Solar Chargers for iPods and other stuff

[Kraken]

I'm doing the Denali thing in late May and was wondering if anyone has used any solar charging devices. I have an iPod and would like to bring it along and was wondering what people have found to be successful.

 

I'm not looking to spend an asston of money or haul some gigantic thing up there, but would like something that can be put on the outside of a tent/backpack and suck up the sun.

 

ebay has some cheap ones in the $20 range

[Lambone]

I took a "Solio" charger on El Cap this spring. It worked just ok...it was like $80. After sitting in the sun for a few hours it would put about half a charge on the iPod.

 

I found a little plug in battery charger that you put two AAs in and it gives you like 3 full charges. It was $30, cheaper and lighter then the Solio and works better. But for Denali you'd have to bring a ton of extra AAs. And obviously the Solio is probly better for the environment.

 

 

 

 

[kurthicks]

FYI the iPods that have an air bearing (all of the new ones) don't usually work above 14K. take something with flash memory to be cranking the tunes out on summit day.

[jmace]

my attempt a couple summers ago..didnt really pan out, but I will try something again this year

 

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/602667/site_id/1

[chirp]

FYI the iPods that have an air bearing (all of the new ones) don't usually work above 14K. take something with flash memory to be cranking the tunes out on summit day.

 

aka. the nano series

[crackers]

I've got a solio magnesium charger. I honestly haven't used it for beans yet. I have been using it as my primary iPod and GPS charger, but mostly plugged in.

 

How about I set up an experiment with my iPod Touch and my solio in the sun and report back in three weeks?

 

But the thing does retail at $199...

Edited February 29, 2008 by crackers

[ken4ord]

FYI the iPods that have an air bearing (all of the new ones) don't usually work above 14K. take something with flash memory to be cranking the tunes out on summit day.

 

Thats what I have heard as well, but on my three last trips (Mt. Kenya, Kili and the Rwenzori's, I have not had any problem.

[crackers]

Two weeks: I've been using the solio magnesium as my only charger for my i-pod touch. So far, so good.

 

I leave the solio in the sun, outside every morning. It's been working, but honestly, I don't use my i-pod constantly...it's mostly being used to surf the internet at home when we don't feel like turning on a computer.

 

I don't blame solio at all for my one real complaint, but it is something that's annoying me right now. I don't like how the solio tells me how full it is: 1 blink for 25%, 2 blinks for 50%, 3 blinks for 75% and 4 blinks for 100%. It makes sense, but it doesn't translate at all into i-pod touch charges. When I've got a better idea of how the two interact, I'll feel a lot better about it.

[Kraken]

I went online and bought a 4gb flash drive mp3 player. it has FM radio and goes 19 hours off one AAA battery. Better and lighter than carrying a charger.

 

[layton]

The owner of the ipod solar charger company may have asked an "unknown" employee of Cilogear to break his/her nose to look tough at the SLC trade show, and that employee(perhaps owner) may have followed through with said request.

[crackers]

sales manager...not owner...