How to Keep Your Electronics Charged While Backpacking
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- 00:33 Ways to Conserve Your Phone Battery
02:14 Backup Battery Packs
02:33 What Size Battery Pack Do You Need?
03:45 Pros And Cons
05:55 Quick Charge
06:49 Solar Panel Chargers (Pros And Cons)
08:26 Things to Consider When Selecting a Solar Panel Charger
09:33 Whether to Connect Directly to Your Phone
11:37 Situations They Would Be Most Useful
12:37 Biolite Campstove 2
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These backpacking basics videos are really well done and I'm really enjoying them. Thanks!
I second that!
You just need to invent a solar powered umbrella so you can charge your little heart out while lounging in the shade.
Why haven't I seen that?!!! Quick! Get a patent!!!
@@SkyBrigidRain The obvious problem is that photovoltaic cells aren't as flexible as you'd want an umbrella to be.
@@philipgwyn8091 Good point! Maybe someday. Sounds like a useful thing to research anyway.
Get a folding solar panel, get a parasol, open the the parasol, put the solar panel on top.
@Floyd Vaughn damn! I'm missing ouit then!!!
One tip I have is if you have an older phone you no longer use you should bring it. My previous phone has a cracked screen but overall still works just fine. My main phone I keep off or in airplane mode and my older phone I use to take pictures or videos. Or have downloaded Netflix or prime videos saved to it and will watch them at night so my main phone can stay charged.
What about a really long extension cord?
You lose efficiency with longer cords.
That is what "little brothers" are for. I invite him to come with me . . . the catch is . . . being younger/dumber he does the heavy hauling.... ;)
Or........ quick charge portal's along the trail 😁😁 lol 🤣
Lol
It’s so obvious when someone else says it first.
Test your devices before you go as well. How many pictures or video can I take on a single charge? How long will my GPS, Headlamp, etc work on a single charge. I tested every device as well as the Batteries to use. In '05 I relied on NiMH Batteries.
Thanks for the topic and video Dixie! 😉 And Everyone watch out for those battery banks that if you don’t disconnect your device when it’s done charging, the battery bank will actually use your device to try to recharge itself 😬 happened to me with a “Sunjack” brand battery bank.
Are you going to talk about resupply, mailing and the rest of the things that you need to do in town?
MidnightModder
Hopefully. It’s a great idea to share with her though if she hadn’t already planned on covering it for this series.
She has done a resupply video already, and maybe could have mentioned it.
For the financially challenged! - A solar charger can save you money by taking fewer motel nights in town, mostly just to charge batteries for 6-8 hours. Aim to do laundry, resupply and get out of town in under 3 hours, to camp on trail whenever possible. It is hard to spend cash when you are always in the mountains!
@AaronThanks for your tips. I have heard of folks washing clothes in the woods using a dry sack to contain the soapy water and safely transport it, well away from the water source. These days my preferred lamps are integral solar and/ or dynamo hand cranked so I hope to never buy batteries for a flashlight ever again.
Solar charge your battery pack while hiking, then charge your electronics at night at camp.
Get a good solar charging panel that will work in indirect light, and you still get some charge. Anker 15w or 21w is great for this.
This is the combo I use while hiking/camping. Thanks for the videos.
i will be using the same Xd 2 ankers and one 30w panel
I wear my solar panel on my hat with carabiniers. Never had an Issue.
Daisy chain the solar into a backup battery while charging your phone from it. No on off charging
Careful. Most powerbanks (also the ones from Anker) won't allow "passthrough", i.e. charging and discharging simultaneously. Just make sure you have one that supports this before going out on a trail and being disappointed.
@@DerKatzeSonne not meaning at once. My bust. Mean tag charge one fully. Change next fully charge Another fully...... that's what i do. By time i drain one the other is fully charged. By nightfall i have enough to make it until 10am.
@@mrmichaeltscott ah I see; that makes sense! I’m worried about the loss in efficiency because you add a second step by first charging the powerbank just to use that to charge the phone. On the other hand it seems to be the most robust and least problematic method. Personally I’m still trying different methods and need to find a way that works for me. Probably yours is what I’ll end up with anyways :)
Dixie - You're the bomb! You started out like me to do a single thru hike, and it became your life. Thanks for helping so many hikers out.
