WanderLearn Forum with Francis Tapon

Hi Francis et al.,

I noticed on your gear list that you "sometimes" use a Brunton Solar Roll 4.5 for charging gizmos. Has it been able to meet your needs when you used it? I'm very curious how you've used the solar roll.

Historically, I've tried to stay with items that use AA or AAA cells, so I am interested how charging those types of batteries worked for you. My cell phone has a Lithium Ion battery and mini-usb connector for charging, so I suspect I'd need an adapter.

Thanks for your input and ALL your contributions.

john

John, I'm embarassed to say that I have real useful experience with solar chargers. It is something I have always been interested in, but have put limited effort into making it work. I have broken two chargers quite quickly.

If you (or anyone) has a useful experience to share, please do.

I will keep my eyes open to it, because I would love to have one during my Africa trek in 2011.

Happy trails,

Francis,

Well, I've never used any solar charger on the trail, but as a consumer of battery power during trips, I'm always looking for lighter, easier, more efficient ways to maintain my gear as well as stay out on the trail longer. From a consumption standpoint, I usually always carry a GPS (2 AAs), my cell phone (Lithium Ion rechargeable), maybe a small mp3 player (single AAA), and sometimes I will carry a tiny ham radio setup that runs on 6-8 AAs. I use the HF morse code ham radio rig as a luxury item and can usually make contact with folks all over the continent - the complete station, including batteries and a 67 ft wire antenna, weighs in at about 1.2 lbs. I usually have no problem getting the ham on the other end to send an email to my wife to let her know where I/we are located, so it has value from a safety standpoint, but it does still weigh 1.2 lbs and it takes time to seek out and make contacts with other hams - also, there are some times when I just can't make contact with folks, though if they hear me, we can usually work each other.

Anyway, if I go heavy with the above gear, I do consume batteries and have to carry spares or resupply along the way. If I go with other hams, we can usually share a radio so the impact is not as great to each backpacker.

I'd be interested in hearing about your difficulties with flexible panels and chargers, but I suspect that the weak point is the attachment/charging arrangement on the panel.

Thanks,
John

John: You're absolutely right that the weak point is the attachment/charging arrangement on the panel.

I wish I knew exactly what I did wrong. I was in a desert area (New Mexico), so maybe sand got in there. It's not clear. But it didn't last for more than one hour. Maybe it was broken before I even got into the desert (I had little time to the test it before I left - it seemed to work, but who knows).

On the other hand, Brunton Rolls make it up Everest and other inhospitable environments, so I would give it another go. However, I would buy it from a place that has a good return policy, like REI.

The other panel I used (I don't remember the brand), also broke before I got started, or at least, it wasn't charging the way I thought. It could be user error.

Given all your electronics, you are a perfect candidate for a solar roll. Give it a shot and tell me how it goes!