UKC

Anyone tried the camping solar panels?

Just looking at a way to re-charge, mobile phones, and maybe a kindle while camping. Also considering weight for wild camping multi day treks too, but initially just a way to recharge phones on long weekend or week long camping.

Cheers
Si

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

Haven't tried one, but I generally see them as being useful for longer periods.

For a week, you an use a cheap phone, or if you use a smartphone just switch it on when you need it, and maybe get one of those portable batteries to recharge it if necessary.

The Kindle should last you for many weeks, if you make sure it's charged before you set off.

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

Yes, I even use it to charge my phone on a daily basis. One thing is for sure, get a LARGE panel. I would say a 7 watt works for me a smaller one takes forever.

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

Stating the obvious a bit there. If I could use a cheap phone I would, but modern phones use Micro Sim cards, and old phones do not.

I am considering weight so a mobile battery won't do.

A kindle fire will last a few days, when fully charged.

In reply to tjin:

Make model?

I'm looking for gear reviews UKC'ers have from personal experience.

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

I got a Goal zero guide 10 plus, tried a few other cheap small ones, but they were useless. As for weight goes, for just a few days, a battery pack might weight less and more reliable (cloud cover = little power).

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

~10000mAh new trent would get me through a week. Should be enough for a long weekend. They have bigger, and smaller.

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

Don't the modern cheap mobiles use micro SIM cards, I really don't know? I've travelled with a smartphone, and if you switch it on now and again, it does last for ages. Plus you can forget about the rest of the world, if that appeals?

A friend had a mobile battery, a pebble or something like that. I don't recall it weighing much. Have you checked the weight against a solar panel, it might not be much different?

Oh, and ditch the tablet, camping is better without the tech.

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):


You can get adapters so that micro sim cards can be used in older phones. That would save a lot of weight.

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

I've heard good things about the TeckNet external battery / chargers. The 5000maH one only weighs 150g and should be enough to charge a phone a few times.

For longer term use, the additional advantage if you're on a campsite is that you can leave it charging in the toilets and not worry about it getting stolen, it's less than £20 on Amazon.

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

I toyed with getting a powermonkey for car camping but when I worked out how much it cost vs how much charge its giving me back I decided it simply wasn't worth it. For camping I'll simply plug the phone in the cig lighter to charge but again, I mainly have it switched off anyway, who wants phone calls etc when enjoying the hill?
A spare battery sounds like your best and cheapest option if you have a phone where the battery can be easily changed.
For some phones you can get cases than have batteries built in to give you a much longer battery life and the sim card adaptors mentioned above only cost a quid or so so the old phone option can be realistic.

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

Thanks, at last some proper informative reviews.

Taking a tablet would be handy to keep the girlfriend entertained while I climb. My phone will last a few days without charging, I don't really want to get another cheaper handset when USB battery / chargers only cost about £20.

Ideally I'm looking for something that could be strapped to the rucksack while walking and would charge, and then plug into a phone in the evening to charge, and could be used while car camping rather than trying to charge from the car during the short trips to local crags.

Think the battery option might be the way forward.

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

I've got a goal zero guide 10 pack. Works great, used it at festivals and out camping, where i've left the solar panel inside the tent, and it's charged off the ambient light.
If you look up at the sky and have to squint at all, then it's enough for it to start charging!

Great bit of kit. Got mine of sport pursuit for £50 rather than the £100 rrp. Not worth 100 in my opinion.

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

At last? Your first post was only an hour and a half ago

Anyway, I agree that the time is probably not yet right for solar panels. They should keep getting lighter and cheaper (but probably not much more efficient) in the near future.

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

Over the last few years I have given these to family as gifts for just this purpose. Far more useful/reliable than a solar panel. Will charge my smart phone multiple times.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/10000mAh-Portable-Dual-Port-Thunderbolt-Incredible/...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/6000mAh-Portable-External-Technology-Smartphones/dp...


I use this one personally, customer service is poor and product quality isn't great - the case cracked and they wouldn't replace.
http://www.portablepowersupplies.co.uk/portapow-premium-battery-pack/

Either way there are so many of these products out there, they all do the same job - charge your phone/tablet.

Also, as mentioned above - bonus is if it gets robbed from the toilets you've lost £20 not a £600 phone.

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

Top tip - leave your phone off unless you actually need it. It'll last for ages. And don't even bother taking a tablet... Perhaps ask yourself why you're going on these trips in the first place!?

Alternatively, how about an inverter for your car so that you can charge anything you want at the campsite and leave them locked away in the process?

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

I'm not an expert, but if you want something that'll charge up in the day, and then charge your phone at night, then that involves a battery (and the weight of it, that earlier on you seemed to be trying to avoid?).

We've got a power monkey extreme - you can charge the battery from solar panel, or from electric socket. It'll do something like an iPad once, or smartphone several times. Charging off the solar panel takes all day in bright sunshine, though - great for summer trips to sunny places, but not necessarily too useful in the UK.

But if you leave with the battery fully charged, it'll do you pretty well. Particularly if you don't have two children who you want to entertain whilst you get some climbing done!

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

Goal zero nomad 7 solar panel + guide 10 battery pack has worked well for us both in Jordan and in Wales (for sun level comparison!)

In reply to Simon Holden (LCandCC):

Plus 1 for goal zero guide 10, great bit of kit. Could have got a good deal on a power monkey but the goal zero seemed so much better made plus it charges AAA or AA batteries that can be used wherever needed. Used it around the uk and in Norway and always managed to get a good charge. It's not an essential bit of kit but nice to have when climbing based out of a tent or bike touring, takes the worry out of having to find somewhere to charge your phone in case you have an epic.