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Does anyone have experience with these solar battery chargers?
Are they effective? Is it worth the weight?
Are there ample plugs in the albergues for charging devices?
Thanks in advance for your comments!
Hi, I posted something related to this is in a thread about sleeping bags yesterday, copied and pasted below, BC!
..
SNIP.....
You hang it off your rucksack, it charges throughout the day, if it's sunny it'll charge in a day, if it's raining (I got a waterproof one) it'll take up to 4 days but when full you'll be able to fully charge a decent smartphone 3 times with it. They also double up as a torch/lantern and weigh around the same as a large smartphone, I don't mind the extra weight but you might ?..SNIP......
Have you actually used this on a long distance walk?...hanging on your pack?
Did it work as well as you post..?
As you say...many have posted here that they have been disappointed.
They probably did not all buy the cheap ones.
Personally, I have never had a problem with keeping a phone charged.
My experience is very similar. I took a Power Monkey and its solar charger to San Anton, where there is no power reticulated to the albergue. I don't think I achieved full power on the battery or my phone for the whole week, although part of that might have been that San Anton is also right at the edge of the reception zone, and I expect my phone was using much more power as a result. At the end of my time there, I sent the solar charger to Ivar, and retained the Power Monkey as a backup for my phone should that have been needed.I got a (good quality and expensive) solar charger for a long pilgrimage walk in Ladakh, to places where there is no power at all.
In that situation it was useful, but only marginally so. The charge time was very long, even in full sun, and the discharge time was the opposite--very fast. (I attached it to the top of my pack so it was in full sun through the long summer days, but even so...)
For the Camino I'd say leave it at home.
I say forget about the solar charger
I took a Waka Waka Power+ along with me to San Anton in 2015, like Doug I had limited success with it. It is about the size of an iPhone 6 and is capable of adding a charge to a cellphone. It definitely wouldn't charge anything larger. I offered it as a resource to anyone who needed a charge but then as Doug said getting service there was nearly impossible. It has a very bright LED light which at the lowest of the 3 setting would have one heckled at an albergues early in the morning for using it.
That's a good tip, Don. Save some inconvenience on a trip.Mark you are a saint. I little duct tape on the adapter always helps me remember it is attached to my device plug.
For the average pilgrim on the move, I think the solar panel charger would be useless. The battery bank ones? Yeah, maybe. The multiple port USB outlet thing? Yeah, that looks very handy.
I never had a problem keeping my phone charged while walking the CF. I always kept the charge cord with plug adapter handy, and juiced the thing up at every chance. Turned it off at night and most of the time when walking. Anytime I charged it up at an albergue, it was on a outlet within sight of my bunk. Sometimes I got bunks with the outlet on the wall right where I slept. That was cool, except when other pilgrims needed it after my phone was charged up, ha ha. If I was at a cafe for lunch or dinner and there was a outlet within sight of me, I plugged in the phone.
I also carried two inexpensive plug adapters (American to Spanish) with me. Easy to forget/lose it, and once I even met a fellow pilgrim that lost her's so I gave her my extra.
Lot's of outlets in the municipals for you to charge up all your items, and that combined with less pilgrims on the Camino during March and you should have no problems.I understand there will probably be more opportunities to charge up than I'm planning for but I'm taking the powerbank to give me options. I'm also taking my rechargeable shaver/trimmer which is 120/240 mains only so that will be my priority when I hit the albergues etc, it can't be charged from USB etc so will have to plug in the wall on it's own or on an extension. I'll probably take a small digital camera too which can charge from USB via the powerbank too, but that's not definite.
As far as cafes/bars etc go, I'm not intending to visit them as much some others might be, as I mentioned in another thread it's not really why I'm doing the Camino so I might not have the same opportunities as you regarding being able to top up here and there- I'm expecting to only be able to charge in the albergues and I'm only intending to stay in municipal ones where I can, you see. Maybe that won't be the case when I get there but if I'm planning for the worst case I will hopefully not get caught out anywhere.
BC!
For the average pilgrim on the move, I think the solar panel charger would be useless. The battery bank ones? Yeah, maybe. The multiple port USB outlet thing? Yeah, that looks very handy.
I never had a problem keeping my phone charged while walking the CF. I always kept the charge cord with plug adapter handy, and juiced the thing up at every chance. Turned it off at night and most of the time when walking. Anytime I charged it up at an albergue, it was on a outlet within sight of my bunk. Sometimes I got bunks with the outlet on the wall right where I slept. That was cool, except when other pilgrims needed it after my phone was charged up, ha ha.