How funny I'm out here thru hiking the Arizona trail and I'm wasting alot of battery watching UA-cam videos but I'm at this picnic area which is a luxury out here and I got 4g service!!!
1st) Thank you Dixie. I'm an active hunter, camper, and trail runner, but I haven't backpacked since I was a teen. I'm 63 now and much has changed. I've been thinking about extending my backpacking from just the two or three miles it takes to find a place to camp to taking a week and covering some significant miles. I'm learning a lot from your videos. However...
2nd) One thing you didn't mention was using a hand crank generator. For many years now I've kept one like the unit in the link below (trying to use your affiliate link) in my "survival pocket". Reading the reviews on any similar unit, you'll immediately note mostly negative comments. Here is my input on the matter: (a) The unit is for emergency use only; not for fully charging your phone. (b) Despite what the product claims, it will not directly charge a modern Android or Apple phone. (3) However, it will charge a small battery pack, which can then charge your phone. (4) I keep a very small and light fully charged 1500 mAh battery pack in the pocket with the generator. (5) The small battery pack will give my phone a partial charge. (6) Then 10 minutes of cranking will put enough charge back into a depleted battery pack that I can power up a fully dead phone to make numerous text messages, a phone call of several minutes, or get my GPS coordinates. (7) You cannot crank the generator fast or put strain on the crank. It will break. It is very cheaply made. (8) Since it is cheaply made, test the one you have before you go out in the field with it. (9) Let me say it again, do not try to charge your phone directly from the generator. - - I'm traveling right now, so I can't weigh the generator and battery pack, but I would venture to guess they total 3 to 4 ounces. Once I forgot my large battery pack. This setup allowed me to stay in periodic touch with my wife over a long weekend hunting trip. It was worth its weight in gold. [LINK: www.amazon.com/Baynne-Travel-Emergency-Charger-Dynamo/dp/B07DYWX3M3/ref=sr_1_21?crid=1L3Q1BHT57IOL&keywords=hand+crank+cell+phone+charger&qid=1552353176&s=gateway&sprefix=hand+crank+cell+%2Caps%2C199&sr=8-21 ]
3rd) I've recently been using the "ElevenII 22W Solar Phone Charger" (people can use your Amazon link to find it). I haven't used it while hiking or backpacking, but I can say it will charge my Galaxy S8+, which has a 3500 mAh battery, from 0 to 20% in 1 hour 19 minutes with only broken morning sunlight through a tree canopy. I'll have to report back after I've tried it on a hike, but I suspect that if strapped to my pack it would keep my phone fully charged while hiking. At 1.5 pounds the unit is double the weight of the 10,000 mAh battery that I usually tote, but it's kept my phone and headlight fully charged on extended camping trips. For a trip 3 days or less, I'd take my Anker battery pack, but for longer trips or where I expect to use more juice then the solar panel saves weight in the long run.
The battery packs hold about 60% of what they claim relative to your electronic device. So if you have a 10,000 mAH battery pack, you can divide your mAH of your battery you are recharging into 10000 x .6 or 6000 mAHs. So if you have a 3000 mAH battery that requires charging, you will get two full charges from your 10000 mAH bank.
Yeesh! In regards to Solar and USB Batteries...
Rule number 1:
Never charge your device while it's on (while outdoors). The device will use power from the cable to charge the device while it's trying to divert some of the power to the devices battery.
Placing non-waterproof solar panels in a large, commercial, resealable bag will give it weather protection while charging your batteries in the rain/snow.
As for me, I just hang my solar charger off of my backpack while I'm hiking.
An added 30amp solar charge controller with USB works great to assist in charging a vehicle battery with a solar panel. They can be purchased ultra small and lightweight. These are used in offgrid homesteads to assist in charging arrays of marine batteries to give free power to common household appliances and technology like computers, TV's and internet routers/modems. Carry about 6 foot of 16/2 power cable some aligator clips to use as an emergency 12v vehicle battery charger. Cable can be harvested from a cheap, 2-prong, household, extension power cable and used with a charge controller. The charge controller can also be used to charge USB Battery packs and other types of electronics via the USB Outlets.
Rule number 2:
Charge your backup batteries during the day and charge your devices at night with the backup batteries (I learned this from active duty US military and have always used this tip with great success).
Be sure to check your power connections from the solar panel to the USB battery for disconnections. Nothing will charge if the device disconnects.
