Budget-Friendly Solar Charger
November 18, 2009
With iPhones and GPS units becoming ubiquitous in the great outdoors, there is a growing market for pocket-size solar chargers. Highgear designed one for backcountry techies on a budget. New this winter, the Highgear SolarPod, at just $50, is a basic solar charger about the size of an iPhone.
Designed to charge phones and mp3 players, the SolarPod is said to disperse power for 40 minutes on an 8-hour solar charge. That should be enough time to rejuvenate your iPod for a few hours of music or your cell phone for some crucial talk time.
Attached to the corner of the SolarPod is a carabiner clip so you can secure it to your pack and charge while you hike. It comes with eight connector tips for various phones, including a USB connector for mp3 players, digital cameras or anything Apple.
The 2.4oz.-unit, which is the company’s first solar charger, has a battery indicator in 25 percent increments to let you know the power that remains.
The SolarPod will be available in December for $50. www.highgear.com
—Ryan Dionne
oh no…not highgear.
personally, i’ve had nothing but bad luck with their watches.
so far, mine has been replaced twice and serviced once.
they’re good about replacing junk, and after i complained they even sent me a pre-paid UPS label. but for as much as i paid for a watch, it should perform better than it has.
if once bitten, twice shy, then i’m six times shy.
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I wish this little guy had been around when I ran the Marathon des Sables this year. I brought a small no-name solar charger that was so useless that I pitched it after three days. Lookin’ good, Highgear.