Multitool.org Forum
Outdoor Section => Outdoor Tech => Topic started by: Grant Lamontagne on April 24, 2014, 03:30:10 PM
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I'm planning a three day kayak trip this year and one of my main concerns is power. I plan on documenting as much of the trip as possible, and may even be providing photos and video to the organization that maintains and promotes the use of the canal I plan to travel.
Because of this, I am going to want portable power for GPS, phones, GoPros etc. Since this is an outdoor excursion in Nova Scotia, a place where three nice days in a row is about as likely as stepping in unicorn poop, I kind of want/need something rugged.
I've looked at solar chargers, but I don't have much faith in the sun around here being strong enough to charge much of anything, and even so, I don't have a lot of place to put something like that as the deck of my boat is usually covered with a fair chunk of other things.
(https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/307779_10152136746825441_1640459729_n.jpg)
GoPro, phone, water bottle, shoes, extra paddles, kayak cart, GPS etc.
(https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/555544_10152088353995441_1804893806_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1380024_10153348010455241_1146024541_n.jpg)
All of these are waterproof, but not so much if the charging ports are open!
I have been strongly considering a Bio Lite stove as I like the idea of consolidating a power device and cooking device into one since space is kind of limited in a kayak. I also like the fact that I don't have to carry anything extra when I use it- no fuel cans. It converts bits of trees into power, which I like, except I'm not sure I want to burn it for hours on end in order to charge everything that needs to be charged. I am also not comfortable burning it while I sleep at night for obvious reasons, even though that will be the optimum time to charge things since I'll be stationary for hours. Also, that's another mark against solar. :P
I have found some info on the Brunton Hydrogen Reactor:
http://www.brunton.com/products/hydrogen-reactor-plus-hydrogen-core
It seems quite promising, although to be honest I don't know enough about this kind of thing to really judge. The machine itself is about $150, comes with two hydrogen cell doodads, each with "the power of a fistful of AA's" according to Brunton. Plus it seems like it is supposedly indestructible, and if you do manage to break it, Brunton will replace it. The down side is the hydrolizer recharger gizmo is somewhere in the neighborhood of $250, although you can also just buy more hydrogen cells at a more reasonable price.
About the only other idea I have is picking up a few 50,000mah battery packs on eBay, charging them up and putting them in a Pelican or Otter Box and hoping they have enough juice to recharge everything until I get home. They are about $100 each by the time you factor in shipping and stuff, so they can easily be much more expensive than the Brunton doodad and/or the Bio Lite stove, although I feel comfortable running the Brunton or battery packs while I sleep.
Anyone have any other ideas, or experience with any of the above doodads?
Def
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What about a 12volt lawn mower battery and hook up the chargers to it. Would that last 3 days?
live from Nate's mobile
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I cant offer any specific help but I really like the idea of the bio lite. If it actually works well enough to charge then it seems sweet. Dont need special fuels etc.
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What about a 12volt lawn mower battery and hook up the chargers to it. Would that last 3 days?
live from Nate's mobile
No idea. I can't help but think that will weigh a ton too. Remember, I'll be kayaking, which means I'll also be portaging, so I will need to carry it.
I cant offer any specific help but I really like the idea of the bio lite. If it actually works well enough to charge then it seems sweet. Dont need special fuels etc.
That's the crux of it, isn't it? If it works as well as claimed. I'll probably end up getting one anyway, just to give it a shot. I like the concept, but again, I think it only charges as long as it's burning, and I don't speak whatever language the tech specs are listed in:
http://www.biolitestove.com/campstove/camp-overview/tech-specs/
(I know it's English, but it might as well be Romulan for all I understand it.)
Def
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I was thinking lawn mower battery because it is smaller that a car/truck battery. Only thing that would be smaller is a motorcycle battery. Not so sure that will last long enough.
live from Nate's mobile
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Something like this might work. http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/power-pond-power-pond-12000-mah-powerbank-pp-4c-black-pp-4c/10256810.aspx?path=04652f9974ef52abdbd38399fbc7b288en02 You could keep it in a ziplock bag for transport.
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well it says at full burn it can supply 2W of constant power. Watts is volts time amps, so 2W at 5v(standard USB) woudl be 0.4Amps or 400 milliamps. I think a PC power usb port is 500 milliamps, so it should charge a USB gadget at about the same rate as charging from a PC.
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Klaatu barada nikto to you too....
Def
Sent from a digital multitool
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I think I'd take an AGM lead acid battery. They're not that heavy, they're tough and cheap.
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Have a look at Lithium ion motorcycle batteries. I have one in my dirtbike and it is 1/3 the weight of the original and higher capacity.
Low self discharge as a bonus too.
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There was a charger that worked on 4xAA batteries and was supposedly great for mobile gadgets, cameras and stuff. Carrying 8 or 12 AAs shouldn't be to heavy and would be pretty safe even if it got wet, provided you dry them off prior to puting them in the charger. ;)
I'll try to remember what it was called. :facepalm:
And if I remember correctly, Simon/mvyrmnd preordered one of those stoves. He might have more info on them.
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There was a charger that worked on 4xAA batteries and was supposedly great for mobile gadgets, cameras and stuff. Carrying 8 or 12 AAs shouldn't be to heavy and would be pretty safe even if it got wet, provided you dry them off prior to puting them in the charger. ;)
I'll try to remember what it was called. :facepalm:
And if I remember correctly, Simon/mvyrmnd preordered one of those stoves. He might have more info on them.