I've owned both Anker and RAVPOWER USB batteries. Anker are priced higher for the same or lesser quality battery (every since Walmart picked up their batteries for in store sales). RAVPOWER batteries with Qualcomm Quick Charge are my favorite! Plus, RAVPOWER batteries are better priced than Anker.
USB Batteries with at least 20,000 mAh or more are generally preferred over a 10,000 mAh battery. The mAh rating of the battery gets weaker the more you recharge it. After several complete battery charges, 10,000 mAh will become 9,000 and 9,000 will become 8,000 and so on.
Make note that outdoor versions of USB Batteries are marketed as weatherproof and will still work after being rained on and submerged in water. If you feel that your batteries may come in contact with water or humidity, then research these types of USB batteries.
Sincerely,
Jacob
May 31st, 2021
Thank You for this information. I am sporting a pair of cochlears and when the batteries run down I am stone deaf. Never thought about a battery pack.
Changing your display to grayscale/black and white saves a ton of battery life. The pictures you take will still be in color when you switch back, but you get a lot more display hours on the same charge without all the bright colors. You can set home button (iPhone) or mutliple keys pressed at once (android) shortcuts to easily toggle back and forth.
Another great video with tons of useful info. Thanks Dixie! You are my backpacking guru.
If someone were to tell you 25-30 years ago, that you would be able to use your phone to check your emails, schedule appointments, watch movies/TV shows on, take pictures/record videos, order food, shop, do your taxes with, & any research you gotta do; would you have thought they were crazy?
... don't forget endless selfies and every spare moment wasted on Facebook!
Yea and in maybe 50 years they have a version where you can say. .........beam me up scotty. If you are about 50 years. You understand.
No, because I watched them do that exact thing in the 60s on star trek!
One thing to add about the BioLite Campstove 2: at peak output, it generates 3 watts. At 5 volts, that's 600 mA (0.6 amps) per hour. That means it will take 4 hours and 20 minutes of peak burn to fully recharge the included 2600mAh battery. Plus, ashes build-up fairly quickly in the small chamber - every 30 minutes you'll have to dump ashes and restart the fire. I love the idea of the BioLite, but its just not a realistic option in its current incarnation.
Its' cool tech. Hopefully it will improve over the next decade.
Great info , I have the anker 10k also, very reliable. Thanks !
I love my Anker battery banks. I have a 10,000mAh microUSB and a 10,000mAh USB-C. Both are quick recharge technology. Needing two different usb cables might get annoying as my phone also uses USB-C. But my headlamp uses MicroUSB.
I have a 7w goal zero and it's weight factor and lack of power output would get old quick. One idea is to use solar to charge one battery while using the other battery. At 7w, your max output is 1.4 Amps. More realistic 1 Amp @ 5 volts and that's painfully slow. Even 10 watt wireless charging pads are slow to charge. Many phone chargers currently are 18w or more. So keep that in mind for power to weight. As you said might be more effective to carry another battery. On my day hiking/fishing. I just carry a battery pack. I found the solar panel couldn't keep up and wasn't worth the extra weight and stuff. And yes I love solar, I build 3 solar power pond aerators, chicken coop is 100% solar along with about 20+ trail cameras, and many solar lights, among other solar systems. Just time and a place for each technology.
Love the videos. Keep them coming.
I've got the Bio Stove. The charging is disappointing. I quit trying, spent too much time keeping the stove fueled for very little charge. Maybe I'll test it to see how long it takes.
A friend has one, we played with it for about 5 days in the woods. You are right, it ain't no 2 amp wall charger. It will keep your phone alive in a crunch, though.
Really appreciate an honest review.
@@traildads3206 I will say this about it. The fire tornado is impressive and efficient. Very little ash is left over. I would pack it for a one night trip where I'm carrying little food and water or a longer section hike in place of several fuel canisters. If you want a cup of coffee minutes after waking, this is not your stove, figure at least 10 to 15 minutes to boil 12 ounces.
I too have one of these stoves (I also have the generation 1). I am not a backpacker, I convince camp (next to my car). It is quite heavy when you are measuring all your weight in ounces. The stove weighs in at a hefty 33 oz., and KettlePot (1l boil pot) is an additional 16 oz. The two together will boil water quite quickly, after getting the fire started so in total 10 to 15 mins for your morning coffee. The charging feature is a bit lack-luster. You have to keep the stove very well fed and the fan on the lowest setting for maximum charge. If you can spare the 49 oz. or weight, you'll not have to carry fuel, spare rechargeable batteries or an additional cook pot and will still be able to top off your phone in any weather conditions as long as you have the time.
