Review Of The Powerfilm AA Solar Battery Charger For Hiking

As an avid back country hiker who also loves gadgets I have to say that getting a Powerfilm USB and AA battery charger for Christmas this year was a great surprise. I've had the chance to review this solar backpacking battery charger for a few weeks now and am so far pleased with how it works. I recently used it on a two day hike of Lost Maples State Park in Texas and it kept my iPhone running fine by keeping it charged when the weather was partly cloudy to sunny. To fully charge the phone took about half a day. One note of caution for those hikers out there that may rely too much on electronics for getting around in the outdoors. Despite my love of gadgets such as mapping GPS, GMRS two way radios, LED lights, etc I cannot stress the safety need of having non electronic gear such as a paper map, compass, matches and fire starter, etc. There is a place for electronic gadgets in modern hiking, even multi-day hikes into the far back country. Gear such as the SPOT Satellite Messenger, which I use to send e-mail updates of my hike to friends, can also allow you to summon emergency help from almost anywhere. Larger hiking electronics usually use AA batteries and because of this, the Powerfilm solar charger for hiking is an excellent way to recharge them. If you have any device that uses a USB cable to recharge, such as many new cameras and phones, you can use the Powerfilm USB charger to recharge these devices.

Powerfilm Solar Charger Review Summary: Pros and Cons Of The Powerfilm Solar Charger For Hiking and Camping

The biggest advantages of the Powerfilm AA and USB hiking solar battery charger is the ability to keep electronics operating far off the grid and the fact that it weighs less than five ounces. Another advantage of the Powerfilm solar charger is that you can attach it to the back of your pack with the included grommets and charge a few batteries as you walk. However, you will not get the full charging capability of the Powerfilm or other hiking solar chargers if they are not in direct sun. try moving solar backpacking chargers to the side of the pack which is toward the sun. One disadvantage of solar hiking battery chargers is that they will only charge a couple of batteries at a time. On the other hand, if you choose the USB option, you can charge an iPhone's batteries as you hike. If you want to ensure that you have immediate power for AA devices, carry a couple of extra Duracell batteries in reserve. I've found that I use this solar backpacking battery charger primarily for charging AA batteries that I use in LED flashlights, radios, etc. For my iPhone I have a Solio Classic solar charger, which charges the phone in about four hours.

I have not yet seen the Powerfilm solar iPhone charger for sale at outdoor stores such as REI , but they do not carry the Solio.

Solar USB chargers can help you keep emergency and convenience electronics running for many days on a multi-day outdoor adventure. I'm very pleased with how well the Powerfilm solar AA and USB charger does work for hiking. I'm also happy with the Solio as a solar charger for my iPhone so I carry both. I don't mind the bit of extra weight in my pack for the convenience they give me. For a related article of mine on waterproof solar USB chargers for hiking, see: Waterproof and Water Resistant Solar USB Chargers For Hiking