Did you remember? I'd love something like that for the summer. :D
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There was a charger that worked on 4xAA batteries and was supposedly great for mobile gadgets, cameras and stuff. Carrying 8 or 12 AAs shouldn't be to heavy and would be pretty safe even if it got wet, provided you dry them off prior to puting them in the charger. ;)
I'll try to remember what it was called. :facepalm:
And if I remember correctly, Simon/mvyrmnd preordered one of those stoves. He might have more info on them.
Did you remember? I'd love something like that for the summer. :D
Thanks for the reminder. :salute:
Found it.
Charger off of AAs or AAAs.
http://www.goalzero.com/e...ommerce/product.i?pid=133 (http://www.goalzero.com/ecommerce/product.i?pid=133)
With solar charger panel kit.
http://www.goalzero.com/s...ide-10-Adventure-Kit/1:1/ (http://www.goalzero.com/shop/p/79/Guide-10-Adventure-Kit/1:1/)
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As mentioned in another thread (http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,52104.0.html) I ended up ordering a 50,000mah charger with built in solar panel from eBay. The price seemed to have dropped and rather than $100 it cost around $25. That seemed like a bit of a no brainer. So far I haven't done much with it, so I can't comment on how effective it is, although it does seem a little slow to charge my phone. This is the one I got:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/131203034372?var=430448817586&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
It's about 2/3 the size of a paperback novel and isn't nearly as heavy as I was expecting it to be. I have serious doubts about the effectiveness of the solar panel, and have not had much luck with other solar charging devices in the past either. Still, for $25 I figured it's worth a shot.
The other update came as a bit of a shock. My boss and I were at "work" yesterday and decided to go look around MEC. One of the great things about my job is that it is largely reactive, which means I can have a lot of down time here and there. Yesterday happened to be one of those days.
While walking around MEC I spotted a Bio Lite stove and pointed it out to my boss. I told him all about it and did such a good sales pitch that he said "YOINK!" and decided to buy it. We then continued wandering around the store, looking at biking stuff, kayak stuff etc. He picked up a few other things as well, and eventually we made our way to the cash where remarkably, I didn't buy anything. That's probably a first for me at MEC! :P
Then, on the way out the door, he turns to me, hands me the stove and says "Your welcome." :tu:
So, I now have a 50000mah batter and a Bio Lite stove that should manage to keep all my electronic gizmos humming for a while. :D
Def
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Nice one!! :tu: Those stoves are pretty sweet, but I could never dish out the cash for one, as we only camp with our trailer. If we did actual camping, I think it would be worth buying though.
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On the next trail ride I'll cook lunch again! :D
Def
Sent from a digital multitool
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On the next trail ride I'll cook lunch again! :D
Def
Sent from a digital multitool
And charge our phones! :D
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That was a very nice gesture from your boss. :hatsoff:
Hopefully he doesn't deduct if from your next paycheck. >:D
We'll be expecting a full blown review of the BioLite. :pok:
:D
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Absolutely. I'd have been testing it today but it's going to rain pretty bad and the stove isn't waterproof.
I figured an indoor test wouldn't be too well respected! :P
Def
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Looking forward to read your opinion on it. :popcorn:
Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk
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this may be of relevance to the thread, from BLF:
$2.99 with coupon code jy8, ends 28th
http://www.[url=http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,55947.0.html]SPAMCORP.com/2200MAH-3-7V-Universal-Lipstick-Design-Portable-Power-Source-Blue_p246369.html[/url]
may not be waterproof... :D
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I'll stick to the 50,000mah one I got thanks. :P
Def
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It looks good and cheap for 50000 mAh, provided that they have not accidentally added an extra Zero at the end.
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or for something that actually works only when you get it wet:
http://aquacellbattery.com/
(http://des.[url=http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,55947.0.html]SPAMCORP[/url].com/uploads/2014/201406/heditor/201406061129387657.JPG)
Aquacell batteries just need ordinary water to start working.
Simply follow the quick and easy instructions the first time you use them
Because they do not start to produce power until water is added, Aquacell batteries have an infinite shelf life. Unlike ordinary batteries, they will not lose their power inside the packaging.
http://www.[url=http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,55947.0.html]SPAMCORP.com/home-gadgets/pp_54653.html?utm_source=mail_ams&utm_medium=mail&utm_campaign=regular.0623&email=b2t8ZGVtZXRyaW9zX3NAeWFob28uY28udWt8OTQ4[/url]
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Interesting concept. Good for long term storage I guess. I'm not sure I like the idea of putting something wet into electronics though. :P
Def
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If it works on salt/not entirely clean water, that looks like an ideal option for lifeboats. :tu:
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or for something that actually works only when you get it wet:
http://aquacellbattery.com/
(http://des.[url=http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,55947.0.html]SPAMCORP[/url].com/uploads/2014/201406/heditor/201406061129387657.JPG)
Aquacell batteries just need ordinary water to start working.
Simply follow the quick and easy instructions the first time you use them
Because they do not start to produce power until water is added, Aquacell batteries have an infinite shelf life. Unlike ordinary batteries, they will not lose their power inside the packaging.
http://www.[url=http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,55947.0.html]SPAMCORP.com/home-gadgets/pp_54653.html?utm_source=mail_ams&utm_medium=mail&utm_campaign=regular.0623&email=b2t8ZGVtZXRyaW9zX3NAeWFob28uY28udWt8OTQ4[/url]
Wow, this is a game changer. I remembered I used to have a watch that was powered by water, but it was back then and I am sure it is not comparable an actual 1.5V battery. Amazing stuff.