The stove packs into itself and then will pack into the KettlePot making it reasonable size for what you get. Heavy and versatile.
Just my 2 cents.
@@MrWillyp00 Thanks for posting this. Nothing like real experience. I wild camp in Europe a few days at a time and was thinking of using one as a Base Camp charger rather than carrying it everywhere ( my total kit is under 3kilos.) I think I'll wait for a more efficient design to come out. In the meantime I'll stick with my 2 small battery banks and/ or quick recharge at the coffee shop or airport. ( I often camp within 5 miles of the airport so it's easy to drop in for a few hours free charging.) Happy travels everyone. John
I appreciate your video on power Banks, knowledge and straight forwardness. Keep up the good work kiddo. Be safe and enjoy.
The new Anker 25600 mah PowerCore III Elite usb c battery pack (60w) recharge in 2.1 hours from empty... The 87w battery is even faster. Just thought I'd add that here since it may be helpful for those that need to recharge with limited time. I should have posted this yesterday when Amazon had their Prime day sale for 95.00. Sorry about that, but Black Friday should have something similar this fall.
As someone who has dealt with this issue for years I wan't to add one more thing to her list of things to keep in mind. Even if you keep your phone on airplane mode at all times, which I do while I'm working. Be careful because the inside of your thigh might constantly be engaging with your phone and might still drain your battery very quickly. It could constantly lighting up your phone and trying to access things that even airplane mode blocks. Because of this, I turn my phone outwards from my hip so it doesn't do this while I'm out in the woods.
Light bulb moment. I know my phone wakes if it contacts me in the pocket while I’m working. (It’s a timer set to vibrate) I often get low on battery for “nothing.”
I’ll definitely build the habit to have it face out. Thank you.
Power Delivery is a better quick charge option for people with usb C phones. My 20100 mAh Anker advertises charging in 4 hours with PD.
Agreed. To be fair to Dixie, her video was released at the time of transition, when proprietary quick charging was still fairly common and USB-C PD was in the ascendency. Proprietary quick charging such as Qualcomm QC is now pretty much obsolete - PD is almost certainly what you want.
I've got an Anker 10000mAh power bank that has 18W PD output (so will quick charge my phone and tablet) and will charge fairly quickly with a PD charger. I've pretty much retired my non-PD power bank.
Solar panels should be great for beach camping in an island. And the biolite campstove 2 shd be perfect for motorcycle camping.
Thank you. 👍 All good tips, and I appreciate you giving every, single detail as some of us may not know about things that to others is common knowledge. Everyone is new to things at some point. 🤓
Go check out SUNG industries for the latest ruggedized outdoor needs... never fail to impress!
I have a back pack trail suggestion for you, Isle Royal National Park, Michigan. Canoe passage is great but haven't tried the trail system.
I hike in the Sierra on the JMT and other trails and attach the Anker PowerPort Solar Lite 15W to the top of my pack to charge my Anker 10000+ brick during the day. I never fiddle with it unless it's raining, in which case I unhook the brick, which goes in a baggie, and stow the panel in a side pocket (it's ok in the rain and has survived a creek dunking just fine). I then charge my phone, Inreach and Fuji camera at night. Works for me since wall charging opportunities are infrequent. The panel is 12.5oz, the same as a 20000mAh brick. I always have extra power even though I'm lazy about turning off my phone and Inreach at night.
I use a back-up battery (26,900mAh) that has a solar cell on it capable of charging 300mAh per hour just using the sun. FYI. It is heavy, but worth it, since my headlamp, phone, Canon RP camera, and air mattress blower/lantern all can use the charger. It takes 8 hours to charge that sucker, or almost a week to charge it using only the sun, lol. I don't use the solar cell much, but it is there in case I need to emergency power something and the 26900 is fully drained. Charging 300mAh per hour doesn't sound like much, but it adds up: I can use the sun to fully charge my headlamp in 2 hours, for example.
I love the BioLite stove, but I think it’s best for car camping/van life situations. If you can carry the weight, know how to make a proper fire, and don’t mind tending to it, it produces a lot of electricity and is a ton of fun.
