. Even if you're just popping into town then leaving, I guarantee you that you'll be sitting at a restaurant, hostel, or grocery store for 1-2 hours, plenty of time to charge a battery.
    Perhaps 1-2 hours is sufficient to recharge a battery fully, but you still need to recharge every battery you're carrying. Unless you're carrying multiple chargers, it increases the length of time you need to have dedicated use of an AC outlet.

    I realize that you're saying it's "only 8oz"
    I never said, or even implied that.
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  13. #33

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    Forget solar chargers or external battery packs to charge your cell phone. They weigh too much and aren't needed. A solar charger has problems getting a charge in the green tunnel called the AT; heck even people on the PCT out west complain that most of the time its useless. And external battery packs weigh more then most large capacity batteries that smartphones use so carrying a spare batter makes far more sense.

    That said, even people who insist on using an iPhone with its fixed battery have been able to keep it charged on a thru-hike. Carry the charger and ask at any resturant that you eat in if you can charge it (most will say yes) and obviously charge it in your motel room. Keep it turned off when you aren't using it will save your battery life for when you need to use it.

  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Miner View Post
    Forget solar chargers or external battery packs to charge your cell phone. They weigh too much and aren't needed.
    That really depends upon an individual's requirements. If one wants to use a smartphone for multiple uses during the day, they might just need more power than you envision.
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  15. #35
    Registered User Wise Old Owl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Colter View Post
    I have used a solar charger with good results in other places, but I wouldn't on the A.T. Too much "green tunnel."

    I would address the issue with spare batteries and/or charging in town. Turning off your phone most of the time and reducing usage will help. Most people who hike the AT with a cell phone don't have a solar charger and get by fine.
    Over time people make assumptions based on old facts - your exsperiences were possibly based on 1st gen solar panels - I discussed over a year and a half ago here on WB how to build a panel that will charge on ambient light not direct light and tested it... I even posted how to wire.... now I am going to rewire to accept computer cables that come with the devices.

    Kyrocera Panel are smaller lighter and because the wires are thinner and closer together they will work in a green mile. Very UL

    Time changes everything!
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  16. #36
    Registered User chewing's Avatar
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    What's your opinion for hikers who want to be on their own?
    If they didn't want to stay at hostels or restaurants that often ... are there enough possibilities to recharge everything (gps logger, ipod, phone) ?
    Just worried about not being able to log the entire trail and not phoning home as often as I have to.

  17. #37

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    This is what you want http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jweL_bGP3tY This thing is amazingly great.
    Goal Zero Guide 10 Adventure Kit.

  18. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by leaftye View Post
    Why not use your phone sparingly on the trail and take a couple hours to charge it when you're in town? Keep the calls short and consider texting your journal updates to a site like Postholer so that you can keep all your friends updated in a single stroke instead of communicating with them individually. Also, you already pass through towns frequently to resupply and the charger doesn't weigh much, and external batteries already require charging time and another charger, so I see bringing the cell phone charger as a much better option. Now if you can make the cell phone battery last a few weeks you may want to consider bouncing (mailing) the charger up the trail.

    Well yea - you can... and yet my phone has the Trimble Outdoors - Pro Backpacker, I can cut the features off that I am not using like bluetooth, Wifi and leave GPS on and have it run in low power and take photos when needed - A small panel would juice it while it can collect, and charge times are reduced...
    So it trickles in when it can or does nothing when it cant... we are talking what 2-3oz? In full sun you don't need to charge at all. On a cloudy day it will collect.
    A Nikon Cool Pix can be charged at the beginning of the trail and won't need a second charge for three months. That's trail town... but leave a 1 oz charger at home? no need to bounce box that. Phone batteries with company supplied chargers are 4-6 hours. A second battery again is an ounce. Wow now I have a choice!
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

  19. #39
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    I just purchased this solar charger which has a small area that allows it to be attached to a backpack. This is truly the most innovative product I've found. It is a little bit heavy at 24 ounces, but I am willing to sacrifice weight with access to technology to document a journey of a a lifetime.

    http://solarjoos.com/products

    ~paintedstars~

  20. #40

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    Try amazon or ebay they have many good solar charger for your cell phone.
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke
    "Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience" Unknown

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