Budget-Friendly Solar Charger
November 18, 2009, 1:01 pm / Categories: Technology
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.
Related Content
Technology
Thursday, March 01st, 2012
Hydration Hack: Converter Turns Disposable Bottles into 'Bladders'
@TheGearJunkie - / GearJunkie.com is regarded as a top source for product reviews and news in the outdoors world.
- Weekly E-Newsletter
Sign up for our e-news for a weekly update on new gear, adventure travel, and prize giveaways.
- Latest Articles
- Hot or Cold? Thermos 'Travel Tumbler' Test
- Video: 'Gear Junkie Challenge" Urban Adventure Race
- Winners! 'Ragnar Trail' Sweepstakes with Salomon
- 'Pro-Level' Air Attack Helmet Put to Test
- Stomping Grounds: Photo Shoot and Shoe Test in 'Urban Outdoors'
- 'Golden Axe' award at GoPro Mountain Games
- Video: Three Weeks of Pristine Climbing in Greenland (in three minutes)
- Glacier Trek, Waterfalls, 'Blue Lagoon' highlights of Iceland Trip
- Seeking 'Mountain Bike Action' in photo contest with The North Face
- Up and Down the World's Highest Mountain in 36 Hours (that's the goal)
- Popular Articles
- Hot or Cold? Thermos 'Travel Tumbler' Test
- Workout Wear
- 'Pro-Level' Air Attack Helmet Put to Test
- Winners! 'Ragnar Trail' Sweepstakes with Salomon
- World's 10 Most Dangerous Mountains
- Stomping Grounds: Photo Shoot and Shoe Test in 'Urban Outdoors'
- Video: 'Gear Junkie Challenge" Urban Adventure Race
- Survival Gear: 10 Items To Survive
- 'Fat Bike' Trend: Overrated or For Real?
- 50 Miles in Flip-Flops? Luna sells sandals to ultra-running market
- Camping Gear Reviews | Gear Reviews
- Climber makes couch out of old rope (and 9 other odd uses)
- Fat Bike trend Dead? Walmart sells 'Beast' bike for $199
- Video: Three Weeks of Pristine Climbing in Greenland (in three minutes)
- First Look: Suunto 'Ambit 2' for multisport market
- Call from Anywhere. SPOT launches Satellite Phone for Outdoors
- SylvanSport GO Camper Trailer Review
- Chimney Stove: Boil Water with Sticks and Grass
- First Look: Bear Grylls unveils line of Camping gear
- 10 Rules: Running with your Dog
- Friends of Gear Junkie
- Monopoint Media
- The Goat
- Alpinist
- Adventure Blog
- YogaSlackers
- Checkpoint Tracker
- Outdoorzy
- Get Outdoors
- Gear Flogger
- Feed The Habit
- Gear.com
- Adventure Journal
- SuperTopo
- Trailspace
- Outside Online
- iRunFar.com
- UpADowna
- About Adventure Travel
- Cold Splinters
- UpNorthica
- Sender Films
- Venture There
- Wend Magazine
- No Boundaries
- Breathe Magazine
- Elevation Outdoors
- Rock and Ice Magazine
- Trail Runner Magazine
- REI Blog
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.