How long does it take to charge a phone? Thx
The hand cranking generator is the best . power failure and camping. Fast just in the evening you do your charging.
Treat your backup batteries gently. Li-ion battery chemistry holds a tremendous amount of energy in a very small space. Do not abuse them. Do not disassemble them. Do not drop them in a fire. Do not do anything with them preceded by the statement, "Hold my beer and watch this..." LiFePO4 is less explody, but I don't think they sell any hiker-friendly packs with that chemistry. As Dixie says, use name brands and don't abuse them.
Big Blue 3 28w solar panel, I hang mine on my backpack all day long.
Another option is to use a Goal Zero Guide 10 battery pack charger, it’s the one that comes with the Nomad 7 solar panel as a bundle. It’s fast to recharge when you have power but you can also swap the 4 AA rechargeable batteries with a second set or with regular alkaline batteries when in a hurry. Best of both worlds for me in most situation.
I want a wind power hat.
I saw a yt vid that a guy had 4 wind mills hooked to his electric golf cart.....VERY entertaining
robert hutchins
That sounds interesting. Do you remember the name of the video? I’d kind of like to see that.
I'm half joking, but If ya want the trail name "propeller head", it's there.
What about a pith helmet covered in solar cells?
Most efficient use of your wind power would be to have wind powered shorts.
Really awesome video. Have an amazing Monday, Andreas 🇸🇪
My experience has been that you are far better off getting at least a 20 watt folding solar panel from a name-brand manufacturer at at least a 16,000maH power bank from a name-brand manufacturer and using the panel to charge the power bank rather than trying to charge you smart phone or other device directly from the solar panel. The latter way is fraught with difficulties and problems. Charging the power bank is much much easier and you can use the power bank to charge from even in the dark.
I like too see you in ohio the state park east fork Steve Newman trail world walker
VIDEO'ING? dear Dixie! please dont make that word a thing! Recording, filming, makin video works too....video isn't a verb...one never video'ed, or went video'ing. ...back to you!
I am enjoying getting someone else's perspective on things through this series. This one is the first that didn't apply. The only electronics I take are two flashlights and a tiny solar panel for charging them. :-)
I use a linksolar 13 watt panel and I tie it to the back of my back, I plug that into an anker powercore 20100. In sunny Florida it will trickle charge the battery through the day. I think that’s the best use case for a solar panel, rather than trying to rely on it to bring your devices up to 100 percent off just the panel alone.
you are right. There has to be an inbetween, aka a battery.
It should ALWAYS be SOLAR > BATTERY > PHONE in that order
a lot of those cheaper solar panels too don't have good charge protection
Hey Dixie! I actually have a portable power bank that has a built in solar panel. Is 20000mah. I hang it off the back of my pack and find I can charge much longer with just that rather than having both. I found it on amazon. 😊 happy trails!
Jeniefurr
Hi, what is the name of the company that makes this battery pack. I'm looking for something like this. Thank you for your help 😊
Faviola Andaya it is an X-DNENG. Found it on amazon prime days.
@@jeniefurr
Hi, thank you Jeniefurr!
I very much appreciate it!😊
Buy two "half size" battery packs rather than one "full size". That way you can charge in half the time.
Not really if the larger battery pack and your charger support fast charging. Internally a larger battery pack can do exactly what you propose.
You’d also need a charger with two outputs (or even three if you also want to charge your smartphone or other device at the same time).
Duh...I do it daily.
Michael K you can get a cheap 4 port charger from most any brand convenience store or pharmacy, and even cheaper on amazon so it’s not that big of a deal. Then I could in theory charge 3 small battery packs and my phone much faster than one quick charge battery. My power setup IRL is different. Since I vape, I already had a bunch of 18650 batteries (the ones that get put into those battery packs), and my 4 bay charger has two usb outputs that can draw from the batteries. It can do 4 amps between the batteries for charging, and output to the ports at the same time. If I want more capacity I can just bring more batteries, which I already need because I’m using 5k mAh a day with just the vape, without the overhead of the packaging of a larger/multiple battery packs in the form of casing and internal electronics. At the end of the day, it depends on what your power needs are going to be.
@@jordanjacobson6046 A charger with multiple ports and high amperage is probably heavier and bulkier. Bad for traveling.
It is really good to have powerbanky which can be charged with USB-C or lightning, just to have one charger for everything
I use a 25000mah ADDTOP portable 4 panel solar power bank. Perfect for camping!!!
