October 28, 2006
Camping In A Digital Age
Could you imagine taking a trip anywhere without your digital camera? Or what about being stranded a few days without your cel phone? To recharge your digital camera, your cel phone or other electronic gadgets during your camping trips, all you need is portable solar power. We found this article from Heidi Alm and wanted to share it with you.
Title: Traveling in a Digital Age - Portable Solar Power?
Author: Heidi Alm
Article:
I can still remember the analogue days of travel, when I
backpacked through Europe and Asia with no more electronics than
a couple of Double-A batteries (at best). I only needed them if
I wanted to use the flash on my camera. That was less than
fifteen years ago.
Now I don't even go to the zoo without my laptop and my digital
camera. When the battery runs out, it's time for coffee. And
then I make sure I sit near a power outlet in the nearest cafe.
But what do you do when there are no power outlets? If you are
kayaking in the middle of the Atlantic, climbing Mount Everest,
or just on a local camping trip in the wilderness, what do you
do when the batteries run out?
Some say "just bring extra batteries." That might work.
But what if you have several different electronic items, and you
don't want to buy spare batteries for each of them? What if
you'll be away from civilization for an extended period of time,
and the spare batteries just won't last?
A solution for this can be portable solar power.
Currently, there is quite a variety of portable solar devices
available. There are solar-powered devices for small equipment,
such as MP3 players, GPS's, and cameras; and there are stronger
solar chargers which will run a laptop. There are waterproof
portable solar devices, flexible solar devices, solar panels
built into bags and backpacks, solar-powered radios and
flashlights… and I've even seen a solar-powered camera.
But if you have ever tried to do a quick search for portable
solar power on the Internet, you have possibly gotten lost in
the endless tangle of windy searches through the web. And when
you did find a company that offered a portable solar power
device, the specs might have been completely indecipherable to
anyone but a trained electrician. If you wanted to compare two
similar products, you had to bookmark the page and continue down
the endless maze of search-engines till you found another
similar product.
If you got interrupted in the middle of all of this, and later
tried to come back to resume your quest, you were probably
completely confused.
If you are looking for a way to quickly find the portable solar
power device that you need, you may want to look into
http://www.findportablesolarpower.com. The site contains a
simple explanation of how solar power works, as well as
information on how to interpret specs and understand which
device is correct for your needs. You can quickly access several
merchants of portable solar power devices, to compare their
products and prices easily.
So don't cancel that 45-day mountain trek. And don't leave your
digital camera behind.
We don't all have to be tethered to the power lines.
About the author:
Heidi Alm is a student of photography who has traveled in four
continents. She is currently engaged in research on the uses of
solar energy. For further information you may visit
http://www.findportablesolarpower.com
So take along your digital camera and your cel phone with you! How else could you document all the great camping fun you are about to enjoy?
Comments
November 8, 2006
Lesley said:
Wow, I didn't realise there were people possibly even more addicted to their laptop, etc than me! I bought a pack of 40 batteries for my camera, mp3 player, etc last time I went away. I don't take my laptop on trips away from civilisation, but I do take my handheld. I might take a look at those solar things see if they would power my handheld (and if it would even take them).
I was already thinking about buying the 'USB chargng' AA batteries - they're cute and could come in handy when you get back to civilisation for a while
November 12, 2006
45ish said:
I've had the need for recharging battery operated gadgets on a few occasions. Most of the time we just plugged our cord into an AC charger that fits in to our cigarette lighter in the vehicle. These plug in and are just like an outlet you would have at your house.
I did have a problem on one occasion with charging my cell phone on one of these chargers. The cell phone quit working on me and I do not know if it was a result of that charger or not, but I am almost sure it was, because I later learned that this type of charger was not recommended for my cell phone.
I love these little chargers that go into the cigarette lighter plugs but you should use with care and make sure there is not a warning on your device not to use this charging method.
November 16, 2006
TravelJoe said:
I also bring my digital camera everywhere I go. It's really bad if you can't keep memories of the vacations that you've gone to. However, bringing a lot of spare batteries is really a hassle. That is why solar power devices are really handy for vacations. And I think it's more environment friendly than using regular power sources.