THere’s no such thing as a perfect formula for solar camping, but I want to share a few things that can really make a difference in your next trip.
But before I do, imagine being on your next camping trip… with no batteries. Its kind of weird to think about … isn’t it? But its entirely possible. You can even heat your water for a shower, without batteries.
The way you can do this is through solar. And for many years it wasn’t practical, because the way panels were converting the sun … wasn’t efficient enough…for many years it wasn’t practical, because the way panels were converting the sun … wasn’t efficient enough…. But now panels and battery storage technology is getting better and better. If you’re not giving solar power a try, then now is the time for you to dive in.
And because solar power can be had in so many ways, I’m going to focus on just 3 areas of solar camping gear for the moment. Solar panels, Lighting and Solar showers.
The minute you’re done reading this article, you’ll know about how to get even further off of the grid, by generating your own power from the sun.
Transforming The Sun Into Power At Your Campsite
This is where it all starts. Collecting the rays from the sun and turning them into power. And a lot of people wonder how do you mix solar panels and camping? How does…you could build your own by getting solar panels and hooking them up to your own battery for charging… that work?
There are a couple of ways to do this. First, you could build your own by getting solar panels and hooking them up to your own battery for charging. From there, you power different devices from the battery. Another way to do it is to get a self contained unit. that is… the solar panel and the battery are in the same unit.
If you want to do this on the cheap, lets say for under $100, then you’ll want to check out the Battery Junction 12v briefcase panel. It puts out 13 watts maximum power. Only weights 10 pounds. This unit provides enough power to keep laptops, electric tools and even coffee makers running. hmmmm… forget the coffee maker. I want to use the campfire myself to heat up my coffee.
Brighten Up The Evenings With Solar Lighting and Camping Lanterns
The Kiran S11 camping lantern has the goal to wipe out all kerosene lamps. ….off of the planetIf flashlights go out, getting batteries is a huge inconvenience. Also, schlepping around gas canisters is a bulky proposition. Using solar to handle your lighting needs makes things a whole lot simpler. Given the right products.
Another reason to go solar is to help out the environment. The Kiran S11 camping lantern has the goal to wipe out all kerosene lamps. ….off of the planet. Its about as simple as you can get. 8 hours of exposure to the sun will give you 4 hours of light on the hi setting and 8 hours of light on the low setting. For under $10, this is a no brainer. And kids love this camping light.
Hot Water Available In Your Campsite
Showers at campsites can be dirty. Also there are other people in the shower area so privacy is kind of non-existent. Another inconvenience is that both before and after your shower, you have to walk all the way from and back to your campsite.
One of the things I like to do is take ….long….hot showers. How are you going to do it with 1 gallon? Check out the Guide Gear 5 gallon package. Its got a pop up privacy unit and its got tons of water.The Seattle Sports has a 5 start rating, lets you take 2-3 showers and only 2-3 hours to heat the unit under the full sun
Are you concerned with environmental impact? If so, then you should know that plastics can have an affect on the water they contain. But there’s a hot water solar camp shower that helps protect the environment. It’s the Seattle Sports 2.5 gallon camping shower. Its PVC, chlorine and AZO free. The Seattle Sports has a 5 start rating, lets you take 2-3 showers and only 2-3 hours to heat the unit under the full sun.
In my own situations, I’ve noticed that solar panels need to be more efficient at capturing the rays of the sun. Why? Because they take so long to charge the batteries. With these solutions that I’ve just shared, I think the best one for heavy use would be the Tactical LED’s SolarMine with the 360 degree bulb. For kids and light duty, the Kiran S11 is very cool. They’ll love it. call to action