Re: Solar Chargers

I've used the 3.5 for over two years,500 to 600 miles, works great.  I carry a Samsung 7 inch tablet (will be downsizing to a Samsung Note 2, 1/2 the weight) and use it for everything, maps, notebook, camera, e-mail, music, and in the evening I can watch a movie if I choose.  The battery pack from the charger gives the tablet about 3/4 of a charge, enough for about 9 hours of video playback, several days worth of use.  

During the daytime the solar panels easily attach to the top of my pack and receive a full charge in a few hours hiking. I like the way the battery pack disconnects from the solar panels and you are able to recharge your device anytime of the day or night.  I purchased a second battery pack because three of us will be sharing the solar charger for 20 days this July. Bought the adapter to recharge "AAA" battieries also, don't need extra batteries any of our flashlights. 

This may seem a little contrary to a light or ultra-light philosophy.  When hiking solo, especially, I enjoy listening to my mp3 player all day and in the evening watching a movie or a t.v. episode after dinner.  The weight seems worth the entertainment value.  

--- In [email protected], Michael Whitman <mwhitman99@...> wrote:
>
> I've not used the Nomad 3.5 but have the Nomad 7 which I used a couple of weeks ago in the Grand Canyon on a 5-day trip.  These notes should apply similarly to the 3.5.
> 
> -the solar panel will charge a battery pack like the Switch 8 or Guide 10 faster than charging a device through the USB port; the Nomad 7 charges 4AA batteries in the Guide 10 in 2-4 hours of sun.
> -the Nomad 7 and Guide 10 weighed about 14 oz together.  The Nomad 3.5 and Switch 8 look like they may be a little less.
> -for trips longer than 4 days, it would be lighter to buy a high capacity battery like the Eton BootBloc 6600 which can charge a smartphone 3-4 times (once per day depending on how much you use your phone).  The Eton BoostBloc weighs about 8 oz but would be useless dead weight on a trip once it was completely discharged.
> -the advantage of GoalZero solar panels is that you can charge AA and AAA batteries as well as the Switch 8 charger.  You can just swap the batteries into your other devices if you have them.
> -dropping a 5-oz cellphone from your gear list can save over 16 oz in charging equipment on a long trip
> -using a smartphone for gps, camera, video, topo maps, movies, music and books can replace a lot of other dedicated items.
> 
> I carried my iPhone in my front pocket on my last trip and used it for everything listed above.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Apr 24, 2013, at 8:57 AM, hank.ward <hankward1958@...> wrote:
> 
> > Has anyone had any experience with the Goal Zero Nomad 3.5 solar charger to keep there iPhone charged? Any other solutions that have worked better?
> > 
> >
>