Mrs. Tanner and I hike as much as we can. Am looking for a solar powered phone charger we can use on our hikes, which are typically 2-5 hours in duration. What can the hive recommend? Thanks!

You want a solar charger to charger a LION battery pack, then use the battery pack to charge the phone. Solar's output varies greatly from minute to minute, such as if a cloud passes over. Best to use one of those little battery packs that charge phones, then use the solar charger to charge the battery.

I would rather take one of these than to rely on solar. These will take up less space, charge faster, charge more consistently and give you more charges.

https://www.amazon.com/Portabl...k%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-3

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Originally posted by Edmond:
I would rather take one of these than to rely on solar. These will take up less space, charge faster, charge more consistently and give you more charges.

https://www.amazon.com/Portabl...k%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-3

Yeah, then you can use a solar panel to recharge this.

I have researched these and most if not all of them will take anywhere from 48+ hours to a week or more to recharge the battery pack depending on the size of the solar panel and this in direct optimum sunlight. The typical solar panel on these have a max output of only 100-200ma when in direct optimum sunlight. So a very small 5AH battery bank will take approx 25-50 hours again in optimum sunlight. Just get the biggest battery bank you can carry comfortably. God Bless

Sun tactics products are
Made in America.
www.suntactics.com

www.solarmade.com
Claim to be as well

But the aux batteries look like a much better way to go.

quote:

Originally posted by VBVAGUY:
I have researched these and most if not all of them will take anywhere from 48+ hours to a week or more to recharge the battery pack depending on the size of the solar panel and this in direct optimum sunlight. The typical solar panel on these have a max output of only 100-200ma when in direct optimum sunlight. So a very small 5AH battery bank will take approx 25-50 hours again in optimum sunlight. Just get the biggest battery bank you can carry comfortably. God Bless

This. A phone-ish sized solar panel is going to be something like 1.5W. I have a Li-ion pack that is about the same volume as an iPhone X (little smaller HxW, but it's thicker) that is 10000mAH, if we convert that straight to USB power, that's 50W-hr meaning it would take 33+ hrs to recharge in full sun.

If you had just the solar panel & phone, it would probably make the phone not discharge as fast or make it think the charger was faulty when it keeps dropping V.
Solar is basically worthless in your proposed usage.

I hike a bunch and do overnight trips, get a battery pack, and be done with it.

I like Anker ones. Pick a size that will work for what you need.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ank...ack&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Solar chargers are unreliable for hiking. I didn't see a location but in the East, we are under some kind of tree canopy most of the time making it hard for a charger to work. I've seen people with them strapped to their packs but never found anyone that was really happy with them.

All the through-hikers take battery packs and charge them every few days in town. Solar is nice for some things but just doesn't cut it in the backpacking world from what I have heard. Granted I never used one myself. Always been fine with a good battery pack.

If you're going out for "2-5 hours", solar is a waste of money, BTDT.

A decent capacity battery pack will serve you much better.

I have a Goal Zero solar charger kit for cell phones. I put it out in the sun for an afternoon hooked up to a battery pack, that you would then use to charge a phone. It was worthless as it needed substantially more time. These are small panels not like the ones on a house. In your scenario, where are you going to put the panels as you hike? If you had a base camp, it might work until someone stole it we'd while you were gone. If this is just to use while hiking, I'd buy a spare charger pack that will have enough energy to do both your phones and be done with it.

Surely most if not all phones will manage a 2 to 5 hour hike . Just have a fully charged phone when you start. If you and your wife both have a phone then it shouldn't be hard to have one charged phone when you start.

Plus, is the phone used that much on a hike? You're hiking , not gawking at the phone.

Do I sound like a grumpy old man , or what?

quote:

Plus, is the phone used that much on a hike? You're hiking , not gawking at the phone.

Pictures, video, gps, weather, etc...

The portable pocket power packs are the way to go, they are light and small, charge up a couple of them and toss in the backpack with cords for charging.

If you are going camping then a solar cell to charge is nice but that's not going to do any good overnight obviously, having a couple of the spare power packs allows you to keep one in camp on a solar panel while you carry the other.

quote:

Pictures, video, gps, weather, etc

True, I forgot about pictures, which I do take on a walk. Weather and GPS in unfamiliar territory should useful too. I was thinking mostly of calls, out going when you sprain your ankle kind of stuff.

So, good point!

I will also add your phone should last for a 3-5 hour hike. I've never had issues on day hikes and I will run a tracking program when I hike.

Often I hike in places with crappy or no service. My phone will die then unless I put it in airplane mode(which I do).

Yeah for a hike, unless I need to be reached, I'd put in Airplane mode and the battery should last all day or more. If unable to do that the portable batteries are amazing and cheap.

Do you have cell coverage where you hike? We are getting Garmin satellite communicators for hunting. The service is reasonable, and can be turned on and off, easily.

Thanks again for all the advice and suggestions. We went with a rechargeable unit, rather than solar. You guys never disappoint when it comes to recommendations!

Based on this posting, I bought a small Anker unit.
Greatest threat to my finances: SigForum.