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Erik
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Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 3089
Location: Big Island of Hawaii On the slope of Mauna Loa 4500 feet mag 7 sky :)
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 Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 4:58 pm Post subject: Portable power |
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Something like this seems like it would work well for backpack hiking, to charge cell phones, GPS systems, etc, and the units can be "stacked" together...
http://www.botachtactical.com/brunsol22.html
Here's a backpack solar charger that's actually able to charge a laptop. A bit pricey at $479 though...
http://www.voltaicsystems.com/
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-Erik Wilcox
Homebuilt 16" Truss Dob
SV 80mm ED Nighthawk NG on M1 ALT/AZ
Nikon Prostaff 65mm spotter on Trekpod
Konusvue 20x80 binos/Peterson pipemount
Orion 10x50 binos
Homebuilt 80mm f/5 refractor
Mirador 60mm f/12 1960's refractor
Evolution is both fact and theory. Creationism is neither. -Anonymous |
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snorkler
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Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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I doubt there'll be a wireless signal most places you'll backpack, unless you get cellular wireless and hike near big cities 
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Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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Erik
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 3089
Location: Big Island of Hawaii On the slope of Mauna Loa 4500 feet mag 7 sky :)
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| Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:10 am Post subject: |
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Well, that's true in many cases, but not always. Since cell phones can be used on any network to call 911, it's always good to carry one on hikes. And many national parks have cell phone towers these days. We had a signal hiking on abandoned trails in Yosemite. I was even reading they there is a signal all the way to top of Mauna Loa in Hawaii, which were doing next summer. But mainly, power could be useful for GPS...
_________________
-Erik Wilcox
Homebuilt 16" Truss Dob
SV 80mm ED Nighthawk NG on M1 ALT/AZ
Nikon Prostaff 65mm spotter on Trekpod
Konusvue 20x80 binos/Peterson pipemount
Orion 10x50 binos
Homebuilt 80mm f/5 refractor
Mirador 60mm f/12 1960's refractor
Evolution is both fact and theory. Creationism is neither. -Anonymous |
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snorkler
super member
Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:05 am Post subject: |
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Aah, the days of hiking before cellular phones and GPS. I remember them well I think I'd opt to carry extra batteries. They'd be lighter and more compact than the solar panels. They'd also be more reliable up in Alaska, Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and other places where weeks of clouds can be the norm.
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips
Last edited by snorkler on Sun Aug 17, 2008 10:22 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Erik
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 3089
Location: Big Island of Hawaii On the slope of Mauna Loa 4500 feet mag 7 sky :)
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| Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:48 am Post subject: |
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Good point about the weather, though solar panels will still work even when it's cloudy- just not nearly as well. The Brunton Solarport is small and lightweight- I bet it weighs less than 4 D cell batteries.
But in either case, the key is to be well prepared. There were a couple of lost hikers in the Sierras last month who survived only because one was able to climb up to a ridge where there was a cell signal, and he called 911. They were able to triangulate his position well enough to rescue them. 
_________________
-Erik Wilcox
Homebuilt 16" Truss Dob
SV 80mm ED Nighthawk NG on M1 ALT/AZ
Nikon Prostaff 65mm spotter on Trekpod
Konusvue 20x80 binos/Peterson pipemount
Orion 10x50 binos
Homebuilt 80mm f/5 refractor
Mirador 60mm f/12 1960's refractor
Evolution is both fact and theory. Creationism is neither. -Anonymous |
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snorkler
super member
Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 10:36 am Post subject: |
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Yes, be prepared. We had to start a search in Chaco Canyon for a visitor. Two people got lost off-trail from the Purblo Alto trail on a fire road, and split up in a disagreement. One of them walked back the route they'd traveled, and the other decided to bushwhack down Cly's Canyon in a shortcut. The first one got back 7 hours later, but the second one was still missing. She'd been out alone 7 hours in 90 degree weather with only one quart of water and no hat, when we started the search. Fortunately, she showed up 5 minutes after the search started.
In the lower 48, it's hard to get lost. If you can walk 10 miles in a straight line, you're going to cross a road or a river, and can follow it to civilization.
I don't have a cell phone, and my GPS is a battery-hungry older model that lacks enough programming to be useful. I should upgrade the latter, as I'd use a newer GPS.
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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