Solar power for modern phones?
March 25, 2024 8:41 AM Subscribe
Planning an extended backcountry backpacking trip and would like to use my iPhone as a camera, which means I need a way to charge it. I have a MagSafe battery pack that I could connect to a solar panel while hiking. Are there any recommendations for a lightweight, relatively inexpensive folding panel that could push enough juice to recharge the MagSafe pack? Specifically looking for something that can be placed on top of the pack to recharge the MagSafe battery while hiking.
I have previously used an all-in-one solar panel/battery combo (no name, sub-$50 cheapo Amazon solar power banks) for single site camping, but these are not workable for an extended trip changing campsites daily. The panel is really too small to do much more than top off the battery (if fully drained, solar panel does nothing!), it's difficult to position on a pack to get full sun while hiking, and these things are bricks - much heavier than I want to carry.
What I am looking for is a single standalone panel that can push power directly to the MagSafe pack, so that I can trickle-charge it over a few days.
On a prior shorter trip, using Airplane + Low Power mode, shutting it off at night, AND topping off halfway with a fully charged battery pack, I was able to make it one week - this trip is significantly longer (at least 12 days) and my phone is newer (larger screen = likely more battery drain). If I can recharge the MagSafe battery, I should be able to top off my phone at least twice, which would be fine for this longer trip.
Amazon is full of cheap options but I don't trust the reviews without some independent verification. REI has fancy options, but I'd prefer a panel that costs less than my backpack did! Many panels come with a battery, which is OK but if I already have the MagSafe battery (which is fairly small, not too heavy, and can charge the phone in my pocket while I'm hiking) do I need another one? And if there really is no good solution, I'm OK with that.
I have previously used an all-in-one solar panel/battery combo (no name, sub-$50 cheapo Amazon solar power banks) for single site camping, but these are not workable for an extended trip changing campsites daily. The panel is really too small to do much more than top off the battery (if fully drained, solar panel does nothing!), it's difficult to position on a pack to get full sun while hiking, and these things are bricks - much heavier than I want to carry.
What I am looking for is a single standalone panel that can push power directly to the MagSafe pack, so that I can trickle-charge it over a few days.
On a prior shorter trip, using Airplane + Low Power mode, shutting it off at night, AND topping off halfway with a fully charged battery pack, I was able to make it one week - this trip is significantly longer (at least 12 days) and my phone is newer (larger screen = likely more battery drain). If I can recharge the MagSafe battery, I should be able to top off my phone at least twice, which would be fine for this longer trip.
Amazon is full of cheap options but I don't trust the reviews without some independent verification. REI has fancy options, but I'd prefer a panel that costs less than my backpack did! Many panels come with a battery, which is OK but if I already have the MagSafe battery (which is fairly small, not too heavy, and can charge the phone in my pocket while I'm hiking) do I need another one? And if there really is no good solution, I'm OK with that.
Maybe you've already considered this and rejected it, but it seems like it would be easier and cheaper to bring multiple power banks than to try to charge the one you have while away from a power source. If most solar panels come with a battery pack, you're going to end up with a second one anyway, so why not just buy a high capacity second one, charge it and bring it? I can find battery chargers with enough power to fully charge an iPhone 4 or 5 times for like $40 on Amazon and they're much lighter than a solar panel and you wouldn't have to keep fussing with them to keep them in the sun.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:55 AM on March 25 [5 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 9:55 AM on March 25 [5 favorites]
My son who is often in a tank in the field uses this solar panel battery pack when they have not jerry rigged a powr source from the tank.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:35 AM on March 25 [2 favorites]
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:35 AM on March 25 [2 favorites]
Apologies if this is off-topic, but I think there might be a different approach. First, I wouldn't assume your new phone will burn through the charge faster. Newer batteries can be better and hold a charge longer. (I have an old phone and the battery wasn't lasting at all, and I got a new battery and the difference was significant.)
Also, I know I can recharge my phone more than once with a battery pack. Does your battery only hold enough juice to recharge the phone one time? If so, I would look at getting a new battery. I know weight is a concern, and I know you want to have the reassurance of being able to recharge, but if you have a battery that can charge your phone at least twice, and you carry two, is that enough of a power supply for your trip?
posted by bluedaisy at 11:34 AM on March 25
Also, I know I can recharge my phone more than once with a battery pack. Does your battery only hold enough juice to recharge the phone one time? If so, I would look at getting a new battery. I know weight is a concern, and I know you want to have the reassurance of being able to recharge, but if you have a battery that can charge your phone at least twice, and you carry two, is that enough of a power supply for your trip?
posted by bluedaisy at 11:34 AM on March 25
I may be out of date on this but isn't wireless charging (e.g. Magsafe) significantly less efficient than charging with a wire? Would you be able to get by with a smaller/lighter backup battery if you used a short cable to connect to a power bank instead of Magsafe?
