Power trip

In this post I go into a bit more detail about what I'm using to charge my electronics while on the road.

Electronics to power


Mobile phone - charged with hymini charger (wind, solar, crank) or via AC charger / USB

Flashlight - dynamo (wind up)

Bike lights -

• headlight/flashlight - 3 x AAA - charged with freeloader / solar battery charger / AC charger
• 2 rear lights - 4 x AAA - charged with freeloader / solar battery charger / AC charger
• 7 W bright headlight/flashlight - CR123A x 2 (or 18650 x 1) - charged with steripen solar charger or AC charger

SLR Camera - 4 x AA (2 x AA in camera plus spare set) - charged with freeloader / solar battery charger/ AC charger

mini video camera - charged with USB when downloading data, or hymini / freeloader / juicebar if required.

SPOT GPS - 2 x AA lithium batteries (carry 4 pack of lithium spares + rechargeable AAs)

MP3 players

• iPod nano 16 gig - charged with juicebar or AC or USB
• creative vision:m 60 gig - charged with 4 x AA (charged with freeloader / solar battery charger / AC) or AC charger or via USB

PDA - charged with 4 x AA (charged with freeloader / solar battery charger / AC) or pda's AC charger or via USB


mini GPS (lat/lon only) - 2 x AA batteries, charged with freeloader / solar battery charger / AC or via USB


Steripen UV pen (water treatment) - charged with steripen solar charger (2 - 4 days) or AC charger


odometer / bicycle computer - 1 x CR2032 - carry a spare


watch/electronic compass/barometer - 1 x CR2032 - carry a spare

Power sources

Hymini - wind, solar (4 panels), crank, or AC charge - charges phone every two days, spare capacity for charging AA/AAA batteries, iPod. Can also use crank dynamo at a pinch.

Freeloader 
- via solar - charges 2 x AA/AAA batteries in 2 hours with 4 hours sunlight
- via USB - charges 2 x AA/AAA batteries in 2 hours

Juicebar - charges iPod in 1 hour with 4 hours sunlight


solar battery charger - charges 4 x AA/AAA batteries in 8 hours sunlight


steripen solar charger - charges 2 x CR123(A) batteries in 2 days


AC battery charger - charges 6 x AA/AAA batteries and 2 9V batteries in 12 hours

musicPower encore (dual usb) - charges from AC in 12 hours - used as a backup supply - to charge up any electronics / AA/AAA batteries.



I'm hoping to cover most of my power use with renewables, but might need AC power to top up reserves. I'll see how I go.

I will have at least two sets of non-rechargeable batteries - bike computer (odometer) and watch 'coin' batteries and spare lithium AAs for the SPOT GPS (as that is what it prefers apparently).

I am 'field testing' a few different solar charging devices here so I'll write up reports once I have had a chance to really test them, as well as make comments about the rest of the gear.