[pct-l] Solio Charger

[Brian Lewis]

Bob wrote: "I don't understand. What gear is on all the time that it needs
charging? I have a phone but it's off almost always so I charge it in
towns."

I don't think it's a matter of gear being on all the time, and I think the
power useage varies from person to person.  I carried a smartphone, and I
used it on the trail as my camera as well as for journeling at night, plus
occasionally as GPS and voice recorder.   I think the more standard use is
to recharge an audio (MP3) player plus perhaps a phone.

I don't regard a solar charger as nearly so useful in Oregon and Washington,
at least at the power requirements of my power-hungry device, but it was
great at least in California.  I'm surprised to hear an AT hiker saying it
was worth carrying; I would have thought the towns are close enough together
there and the tree cover sufficient to make it unappealing.

I too tied mine on to the top of my pack.  Flippy had an alternate approach;
he put a little adapter on the end of his Golite umbrella, which he strapped
vertically to his pack.  The hole in the center of the solio 3-petal flower
slipped firmly on that, so he could charge that was as he walked, and at a
break he would open the umbrella and lean/aim it at the sun.  Seemed to work
for him well.  I mailed my umbrella home early on, so simple cord tying it
to the top worked well enough for me.

Brian Lewis
http://postholer.com/brianle