I checked it out and it really looks like the absolute best option, good find.
This logistical challenge is the main reason I ditched the standalone camera and got a modern phone with a good camera and 512 gb of storage. Difference between hauling a micro four thirds with numerous batteries, extra cables and its own charger plus my phone vs. just carrying a phone alone was the difference between being able to keep my devices charged for more than 3 days shooting continuous video without needing to resort to a solar panel.
Again, good job. Your experience shows! Nice work on the short demo clips/pics to highlight your point. 😉
Duh, great advice! Depending on my sections (yep, I have a day job 👌🏻hate me later) I carry either a 10,000 or 20,0000 ma battery. Kudos to all ur BP Start-up vids!!! As usual, u kick ass!
I use an Anker 21000 battery and solar panel. I charge my devices from the battery at night and then charge the battery pack from solar during the day. I just strap the panel to my pack and I’m good to go. It’s worked great for a couple years now. Yes, a little bulky but I don’t mind.
This series is so valuable! I wish I had some of these “one stop shop” basic video answers when I started. Thank you!
Great video as always!! We've been talking about this. I'm not a tech savvy person at all. How does guthooks have an effect on your power? We're doing a section of the AT at the end of May. 6 days. We're dress rehearsing for the long hike.
Rehearsal.
Donnie - you can use Guthooks (which runs off GPS and not cell data) while your phone is in Airplane mode. How much power that uses I'm not sure. Your best bet is to have the Anker battery charger with you at all times, so you can charge your phone when needed. Turn it off at night light Dixie suggested.
@@antsy_does Thanks!!! I have a 20k mAh and a 10k mAh so I think I'm taking the 20 to be safe. Thank you so much!!
I use Yolk solar paper, pricey but light weight and well made as it is simple to add panels and the display helps estimate charge time by output voltage ~ battery input requirement. gold magnetic panel hook-ups is just extra cool and no other panel i have seen has that feature. =]
It isn't water resistant, but it's very handy. The TOMO M4 power bank/18650 charger will use any combination of varying types and capacity 18650's, up to 4. It smart charges each battery individually. It also works as a power bank with two USB outputs. Total output is limited by the number/capacity of the batteries themselves. Maximum with quality batteries is 13600 mAh. Since much of my gear uses 18650's, it is both a charger and power bank with spare batteries. Just have to keep it dry-ish. Have IPX6 power banks (Anker, Levin) for use in damp conditions.
Dixie you are awesome and are helping me a LOT to get everything ready for the AT 2023. Can’t wait to experience this life and meet all the trail members along the way!
Thank you for making this
Solar panel + battery + hand crank + flashlight in one package = perfect solution. Also, a good photo-voltaic charger will charge even when it's cloudy.
Spot on at minute 11:45 or so. If you are on a long back country trip with no access to power, a solar panel makes a lot of sense. If you are on a throughhike that gives you access to power every few days, a battery makes a lot of sense. Another great video Dixie.
Great video, very informative. Thank you.
The Dark Energy Poseidon is probably the best out there in terms of ruggedness. That thing is literally bulletproof but a bit expensive and no quickcharge.
Do you carry your Anker backup pack in the "travel pouch" or just stuff it in a drysac?
Dixie, there are other means of charging in the field than using a solar power. There are different types of thermal heat transfers to electricity, like the biolite stove. That is too big and heavy for most backpacking, but I bought off Amazon a pop up cone, sort of like your sea to summit cup, but this has a heavier base with a computer charging wire attached to it. All you do is fill the cone with water and put it on the fire, making sure the wire is not in the fire lol, after the water starts boiling the thermal reacted in the base produces electricity and you just plug your phone or your back up battery into the wire and you can charge your electronics, the downside is it weighs about a pound, but if you have liquid and a fire you can charge your devices, just keep refilling the cone with water, it helps to keep an extra pot of water on the fire so when the water evaporates you can add already boiling water..bobby
Many solar panels now include a battery bank, so if you hang them on your pack all day they'll slowly charge the bank, then you can plug into the bank at night and blast the power into the phone all at once. And you can charge the bank from AC if you get to a town and have the chance.
There are some really small and cheap hand crank usb chargers, could come in handy if your hands are free.
What about a crank radio with a charge option for phones and the like?
