[pct-l] Electronic Charging Appliances

[Jeffrey Olson]

Nice overview!

Something to think about.  A phone does everything a gps does, and you 
can turn everything off but the gps and maps program (gaiagps.com) so it 
lasts for days.  Or, use guthook or ley apps which include waypoints and 
maps.

No need for a gps anymore - an opinion of course!

I've used a solarmonkey adventurer solar charger and in clouds or trees 
it doesn't work well.  Better an anker charger, especially if you're 
resupplying once a week or less.

Jeff
Laramie, WY

On 5/2/2016 10:37 AM, David Money Harris wrote:
> Mike,
>
> I studied the options pretty carefully in 2012 when I started gathering data for eTrails.  I had a GPS and camera to keep charged; if they went out, I lost data.  I also had a phone along, which was nice to keep charged.
>
> I ultimately concluded that the lowest weight solution was to send batteries and a charger in my bounce box.  I bounced it about a week at a time.  This is overkill for many hikers who aren’t logging data.
>
> At the time, PowerEx made the best rechargable AA batteries (and also makes AAA).  They are 2700 mAh, which gave me almost two days of continuous use of a Garmin 62csx on the trail.  I carried two pairs, and then three pairs of Duracells to last a full week including emergency reserves.
>
> I carried a spare camera battery as well.
>
> I shipped the PowerEx charger, my phone charger, and my camera battery charger in the bounce box, along with lots of spare Duracells (and some coin cells for my flashlight, that I never needed).  On short legs, I could get most of the GPS use out of the rechargables, but when I wasn’t going by a convenient town with post office, I’d fall back to Duracells.  I’d keep my phone off except when I needed it, and that would last between towns.
>
> Phone lithium ion batteries are typically 3.8V at 1500-2000 mAh.
>
> On shorter section hikes when I’ve been testing eTrails and relying on the phone much more, I’ve carried a portable power pack.  Amazon has a bunch of options.  6000 mAh weighs about 5 oz and lasted me for about 2.5 phone charges.  You don’t need a 1-pound pack.
>
> Rapid charging isn’t a big deal.  A 2A charger will charge a phone in a few hours, which is small compared to the day I usually stopped in a town.
>
> If I were in your circumstances not logging data or using the phone heavily, I would carry my 2A phone charger and cord with me (about 2 oz) and send nonrechargable AAA batteries with my food drop.  I’d use my phone and GPS sparingly and turn them off when not in use so I’d get a full week out of each, then recharge the phone in town and replace the batteries.  The environmental impact of throwing away batteries is probably smaller than the impact of sending a charger along in a bounce box, and the PowerEx battery charger is heavier than I’d like to carry in my pack on a regular basis.
>
> I saw folks with solar chargers, but fewer and fewer the further I walked.  They are a fun gimmick, but not the lightest way to keep a normal assortment of devices charged over a 1-week walk between towns.  Also, less useful or reliable north of Sierra City. Maybe a solar charger champion will argue the other side of this.
>
> David
>
>
>> On May 2, 2016, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Sun, 1 May 2016 19:01:10 -0700
>> From: Mike Belanger <mikes4b22 at hotmail.com <mailto:mikes4b22 at hotmail.com>>
>> To: PCT-List <pct-l at backcountry.net <mailto:pct-l at backcountry.net>>
>> Subject: [pct-l] Electronic Charging Appliances
>> Message-ID: <COL129-W604EFC52045CE4BD188F4AE0790 at phx.gbl <mailto:COL129-W604EFC52045CE4BD188F4AE0790 at phx.gbl>>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>>
>> Hello All,
>>
>> What sort of options can you recommend for on- and off-trail charging of electronics (phone and GPS with AAA)?
>>
>> My new phone doesn't have a removable battery so I am looking at portable USB chargers to take with me but with many weighing in at over a pound this just seems like overkill. I also have a GPS which takes AAA so I can swap those out but will want to recharge whenever possible.
>>
>> What sort of mAh's are reasonable for about two/three full charges? What sort of amps give a reasonable recharge time...and how long is "reasonable" exactly?
>>
>> Would you recommend a portable charger with removable AA/AAA batteries (if such a thing exists) instead of a solid core?
>>
>> How about a solar charger? My gut tells me no but I'll throw it out there for debate.
>>
>> What sort of wall chargers do you use for rapid multiple charging devices?
>>
>> Any general tips for extending battery life on-trail and decreasing recharge times in-town?
>>
>> Thanks in advance all of you wonderful folks!
>>
>> Regards,
>> Michael 		 	   		
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