[pct-l] Solar battery charger and iPod

[Paul Bodnar]

Thanks for the additional input on solar chargers.  For clarity I included some additional points and restated some.
 
1) Washington is known for cloudy days.  And cloud cover can block the effectiveness of a solar panel in any location along the PCT for days without any warning.  So relying on a solar charger is taking a risk I don't recommend.   I saw many hikers with solar chargers in the Southern California sections of the PCT but I didn't see any thru-hikers with solar chargers in Oregon or Washington.  
 
2) For clarity the cost for the battery in my example was $50, around half the cost for a typical solar charger.  
 
3) The dimensions for the battery I tested was about 3.5 inches X 4.25 inches x 0.5 inches 
 
4) Having a gauge on the battery provides the ability to manage power much more effectively than estimating.  I carried a AA battery to iphone charger on my last thru-hike in 2010 and I was disappointed on the power conversion and inability to know how much power was left in the AA battery.  When I used rechargeable batteries I was only able to get a partial charge on my iphone.  Lithium batteries were more effective but I would always have to debate on when to recycle the battery and when to replace it because AA batteries don't come with a gauge.  I ended up carrying extra batteries because of the inability to know with any degree of certainty how much power I had left in the battery.  
 
5) During my test hike with the Trent battery (7000mA) I had my iphone on for three days without turning off the phone.  I used the phone to make calls, email, surf the web (check Asabat water updates) and for constant GPS navigation while hiking.  I didn't even come close to using up the external battery. I think I used about half the power in the external battery pack after three days.  I used the phone under conditions that most people wouldn't even imagine on a thru-hike, it was an extreme test.  On tests at home I was able to get five 100% recharges on my iphone (when recharging the iphone when it got down to the 20% level).  I can't imagine having to recharge my iphone more than one or two times on any section along the PCT...so there is a considerable margin of safety built in using this battery type set up.
 
Paul
 
HikeThru.com
PocketPCT

 

> I used a solar charger in 2007 when I hiked that was very similar to this one (one model back... Didn't have USB port then) http://www.envirogadget.com/solar-powered/usb-and-aa-battery-solar-charger-by-powerfilm/
> 
> I have to disagree with Paul:
> 1) I was able to keep a cell phone charged (2 hours talk time per week) a camera (used AA's took roughly 150 photos per day) and an iPod Nano (roughly 4 -8 hours of play time per day) without any work.
> 2) The solar charger weighed less than 6 ounces + 1 ounce for a AA to USB/cell phone charger. I didn't have to take any additional wall chargers either. For me at the time it was lighter to take the solar panel than ever the 3 charging cables I would have needed to plug them in at towns. It sounds to me like Paul's setup is roughly the same, if not more, depending on the weight of the wall chargers needed in town.
> 3) no idea about the cost. Mine was $100.
> 4. While I can't speak to how large this battery that Paul suggest is, the solar panel I used was slightly larger than a pack of cards. The panels were flexible (soft plastic... Couldn't break them, they just bend) and the whole device folded up very small.
> 5) I think #5 is the same as #2
> 6) Same with solar. Like I said, I actually would just charge AA's and then plug them into a AA to USB/ phone charger device to charge them. Had my solar panel been lost/stolen, I would have been fine just purchasing AAs.
> 7) after a few weeks I got a good feeling for how long charges lasted and didn't really need a gauge... I just got a feel for things.
> 
> Overall--- I liked the solar panel. It game my plenty of juice for 3 separate devices without a problem. With iPods and devices it's important to look at how much juice they will use. And iPod with a HD uses WAY more power than a flash based (touch, nano, iPhone) one. The smaller the screen, the less juice it uses. The less the screen is on, the less juice it uses. My iPod nano could go for about 12 hours on and get recharged and only use about 1/2 of a 2400mah AA charge. 
> 
> If you are typing/playing games/ trying to get a cell signal with a device it won't last anywhere near as long. Be thoughtful with your device choice.
> 
> >From my research, the 2nd gen nano is one of the best for power use. They are light, cheap, use very very little power, and can have up to 8gb storage. 
> 
> http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1353#ipodnano2
> 
> Anyways. Those are my thoughts. Most importantly, do what works for you! Send me an email if I can be of any more help. I spent about 20-30 hours doing research before I went out on different options for powering multiple devices. 
> 

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