#1 solar benefit: reduced carbon footprint. Better alignment with "Leave No Trace" principles. You're not consuming the output from a large powerplant (coal, nuclear, etc) but from a free, natural source.
Here's how to keep your phone changed while backpacking: Don't use it!
As always chock full of good information Thanks Dixie
Technology has moved on a bit I have a 24000mah rechargeable battery pack that has three solar panels connected to it.It can be charged through the mains via a sub cable or charged via solar energy,even though this has three solar panels you can apparently get one with four panel all falls in on itself.allegedly takes two full days of Sun in the summer to fully charge battery pack.nb has ports for one micro sub and two sub ports.
Micro USB and USB ports
I have a 20,000 mah ZMI battery with usb-pd 45w charge speed. It can charge in like 3 hours using a super light 45w GaN ravpower usb-pd adapter.
I use a GoalZero Nomad 7 solar panel for charging my devises. It’s amazing!!!
After a full day of hiking, I set my panel facing the sun (leaning on a stick or rock). While I setup camp it charges up my phone (or power bank) 1% per minute.
Loooooove it!
I took it on a 6day backpacking trip in Sawtooth Mountain range and always had a charged phone which I used constantly for navigation GPS and for picture taking.
What's the weight of the solar panel?
Whilst hiking in the north of Sweden, Norway and Finland, I used an anker 13 000 mAh battery and an anker solar panel (maybe 15 watts? I can't remember!) because I only ever wild camped so I couldn't charge my phone normally. It worked pretty well although there were a couple of days where I had no battery at all because it was too cloudy!
What about a solar bank?
Just clip it on your pack and it charged while you hike. Sure, it charges slowly but you're hiking all day anyway......
Charge your phone at night and the power bank charges itself as you beat feet all day:)
I carry the outxe 16000 mAh. Got it on Amazon for about $40.
I have never had to plug it in the wall since the initial charge.
Oh, it also has a pretty bright flashlight too!
I have a Nitecore waterproof power bank/charger and I really like it.
Dixie, thanks so much. I was hoping you had a video on how you kept your electronics charged.
I love hiking deep into the woods and watch alien and big foot movies / docs so im scared of every sound the forrest makes.
All great ideas. One more reason to save weight elsewhere.
Thank you.
Hi Dixie, I was wondering if you have used / seen the LuminAid solar lamp and charger. I have bought one for hiking in Australia. We don’t really have the issue of needing to worry about getting enough sun on the solar panel, our biggest issue here is protecting ourselves from the sun. I really like LuminAid, it’s a good inflatable light to start off with. But I like using it overnight to dump a little extra charge into my power bank when I’m not using the light. It charges on an overcast day here in Australia, but again our conditions are pretty harsh in terms of solar radiation.
USB C Power Bank RAVPower 30000mAh 90W
Recharges in 2.5 hours with an output of 90W
Been enjoying your videos: one recommendation: please consider placing a financial disclosure for possible conflicts (or lack thereof) on products you discuss or recommend. It improves the quality of your own content, and helps raise the bar for similar sites. Simple stuff. Were you provided the merchandise for free, or did you pay for it yourself? Were you paid to produce the review or promote a product, or not? Thanks for the good information! (Oh, and I would say that even if you did receive promotional products you recommended. I would respect the transparency though).
By now, people will probably will want to watch out for USB-PD (Power Delivery) powerbanks instead of Qualcomm Quickcharge. (obviously depending on their gear; but with iPhones definitely and also because USB-PD is the universal standard while QuickCharge is proprietary to Qualcomm)
I got the Biolite stove as a present. In addition to it being pretty heavy (935g minimum), most of my pots do not fit on it. My car camping cook set from GSI did fit on it okay. I think it's okay for backcountry camping with friends, but in those conditions, you really don't need a charger. Not to mention it takes a pretty long time to charge, making a meal will give you about 10% on your phone. I really like the idea, but I was really disappointed with the product.
One possible use case is that it might be used during fireband. Not sure on the detail, but I know most metal wood stoves are included in fireband.
Anker powerbank 20000 mAH is not heavy plus a Solar panel minimum of 21W marketed is good one of Anker of Bleu origin 28W not heavy.
Battery bank 20000 mAH with a phone battery 4000 mAH should be good for 5x charges - 5 days. going on a longer vacation then combine it with a solar panel.