(I'm assuming by "extended" you mean weeks or months, thus the need for a solar panel rather than a larger battery or an extra battery.)
posted by mskyle at 11:58 AM on March 25 [4 favorites]
(I'm assuming by "extended" you mean weeks or months, thus the need for a solar panel rather than a larger battery or an extra battery.)
posted by mskyle at 11:58 AM on March 25 [4 favorites]
I have done many extended weeks and months away from power sources with my iphone, using it daily for pictures, music, e-books, and a mapping app. I have found nothing but misery with solar powered chargers. Like someone said upthread you need to be very careful monitoring the angle of the sunlight and it takes hours and hours to charge up a single phone. If you have this time and aren't infuriated by expensive consumer electronics and their inefficiencies, that's fine. But if you're getting back to camp near dark or on the move for most of the day, about the best you can hope for is an hour or two of direct sunlight (and hoping it doesn't rain or get stolen while you're away from camp). And of course that only works if you're returning to the same place every few nights. I haven't tried, but would suspect that trying to charge something with a solar panel while on the move wouldn't work, unless you can place it in direct sunlight with very little angle change for hours at a time. But if you're hiking through trees or even facing away from the sun, you'll be out of luck.
What has always worked best for me is keeping my phone in airplane mode, keeping my phone in grayscale, "night mode" for the apps possible, and the lowest brightness setting, not using the phone for anything except pictures, music, reading, and consulting the map, and keeping it turned off (but not dead) for long periods of time (including every night overnight, and then I'd keep it off until I wanted to take a picture or use it otherwise). Then when I had 1% left I would plug it into my power bank (I kept two, and each held about 4 charges I think) and charge it until around 80%, and then I would unplug and resume my scheduled practice. If you're careful and judicious I think you could quite comfortably get through twelve days this way.
If you're ultralight packing this might be difficult or annoying because external battery packs aren't very light, and I'm sure someone has a much more trail friendly suggestion, but that's what has worked for me.
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 2:17 PM on March 25 [1 favorite]
What has always worked best for me is keeping my phone in airplane mode, keeping my phone in grayscale, "night mode" for the apps possible, and the lowest brightness setting, not using the phone for anything except pictures, music, reading, and consulting the map, and keeping it turned off (but not dead) for long periods of time (including every night overnight, and then I'd keep it off until I wanted to take a picture or use it otherwise). Then when I had 1% left I would plug it into my power bank (I kept two, and each held about 4 charges I think) and charge it until around 80%, and then I would unplug and resume my scheduled practice. If you're careful and judicious I think you could quite comfortably get through twelve days this way.
If you're ultralight packing this might be difficult or annoying because external battery packs aren't very light, and I'm sure someone has a much more trail friendly suggestion, but that's what has worked for me.
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 2:17 PM on March 25 [1 favorite]
I've got an older version of this Goal Zero solar panel, and in consistent full sun it will charge up a 5000 mAh battery pack in about 8ish hours. I haven't taken it backpacking but have taken it car camping, and it was tricky to find enough time/space to charge the battery pack during the day. Unless you anticipate hiking for hours at a time in full sun, with the sun always hitting your back(pack) directly, I'm not sure that "charge while you hike" is going to work as well as you'd need it to. Also, it's heavy.
You might want to look into the battery packs that thruhikers on the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail are using, because if anyone can balance functionality with weight, it's them. They seem to stop in town every 4-5 days to resupply and charge their devices, but they also seem to use their phones much more intensively than you do, so a battery that will last them 5ish days may last you considerably longer.
It's not hard to find gear lists for AT or PCT thruhikes, and most seem to use a 10,000 mAh battery like this one. I know you already have a battery pack, but perhaps adding a second battery would be sufficient to get through your itinerary without needing the solar panel.
posted by spamloaf at 5:28 PM on March 25
You might want to look into the battery packs that thruhikers on the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail are using, because if anyone can balance functionality with weight, it's them. They seem to stop in town every 4-5 days to resupply and charge their devices, but they also seem to use their phones much more intensively than you do, so a battery that will last them 5ish days may last you considerably longer.
It's not hard to find gear lists for AT or PCT thruhikes, and most seem to use a 10,000 mAh battery like this one. I know you already have a battery pack, but perhaps adding a second battery would be sufficient to get through your itinerary without needing the solar panel.
posted by spamloaf at 5:28 PM on March 25
I have an older version of one but only use it for stationary camping. I have known people who attached similar units to backpacks but I'd find it annoying unless it was really securely attached so as to not bang around and you're going to get pretty bad performance out of it. In bright sunlight without moving, mine can charge a phone in about 6 hours, IIRC. If it's cloudy or you're going through woods, you're going to get pretty low amounts of charging.
Unless you really like the idea of being able to charge if you completely run out of juice, you can get a second battery pack with enough capacity to charge your phone 3-5 times for less weight (mine weighs 2.5lbs).
posted by Candleman at 6:18 PM on March 25
Unless you really like the idea of being able to charge if you completely run out of juice, you can get a second battery pack with enough capacity to charge your phone 3-5 times for less weight (mine weighs 2.5lbs).
posted by Candleman at 6:18 PM on March 25
Would something like this Luci solar lantern work for you? With a 4000 mAh battery.
posted by gingerbeer at 7:39 PM on March 25 [1 favorite]
posted by gingerbeer at 7:39 PM on March 25 [1 favorite]
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