I also carried two inexpensive plug adapters (American to Spanish) with me. ..
Yes please! Details would be much appreciatedHi, I posted something related to this is in a thread about sleeping bags yesterday, copied and pasted below, BC!
'Another tip, instead of worrying about finding a charging point for your phone and even worse, worrying about if it'll get nicked while on charge get a 'solar power bank' (search on eBay or Amazon), start at around £7 on eBay and go up to £15 or £20 on Amazon. A few naysayers claim they don't work, either they have older type ones or they bought the £7 ones off eBay. After a bit of research I got one particular one off Amazon for £20 (I almost got a £13 from Hong Kong off eBay) . You hang it off your rucksack, it charges throughout the day, if it's sunny it'll charge in a day, if it's raining (I got a waterproof one) it'll take up to 4 days but when full you'll be able to fully charge a decent smartphone 3 times with it. They also double up as a torch/lantern and weigh around the same as a large smartphone, I don't mind the extra weight but you might I can send details of the models I looked at if you're interested in one.'
Yes please! Details would be much appreciated
Does anyone have experience with these solar battery chargers?
Are they effective? Is it worth the weight?
Are there ample plugs in the albergues for charging devices?
Thanks in advance for your comments!
I suppose I could attach a solar charger with Velcro Fastener to my backpack ?
I understand there will probably be more opportunities to charge up than I'm planning for
To attach it more sturdy ?Why??
Unless you are sitting down for a week then you will recharge maybe 3 times weekly at most with a simple plug.
Have to agree plenty of power plus at most accommodationHave you actually used this on a long distance walk?...hanging on your pack?
Did it work as well as you post..?
As you say...many have posted here that they have been disappointed.
They probably did not all buy the cheap ones.
Personally, I have never had a problem with keeping a phone charged.
That is also what I decided - I got a power bank and and multiport charging thingy - I live in Arizona US and have tried solar panels before, spoken with many hikers and most find them next to useless unless you spend the really, really big bucks. I can use the multiport most often but have my power bank which will charge my phone 4 times as a backup. I have decided that when the power bank gets low its time for a proper bed and hot bath, so i'll recharge my body and electronics in a pensione.I looked into solar chargers as well, but decided not to get one because of the very mixed reviews (+ more negative than positive). Unless you are venturing into areas without power outlets, I think you are better off with a good powerbank as a back-up battery and a good multiple port usb charger. The last one being of social use too: with only one outlet available I was able to charge my phone and make three friends real quick!
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That is also what I decided - I got a power bank and and multiport charging thingy - I live in Arizona US and have tried solar panels before, spoken with many hikers and most find them next to useless unless you spend the really, really big bucks. I can use the multiport most often but have my power bank which will charge my phone 4 times as a backup. I have decided that when the power bank gets low its time for a proper bed and hot bath, so i'll recharge my body and electronics in a pensione.
I'm only intending to stay in municipal ones where I can, you see. Maybe that won't be the case when I get there but if I'm planning for the worst case I will hopefully not get caught out anywhere.
I was not responding to the original question but a subsequent comment. BCThe OP asked three questions when he commenced the topic
Are they effective ?
Is it worth the weight ?
Are there ample plugs in allergies ?
You have given a good reply to the first, we have never used so can't comment
The answer to the second is the less taken the better
The third has been answered by many........there are power points everywhere.
Have a great Camino and enjoy.
Does anyone have experience with these solar battery chargers?
Are they effective? Is it worth the weight?
Are there ample plugs in the albergues for charging devices?
Thanks in advance for your comments!
I think you are overshooting the mark, why use 12 v and 40 amps when all you need is 5v!?I bought a Epever 12v 40 amp solar charger. I have 3, 12v 200 watt mono solar panels. I was told those panels may be pushing my charge controller limits. I heard you can wire two charge controllers together to handle more input power. So would I be doing better to buy another 40amp 12v epever controller and wiring them together. Would that give me the ability to handle my 3 solar panels or even 4 ....12v 200 amp panels. tks Bill
Are you asking because you are planning to take these items on a Camino to Santiago?So would I be doing better to buy another 40amp 12v epever controller and wiring them together. Would that give me the ability to handle my 3 solar panels or even 4 ....12v 200 amp panels.