Hey Dixie, I use a 26800mAh Solar Battery Power Bank Portable Panel Charger with LEDs and 2 USB Output Ports this one charges dusk and dawn with minimum sunlight. I have it to charge my go pro and phone at the same time.
" on top of climb vs down in a bottom" . Yea, you're from the South. Anyone else would have said " down in a valley". You're my kind of people!!! Keep up the info vids, I really need your knowledge. Thanx Dixie...
There are also other portable thermoelectric generators that can be placed on on near a fire, ontop of portable stoves, or such.
Next there is the wind option, there are dozens of light weight, low power wind turbines, some free standing, others that set up like a hammock, other that can be fixed to trees, hiking poles, what ever. these are designed such that, when you make camp, you set one of these up, and charge a battery pack overnight.
for those that are hiking along rivers, water trails, or heck, if you canoeing, there are mini, hydro chargers, several types of chargers that you can tow behind a canoe or drop in the water with a little anchor, and will use the rivers current to charge up a waterproof battery.
There are options to suit your every need, and power requirement if you look, consider how you are going to be traveling, and where.
@
Even better, get a battery pack with USB-C power delivery. Anker makes a 26000 mah model that is about 1lb and it can charge this massive battery in like 4.5 hours with a 30w pd charger.
They also make a 45w version that can charge in 3.5 hours.
My wife has a little trained ground squirrel that runs on a little portable treadmill connected to a generator and keeps her phone charged that way. Her question is, does anyone sell a ground squirrel backpack so she can get it to carry its own food and water? Many thanks.
plug your battery bank into portable solar panels when out...boom, charged. Done this myself.
Hello, thank you for your information. I am planning on 5 days guided backpacking to Yellowstone. For taking pictures, do you recommend to use my iPhone with airplane mode? There will be no recharging stations; therefore I will purchase anker 20k milliamperes. Also they told me to bring battery powered headlamps. With the power source I should be able to use my anker device for recharging which should eliminate bringing extra batteries. Your thoughts?
Get a magnifying glass & look at the out put of your phone charger ., The size of the solar panels shown, would probably produce 1/20th of that ! So it' s probably not a good idea to rely solely on these ., Also cheap ones may actually drain your battery! A $9 dollar multi meter will show what voltage its putting out while charging ,& what flow in (milliamps).As the voltage in the phone battery recovers while charging , the flow or milliamps will decrease, cause it doesn't need as much .So like two buckets of water siphoning into each other they will equalize & stop flowing..I hope this will keep every one from buying a lot of expensive crappy solar panels, that really don't perform the task they say they do!
Watched almost everything from you i think by now! I live in L.A. but im from Alabama. Im a 33yo guy and ive seen your Auburn hat before and stuff and i think your content and you are so great. Im really happy you put so much information out there and your so grounded and not "Extra". Bless you Dixie bell and tytyty.
I have a GoalZero Nomad 5 that I use to trickle-charge a 10k mah battery pack. I keep it strapped to my pack. Some days I get more sun, some days less (or none), but overall it pumps enough juice back into the battery to keep my stuff running days longer than the battery pack by it’s self. The battery pack is Plan A and I charge it every chance I get, but between outlets, the GZN5 cuts my usage in about half, and if I have a zero day and I can leave it in full sun it will top off the battery pack.
Its the size of a sheet of paper and it is on the heavy side of “backpacking” gear (but the panel is actually lighter than the battery pack) but if power is important to you, it’s something to consider (instead of being an outright ‘no’).
I use a 20000mAh powerbank as well as a 5W A5 size solar panel which weights about 80g. And I bikepack, so the panel is always out on top of my front rack trying to get sun, which charges my powerbank. I recommend using the solar panel to charge the powerbank and not your devices directly. And 5W is not a large amount of power, so trickle charging the powerbank is more beneficial. It's kind of like putting a little back in all day after you've taken out a chunk last night. It extends your power supply without you having to think too much about it. And unless your solar panels are huge enough to actually charge your phone directly, like 20W or so, you will still think about how heavy they are because for that kind of output, it will definitely weigh 500g and up, plus the amount of surface area you need to actually keep facing the sky.
Stove makes 26 milliamp. Wonder how many watts that would be. My guess very few
What I found useful for my phone not getting too hot is wrapping it in a white handkerchief or towel while charging or just in storage because the color makes it so that it doesn’t absorb heat as much as the sun phone itself would