Re: Has anyone hiked with the Goal Zero Switch 8 Solar Recharging Kit? The whole kit is only 90 grams.

Thanks for posting this info. I bought the same kit(Guide10 + Nomad7), took it hiking, and concluded that it was too heavy. However, I had not considered so many varied uses for the smartphone. Now I am reconsidering, every use makes sense except I prefer the quality of a real camera. I don't actually bring a book/e-reader, MP3 player, video camera, etc. so you got me to thinking that maybe the phone is an enhancement to the experience. You missed one small use. The Backcountry Navigator software will also turn the phone into a compass. A convenience, if not a weight saving. 
Thanks for stimulating my brain to re-look at this technology. 
Good luck with the healing tibia!
Patrick

--- In [email protected], "JonB" <BelcherJD@...> wrote:
>
> I hiked the first 260 miles (to Big Bear) of the PCT this April using Goal Zeros's 3.5 panel and Guide 10. This system weighs 14.2 oz including Goal Zero's NiMH AA batteries and was called their 3.5 kit when I purchased it.
> It gave me all the power I could use with my Droid which was my GPS, email, trail journaling, YouTubeing, web access, video camera, still camera, night time reading, and MP3 player (with music and audio books). The phone was on ALL THE TIME .... I loved it. I was also carrying Half Mile's paper maps printed on letter size paper with compass but they never came out of their zip lock bag .... I found the Backcountry Navigator to be fantastic and my phone was in my shirt pocket ready for use at all times.
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