Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

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al_yrpal
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Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by al_yrpal »

Saw these things in Decathlon, a reflection of the need for many to always be connected. The Panel weighs just over a kilo, I think you could fix it on your rack over the top of your tent?

It recommends you don't attach it direct to your phone because it could damage the battery, but, you can attach it to this battery and charge your phone up from it later.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/msh-solar-pa ... 45981.html


http://www.decathlon.co.uk/msh-energy-b ... 45980.html

Weightwise this could be a viable alternative to a dynamo and a Reecharge?

On the other hand you could eschew this stuff and just commune with nature!

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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Sweep
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by Sweep »

Maplins were selling similar stuff discounted the other day.

I seem to remember there was even a briefcase that folded out to a solar panel - sounded very 007 if 007 wanted to sit in the sun all day.

It might be worthwhile searching the Maplin's web site al.

I'm sure lots of techie folk will be along soon with formulas proving the effectiveness or not of all this stuff but I can't help but be rather dubious.
Sweep
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stephenjubb
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by stephenjubb »

Great if you are going to the med with plenty of sunshine. Anywhere else with cloud they are not that effective. Heavy as well.

Dynamo solutions can now be had for £168(or under £100 if you use a less effective hub) excluding battery, so cost is coming down.

A simple and cheap solution is to take a high capacity battery of 20000mah, depending on phone this should be enough for a 2 week tour. Longer and it can be left charging at campsites.

The only problem with solar, is when you have spent the money on it in the past and find it does not work well in northern countries then you have wasted your money.
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al_yrpal
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by al_yrpal »

I agree with taking a recharge battery, mine is 5000 mAhr and it should give my phone 3 recharges which should last me a week. I regard the phone as an emergency device which is useful for determining my location if I get lost. Weightwise, that panel and the battery compare favourably with some dynamos recharge unit and battery combos. I don't know how it would fare on a dull day?

I highlighted this because its saying something about how we live these days. Many arent able to live without a connection to their social networks. You see families camping with power leads into the tent. Camping is an opportunity to detatch from modern life.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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stephenjubb
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by stephenjubb »

al_yrpal wrote:I highlighted this because its saying something about how we live these days. Many arent able to live without a connection to their social networks. You see families camping with power leads into the tent. Camping is an opportunity to detatch from modern life.

Al


Perfectly put.

It would be great if I did not have to take a laptop, but job dictates it.

As for social media, now where's the off button!
HowardW
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by HowardW »

My Mrs wouldn't camp with out the electric heater!

I got a power pack for my phone and hope to find a socket occasionally
keithg
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by keithg »

HowardW wrote:My Mrs wouldn't camp with out the electric heater!

I got a power pack for my phone and hope to find a socket occasionally


Agree, a chargeable power pack left plugged into a socket on the campsite (in the loos etc) works well and means you don't have to abandon your phone while it charges or watch over it as the battery pack is much less valuable and less of a disaster if pinched.
Getting a USB compatible one meant I could recharge my ebook, phone and Ipod but not sadly my camera!
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Sweep
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by Sweep »

Anyone got any recommendations for any recharge battery packs?

Particular models or features to look for?

7dayshop.com do a fair few though I wouldn't pretend to know much about their relative merits.
Sweep
bohrsatom
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by bohrsatom »

Sweep wrote:Anyone got any recommendations for any recharge battery packs?

Particular models or features to look for?


I recommend the Amazon seller called 'Anker' - I have a couple of their products (and about to buy some more) and have found them to be well priced and reliable. You may be able to find cheaper but I have read reviews of other devices where the advertised capacity was high but in reality they were not much good! There is always some power loss so if you have a device with a 5000mAh battery, a 15000mAh battery pack will recharge it perhaps 2 to 2.5 times.

Things to look out for are: total capacity (in mAh), charge time and most importantly the output voltage of the USB ports. You want at least one port to be 2A as some devices (e.g. iPads) need more power to charge than others.
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al_yrpal
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by al_yrpal »

I have a 5000mahr Teknet like this. Very well made.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
patpalloon
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by patpalloon »

I got the power monkey extreme. Has solar charger and mains plug in.
I feel sure that the genius that did this, didn't even feel a thud as he drove by.
thirdcrank
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by thirdcrank »

Sweep wrote:Anyone got any recommendations for any recharge battery packs?....


Not so much a recommendation, more a bright idea. :idea: Why not have the solar panels built into a helmet?
Vinko
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by Vinko »

al_yrpal wrote: Many arent able to live without a connection to their social networks. You see families camping with power leads into the tent. Camping is an opportunity to detatch from modern life.


"Social media"?....what, do you mean the CTC forum :D
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jamesgilbert
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by jamesgilbert »

thirdcrank wrote:
Sweep wrote:Anyone got any recommendations for any recharge battery packs?....


Not so much a recommendation, more a bright idea. :idea: Why not have the solar panels built into a helmet?


There are a few prototypes of this kind of thing out there: http://www.gizmag.com/solar-powered-ski ... ons/21727/ :shock:
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toekneep
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by toekneep »

I've just bought the Tecknet Powerbank 15000mAh model. Tested it yesterday on the Nexus tablet. It took it from 18% to fully charged using about half the battery. That should leave enough for a few phone charges too. It's very neat and compact. From what I have read on many forums it's a better solution for the UK than solar panels. I would have gone for dynamo hub but for the cost. Maybe next time. We are off on a six month tour starting next week so it's going to get a pretty thorough testing. About twent five quid from Amazon.
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