How to Keep Your Electronics Charged While Backpacking
video description
I have a 7w goal zero and it's weight factor and lack of power output would get old quick. One idea is to use solar to charge one battery while using the other battery. At 7w, your max output is 1. 4 Amps. More realistic 1 Amp 5 volts and that's painfully slow. Even 10 watt wireless charging pads are slow to charge. Many phone chargers currently are 18w or more. So keep that in mind for power to weight. As you said might be more effective to carry another battery. On my day hiking/fishing. I just carry a battery pack. I found the solar panel couldn't keep up and wasn't worth the extra weight and stuff. And yes I love solar, I build 3 solar power pond aerators, chicken coop is 100% solar along with about 20+ trail cameras, and many solar lights, among other solar systems. Just time and a place for each technology.
Love the videos. Keep them coming.
Date: 2020-08-18
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Comments and reviews: 9
Bobby
Dixie, there are other means of charging in the field than using a solar power. There are different types of thermal heat transfers to electricity, like the biolite stove. That is too big and heavy for most backpacking, but I bought off Amazon a pop up cone, sort of like your sea to summit cup, but this has a heavier base with a computer charging wire attached to it. All you do is fill the cone with water and put it on the fire, making sure the wire is not in the fire lol, after the water starts boiling the thermal reacted in the base produces electricity and you just plug your phone or your back up battery into the wire and you can charge your electronics, the downside is it weighs about a pound, but if you have liquid and a fire you can charge your devices, just keep refilling the cone with water, it helps to keep an extra pot of water on the fire so when the water evaporates you can add already boiling water. bobby
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Dixie, there are other means of charging in the field than using a solar power. There are different types of thermal heat transfers to electricity, like the biolite stove. That is too big and heavy for most backpacking, but I bought off Amazon a pop up cone, sort of like your sea to summit cup, but this has a heavier base with a computer charging wire attached to it. All you do is fill the cone with water and put it on the fire, making sure the wire is not in the fire lol, after the water starts boiling the thermal reacted in the base produces electricity and you just plug your phone or your back up battery into the wire and you can charge your electronics, the downside is it weighs about a pound, but if you have liquid and a fire you can charge your devices, just keep refilling the cone with water, it helps to keep an extra pot of water on the fire so when the water evaporates you can add already boiling water. bobby
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Zak
Get a magnifying glass & look at the out put of your phone charger, The size of the solar panels shown, would probably produce 1/20th of that! So it' s probably not a good idea to rely solely on these, Also cheap ones may actually drain your battery! A 9 dollar multi meter will show what voltage its putting out while charging, & what flow in (milliamps. As the voltage in the phone battery recovers while charging, the flow or milliamps will decrease, cause it doesn't need as much. So like two buckets of water siphoning into each other they will equalize & stop flowing. I hope this will keep every one from buying a lot of expensive crappy solar panels, that really don't perform the task they say they do!
reply
Get a magnifying glass & look at the out put of your phone charger, The size of the solar panels shown, would probably produce 1/20th of that! So it' s probably not a good idea to rely solely on these, Also cheap ones may actually drain your battery! A 9 dollar multi meter will show what voltage its putting out while charging, & what flow in (milliamps. As the voltage in the phone battery recovers while charging, the flow or milliamps will decrease, cause it doesn't need as much. So like two buckets of water siphoning into each other they will equalize & stop flowing. I hope this will keep every one from buying a lot of expensive crappy solar panels, that really don't perform the task they say they do!
reply
Mark
Great vids and relevant to not just hikers. Regarding the Campstove. It may not be great for hikers, but I am a bicycle touring guy, and watch a lot of Youtube vids on hiking gear, as I will use a lot of the same stuff. Travelling on a bike, the extra weight of some items is not a problem.
About using a long charging cable for solar panels. I believe there is a noticeable energy loss when using solar panels. When you are not in direct sun, efficiency of panels can drop to less than 50% and even small drops in power from long cords could make a difference.
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Great vids and relevant to not just hikers. Regarding the Campstove. It may not be great for hikers, but I am a bicycle touring guy, and watch a lot of Youtube vids on hiking gear, as I will use a lot of the same stuff. Travelling on a bike, the extra weight of some items is not a problem.
About using a long charging cable for solar panels. I believe there is a noticeable energy loss when using solar panels. When you are not in direct sun, efficiency of panels can drop to less than 50% and even small drops in power from long cords could make a difference.
reply
Alice
I have a backup battery charger with a built-in solar panel. You can either recharge the charger by wall plug or through the solar panel. The nice part is it also doesn't require direct sunlight and seems to recharge the portable charger even if it's cloudy. It's water-resistant, too. There are several different brands of this style of backup battery on Amazon if anyone is interested.
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I have a backup battery charger with a built-in solar panel. You can either recharge the charger by wall plug or through the solar panel. The nice part is it also doesn't require direct sunlight and seems to recharge the portable charger even if it's cloudy. It's water-resistant, too. There are several different brands of this style of backup battery on Amazon if anyone is interested.
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Amanda
Really enjoy watching all of your videos. You capture a lot of incredible footage and I was just wondering what your camera of choice is? Looking for the right choice for photographing and videoing landscapes, at all times of the day. Some of the videos you were able to get of the stars were amazing! Thanks!
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Really enjoy watching all of your videos. You capture a lot of incredible footage and I was just wondering what your camera of choice is? Looking for the right choice for photographing and videoing landscapes, at all times of the day. Some of the videos you were able to get of the stars were amazing! Thanks!
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LAWRENCE
Solar charge your battery pack while hiking, then charge your electronics at night at camp.
Get a good solar charging panel that will work in indirect light, and you still get some charge. Anker 15w or 21w is great for this.
This is the combo I use while hiking/camping. Thanks for the videos.
reply
Solar charge your battery pack while hiking, then charge your electronics at night at camp.
Get a good solar charging panel that will work in indirect light, and you still get some charge. Anker 15w or 21w is great for this.
This is the combo I use while hiking/camping. Thanks for the videos.
reply
eqlzr2
My wife has a little trained ground squirrel that runs on a little portable treadmill connected to a generator and keeps her phone charged that way. Her question is, does anyone sell a ground squirrel backpack so she can get it to carry its own food and water? Many thanks.
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My wife has a little trained ground squirrel that runs on a little portable treadmill connected to a generator and keeps her phone charged that way. Her question is, does anyone sell a ground squirrel backpack so she can get it to carry its own food and water? Many thanks.
reply
Antsy
Google your specific phone and how to save power. That way, whenever it is powered ON, you only use what you really need. So much crap happens in the background that can suck your phone dry. Then, apply all the tricks mentioned by Dixie for max battery usage.
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Google your specific phone and how to save power. That way, whenever it is powered ON, you only use what you really need. So much crap happens in the background that can suck your phone dry. Then, apply all the tricks mentioned by Dixie for max battery usage.
reply
lakorai2
Even better, get a battery pack with USB-C power delivery. Anker makes a 26000 mah model that is about 1lb and it can charge this massive battery in like 4. 5 hours with a 30w pd charger.
They also make a 45w version that can charge in 3. 5 hours.
reply
Even better, get a battery pack with USB-C power delivery. Anker makes a 26000 mah model that is about 1lb and it can charge this massive battery in like 4. 5 hours with a 30w pd charger.
They also make a 45w version that can charge in 3. 5 hours.
reply
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