Solar chargers - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

Since the revolution in backpacking equipment, there are many solar chargers on the market. When hiking the AT is there any point to having a solar charger?If so, how long does the one you recommend take to charge? I plan on taking a cell phone to be used mostly to obtain weather information daily if the signals can be obtained and to make reservations ahead as I know what my time frame will be. I figure signals will be intermittent at best. Another gadget includes my head lamp. I have a small solar flash light that I purchased at Amicola State Park.

Eager Beaver

#2

The company for solar chargers is
SiliconSolar. They have a great series of flexible panel battery chargers that are well ahead of anything I’ve ever seen elsewhere. I use a slightly modified version of their 4AA rapid charger that will full up a set of NiMH batteries in 4-6 hours of sun. Mine is set up by being silicon glued to a piece of very lightweight nylon with velcro tabs that sticks to the back of my pack. It weighs all of 2oz with the fabric and velcro.

Though they don’t sell a cellphone charger unit pre-made from these lightwight flexibles, they do have the right power profile and they will do custom work, so you might well be able to get one from them if you give them a call. They sell other units specifically designed for cellphones too, but these are comparatively heavy and harder to do the “stick-to-your-pack” thing with.

Strategic

#3

I went all out and bought a 99 dollar solio charger so that I could charge my cell phone and ipod…and It was a complete waste of money. It was heavy and even in direct sunlight all day long would barely charge at all. I had better luck puting my wall chargers in my bounce box and charging in towns. with my phone off all the time, the charge always held for over a week. For my ipod…well when the juice ran out…I just hiked without it. I guess they make a 9 volt adapater that will take the juice from a 9volt and charge up an ipod. Had I known, I would have brought one of them.

just my .02.

-lakewood

lakewood

#4

I don’t think you really need one on the AT, unless you plan to have your phone on all the time. There are plenty of places to stop to recharge your batteries all along the trail. Hopefully, the recharger for your phone isn’t one of those heavy bricks some manufacturer make you deal with. Having said that, it would be kind of cool to find a really lightweight solar charger you could put on the top of your pack like Strategic mentioned.

Bear Bag Hanger

#5

We’ve had great luck on the PCT with our Solio. Not bringing it on the AT since it would be a pain with all the shade and low intensity sunlight. Worked great in the desert though. Get the new design. The tri-blade design loosens up after a while.

Feral