Light weight Solar phone charger - any recommendations?

[MAH]

Good morning all.
Does anyone have experience with a light weight solar phone charger?
I tried one a few years ago, and it was disappointing.

I am going on a remote 10 day hike soon and travelling light is important.

I anticipate the signal will be unreliable, but I use the phone for photos too.

I've considered power bank, but decided they are too heavy, and would not last for 10days.

Any recommendations?
M

 

[Sandy25]

I have a Goal Zero Nomad 5 - little rigid solar panel.

I have found it very good, and used it extensively on Pyrenees Exped and Brecon Besckns Expeds as well.

I tie it to the top lid of my Bergen, then tuck the phone into the top zip pocket so it charges as I walk.

Go outdoors do them and the other larger models as well, but I haven’t found I needed anything larger

Goal Zero Nomad 5 Solar Panel | GO Outdoors

£50.00 | Harness power form the sun on-the-go with this portable...

www.gooutdoors.co.uk

I wouldn’t go down the route of solar powered power banks, as when the panel breaks the power bank is useless. Also panels tend to be a lot smaller as well.


ATB

Sandy

 

[nun_hunter]

I bought a fold out one off Amazon for a trip in the Alps a few years ago. I would leave it plugged into a power bank through the day to charge that while hiking or resting then use the bank to charge devices overnight.

Personally I think this builds in more resilience for times when the sun isn't optimal and means you should be able to store some power at least.

 

[weblyish]

I have a Goal Zero Nomad 5 - little rigid solar panel.

I have found it very good, and used it extensively on Pyrenees Exped and Brecon Besckns Expeds as well.

I tie it to the top lid of my Bergen, then tuck the phone into the top zip pocket so it charges as I walk.

Go outdoors do them and the other larger models as well, but I haven’t found I needed anything larger

Goal Zero Nomad 5 Solar Panel | GO Outdoors

£50.00 | Harness power form the sun on-the-go with this portable...

www.gooutdoors.co.uk

I wouldn’t go down the route of solar powered power banks, as when the panel breaks the power bank is useless. Also panels tend to be a lot smaller as well.


ATB

Sandy

Solar powered power banks are useless
The solar panel is far too small and takes up room

If you have long evenings and are allowed fires you could try a BioLite fire charger or similar they trickle charge in fairly well off whatever sticks you can find but do need constant tending

The A4 sized book opening panels are about right to keep a phone topped while hiking if you have location tracking on but the screen off

https://amzn.eu/d/j56pkTq

Something like this in 20W or more is about right. Unbranded Chinese ones seem fine in my experience my expensive ultralightgear set was no better
Bungeed or clipped on your rucksack
But very dependent on which direction etc and a bit of a faff to keep in place and make sure your phone is still connected


Overall it's better to have a power bank and use solar to top that and overnight charge your phone otherwise your phone needs to be strapped somewhere etc


Best plan of all is turn your phone off and only use it for daily check in. Even an iPhone will last 2 weeks like that

 

[nun_hunter]

Good morning all.
Does anyone have experience with a light weight solar phone charger?
I tried one a few years ago, and it was disappointing.

I am going on a remote 10 day hike soon and travelling light is important.

I anticipate the signal will be unreliable, but I use the phone for photos too.

I've considered power bank, but decided they are too heavy, and would not last for 10days.

Any recommendations?
M

One thing to bear in mind is intermittent signal is an absolute battery killer on a mobile as it searches and tries to grab what little signal is about.

If you're not using the phone for anything other than photos then put it in flight mode while moving around or in areas of known low signal and it'll help the battery last far longer.

 

[VSS]

Best plan of all is turn your phone off and only use it for daily check in. Even an iPhone will last 2 weeks like that.

That is exactly what I would have suggested, but for the fact the OP wants to be able to use the camera on his phone.
Perhaps have separate camera? (Remember those?)
The whole purpose of "getting away from it all" by spending a few days in a remote location is to get away from it all. Which means switching off phone and Internet.

 

[weblyish]

Good morning all.
Does anyone have experience with a light weight solar phone charger?
I tried one a few years ago, and it was disappointing.

I am going on a remote 10 day hike soon and travelling light is important.

I anticipate the signal will be unreliable, but I use the phone for photos too.

I've considered power bank, but decided they are too heavy, and would not last for 10days.

Any recommendations?
M

Regular reminder to preregister for 999 by SMS before you go (assuming it's UK)
I have personal experience that it works and saves lives

See below for details

Post in thread 'No signal? Google now have you covered' No signal? Google now have you covered

 

[nun_hunter]

That is exactly what I would have suggested, but for the fact the OP wants to be able to use the camera on his phone.
Perhaps have separate camera? (Remember those?)
The whole purpose of "getting away from it all" by spending a few days in a remote location is to get away from it all. Which means switching off phone and Internet.

I suggested putting it on airplane mode and then it becomes just a digital camera.

 

[dryan]

I bought one of the power banks with integrated charger from Amazon. It charged 1/4 full after a day in the Namibian sun. Not useless but not as good as the folding panels mentioned above.

 

[MAH]

Regular reminder to preregister for 999 by SMS before you go (assuming it's UK)
I have personal experience that it works and saves lives

See below for details

Post in thread 'No signal? Google now have you covered' No signal? Google now have you covered

Thanks, just registered.
Probably not relevant to the forthcoming trip to northen Sweden.
But a good call for my future UK adventures..
M

 

[weblyish]

Thanks, just registered.
Probably not relevant to the forthcoming trip to northen Sweden.
But a good call for my future UK adventures..
M

There is no European wide service but most countries have a similar 112 SMS system but many are specifically for hard if hearing not general use

Sweden unfortunately is one of those

Registration for the SMS112 service - private individual

This service is available only to those with impaired hearing and speech and it requires that you are competent to register via SOS Alarm’s website. Addition...

www.sosalarm.se

 

[MAH]

There is no European wide service but most countries have a similar 112 SMS system but many are specifically for hard if hearing not general use

Sweden unfortunately is one of those

Registration for the SMS112 service - private individual

This service is available only to those with impaired hearing and speech and it requires that you are competent to register via SOS Alarm’s website. Addition...

www.sosalarm.se

Thanks.
I've just tried to register on the link you provided.
But it requires a personal identification number, I guess, similar to UKs national insurance number.

My OP was just focused on just charging my phone/camera.
We're taking paper maps to navigate and one of these beacon things for emergencies.
Old school maybe.
But I'm not taking a 35mm camera anymore
M

 

[Heym SR20]

I don’t reckon paper maps are old school. They should be the only school. They work, they don’t break down. They don’t require batteries. They are big enough so that you can really get a sense of where you are etc etc. phone does give you GPS coordinates so in poor viz does give you an accurate position which helps confirm your dead reckoning, but if you are reasonably aware of your surroundings, dead reckoning and ground features work well.