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Post by bluefish on Jul 18, 2020 7:54:38 GMT -8
I installed Blackburn racks with baskets and cargo nets on the front of our gravel bikes. Perfect to put a couple of Luci lights to charge while riding, much the way we use them strapped to our packs. Though I don't bring electronics backpacking, the proximity to coverage and the possibility of less than stellar camp sites has me convinced to bring our phones for info , communication and entertainment while bike touring. We've never used any solar chargers, so any units that you recommend and advice on them would be appreciated
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Post by bluefish on Jul 20, 2020 3:21:49 GMT -8
Hmmmm, perhaps I'm more a persona non grata here than I thought. Redditt, bpl, other sources will have to do. Thanks.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jul 20, 2020 4:38:08 GMT -8
I'm just not sure how many posters here use solar chargers. Most of us are shedding weight from the pack. For our other activities, solar chargers may not even be a consideration. I know I don't use one with my kayak trips. I wouldn't think you were not welcome as much as you have asked for recommendations for gear few of us use.
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daveg
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Post by daveg on Jul 20, 2020 7:09:00 GMT -8
I have 55W of 12V solar panels at home. I have 120W of 12V panels on my sailboat. I have half-a-dozen power banks ranging from 1500 mAh to 10,000 mAh. I use the solar panels at home to keep the power banks charged and use the power banks to charge my devices with a USB input. I figure it saves me about five cents a day in electricity. I also have several small 6V solar panels.
I've run the numbers and have never been able to justify the weight of taking a solar panel on a backpacking trip. Most of the time I am backpacking in wooded areas, so sunlight is reduced. I carry few electronics so my power needs are not great. If I figure I need extra power, taking extra batteries or a power bank is a more weight and cost effective solution than carrying a solar panel to recharge my devices. And a power bank will provide a faster and more reliable source of a charge than a solar panel.
If you're carrying a solar panel, you'll also probably carrying a power bank to hold the charge. Unless the solar panel is providing a significant amount of power, it's unnecessary weight.
If one was hiking in open areas or operating out of a basecamp where a solar panel could be exposed to the sun for extended periods AND if one were using a lot of power, a solar panel might make sense. But that's not my situation.
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Jul 20, 2020 9:12:05 GMT -8
And a power bank will provide a faster and more reliable source of a charge than a solar panel. We've had discussions on this subject many times before here. The upshot is usually that, if you're going for only a few days and need extra power, take batteries. Also, if you use a solar panel (as daveg has already said), you'll need to carry batteries as well. I have a 65W 26W array (admittedly older) which couldn't even charge my old iPhone (iPhone 4). Electronic devices mostly require a steady current for charging, or they complain. Solar panels won't consistently provide that, so you need batteries. On top of that, solar panels are slow. It takes (from what I've read) 2 hours of good sunlight to recharge a 3000 - 5000 mah battery. Solar panels are rated for perfect conditions, and conditions are rarely perfect (clouds, bad positioning of the array, etc. as well as dust and debris on the array). OTOH, if you're planning a very long term trip (several months) in an area where there are no other resources for charging, you might find solar panels useful, but then you'll need to be prepared to carry the weight and do the work of using them.
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almostthere
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Post by almostthere on Jul 20, 2020 9:23:04 GMT -8
I take my Anker charger - it'll reliably charge my phone and my InReach for seven full days of use. Can't say that about a solar panel. Have watched other folks attempt to charge using solar panels and loaned them my battery at times, so maybe when I see a solar panel that works I'll give that a try...
Bike touring is a different animal altogether than backpacking. If I were biking, I would get a second Anker, and charge both of them up whenever we laid over in some place with outlets where I could plug them in overnight. Battery packs work at night and on cloudy days.
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Post by bluefish on Jul 21, 2020 8:00:24 GMT -8
Anker it is. Thanks!
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Post by georgeofthej on Jul 21, 2020 12:15:34 GMT -8
I've got one made by Powertraveller called the Solar Adventurer, but I've never used it backpacking. It has a built-in battery pack and weighs 12.1 oz. with the case.
