Solar Powered Device Chargers – Stay Connected While Backpacking or Camping

Camping and hiking have changed dramatically in the last few years.  If you are an avid outdoorsy type person, but also have an attachment to your electronics then you can have the best of both worlds.

Technology is constantly changing and many devices have got smaller, tougher and easier to carry and use.  The usual way for a few days of camping was to charge your phone and only use it if you had too, but now you can simply carry a solar device charger on your backpack or yourself and it doesn’t need hours of sunlight to work.

If you are a backpacker or camper who wants to escape the world, then this article may not be for you, but even so, it doesn’t hurt to have emergency contact especially if you travel solo.  Signals are stronger and there are not as many “blackout” areas as there once was.  Used to be once you headed into the woods you were out of range, but not as often now.

If you are now thinking, well that is great but I don’t always hike in the sun, many of these devices are powerful enough to need minimal sunlight.  Or once you get settled in your camping area put your device or backpacks in the sun to catch those last rays.

Solar Powered Backpack

This is one of the easiest ways to make it so you never have a dead cell phone in case of an emergency.  It is lightweight so you won’t notice it on the outside of your backpack.  You can still carry your normal hiking supplies inside the roomy pack and enjoy your day while making sure you can stay connected. 

Also, if you love to use your phone or tablet for photography you don’t have to worry about using up the juice, especially if you go backpacking and camping for days at a time.  You don’t have to space out your pictures and you upload them as you go.  You could then write your experiences on your blog via your tablet while taking a break.

Electronics have made many things easier, and taking really awesome pictures or finding your way with a GPS has never been easier.

The above product is perfect if you have a few devices you want to take with you and use, such as cell phone and tablet as the surface area of the panel is larger but still not cumbersome on this pack.

Waterproof Solar Device Charger

If you are looking for something even smaller and really just want to keep your phone charged, then you can get this smaller version that simply clips onto your belt, your backpack or anywhere.  It is totally waterproof and the ports are protected as well with rubber covers.  So no worries about getting caught in rain while hiking or camping, this is a smaller charger but will still give your phone and small electronics some juice after you take all those pictures or use your GPS.

Shock Resistant and Powerful Flashlight

This is a smaller charger but will simply clip on the side of your backpack for optimal sunshine to keep it juiced up and ready to charge your cell phone or small electronics such as a tablet.  This particular model is shock resistant so it can take some of the tumbles and jumps you may make.  But as you can see in the picture it is not big and really would not take up much room.

This model also doubles as a powerful flashlight.  So keeps it charging with solar power during the day and by night you have a great flashlight.  Save you carrying too many things to load you down.

It would make a great gift for the avid hiker and camper on your list, especially if you want them to stay on the grid with their electronics even while off the grid with their trips. 

Solar Foldout 60 Watt Panel Charger – Portable and Folds and Only weighs 2 pounds!

Maybe you are thinking I need way more juice than the devices above, but I still want the portability of backpacking and hiking.  This panel completely folds and can be carried inside your pack, it weighs 2 pounds.  Once you get to your campsite or stop, you can unfold it and lay it out in the sun and use your devices.  Perfect for laptops, tablets, GPS, cell phones and more.  This has two ports so you can charge more devices at one time. 

If you bring your laptop with you, simply find a spot to unfold this solar panel and then plug in. 

It used to be that you wouldn’t dare bring any electronics hiking or camping for fear of them being damaged, but technology as created some tougher products.  It all depends on how much you need your devices.  If you simply want to charge your GPS or your cell phone because of all the pictures you want to take or for emergencies, then the smaller clip on models would work best.

But if you want to set up camp and use your table, laptop and more, then you should consider the ones with the larger surface area such as on the outside of the backpack or the one that folds out.  All of them are lightweight and easy to carry and use.

You can stay as connected as you want, and take lots of really awesome pictures without worrying about your battery power.