I bought it this year with my REI dividend because I wasn't really sure what else to get (I think I got 4 shirts also). The two devices I might want to recharge on a long trip are a phone and an InReach. Maybe I'll do a long bike trip one day and bring it.
I tested it in the backyard. I left it out most of the day to charge its own internal battery, and then plugged it into my phone later that evening. It charged the phone to 80 something percent, if I remember right.
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Jul 21, 2020 15:17:08 GMT -8
I may have misspoke on this one. I think I inverted the numbers (I am getting old!) - the unit I have is almost certainly the double foldable 26W Brunton Solaris array (from back before Neanderthals roamed the earth). A 65W solar array would be, uh, a wee bit bigger - probably more like this 30" X 30" 75W, which weighs closer to 15 lbs: www.amazon.com/Newpowa-Solar-Efficiency-Module-Marine/dp/B00L6LY05SMine looks like this (no longer available):
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daveg
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Post by daveg on Jul 21, 2020 18:50:19 GMT -8
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rangewalker
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Post by rangewalker on Jul 21, 2020 19:41:21 GMT -8
My experience with trying to use solar chargers is very dated, nearly 20-25 years ago, trying to keep AA batteries to test instruments alive for 3-5 days. It did not go well. The batteries were often the issue. The solar cells were not up to the tech of 2020. I follow some expeditionary cyclists and thru-hikers, and in 2020, most have gone with battery banks. Usually in the 10K to 20 mAh. (sic) with rapid charge capability. Disclaimer, these folks are vBloggers, so they have a bank of devices at the watt trough.
In the cycle crowd, more and more folks are revisiting dynamo hubs. I just did a 4 day hike and kept a Sony SLR, a Garmin GPS and a SpotX up with a shot from the BlackWeb 10k battery brick. Only the SpotX was on all the time but that trip I had to message a lot. Every day was a route change that my 'anchor' needed to know about.
This is a really small pool of talented folks on these forums, so some gear questions just do not latch. Nothing personal. I only visit every 3-4th day.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Jul 22, 2020 8:51:31 GMT -8
A few of the guys on a Grand Canyon rafting trip were relying on solar chargers to keep their phones charged and they seemed happy with them. Somewhat unique circumstances though -- 25-day trip, using phone as camera, battery can't be changed, lots of sun, and no weight restrictions.
I took a separate camera and brought extra batteries. Seemed a lot easier.
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Jul 22, 2020 11:42:00 GMT -8
I have to admit that I've been a bit "short" this week. I apologize for being so succinct. (Not, BTW, the appropriate word since it implies I've also been "clear". I know better.)
This is clearly an area in which things are evolving. The tech is getting better all the time. I could probably prove that by putting my old Brunton array, which cost me in the neighborhood of at least $200, against something like that the BigBlue 28W which I saw on at least 2 "portable solar panel" surveys online, and which costs ~$80.
In time, perhaps a solar array will be worth carrying. No one said "HYOH" yet, so I should admit that I don't always adhere to the dictum to carry as little and as light as possible. I like to experiment, and that is the reason I tried some 3 different solar panels. I tried to get them on sale if possible, but I'm known for being overly curious. If you like the idea, I'd say go for it. HYOH!
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Aug 6, 2020 5:06:23 GMT -8
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Aug 6, 2020 10:10:15 GMT -8
Just phones? I’ve seen setups coupling a battery pack to a panel (some phones don’t like the voltage variation when a panel goes from sun to shade and once off won’t accept anymore charge until reconnected: a bad surprise at the end of a day...). That way the simpler pack takes the charge to later be transferred to the device.
For simply a pair of phones a 10k Anker battery should do. One of the USB-C if you’re in a hurry and have phones that accept higher charging rates.
No clue on panel types, my dSLR has proprietary batteries so I take those and a small Anker for iPhone /gps backup.
That’s such a common question I’m not surprised it wasn’t immediately clicked on.
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