I want one off these ! when i win the lottery .

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shortymcsteve

Forager
Jan 8, 2011
152
0
Hamilton, Scotland
Haha, are you really going to buy one?

I think it's a good idea for long trips and expeditions in the desert and such where you would be using 4X4's.
Really expensive tho! i think there is cheaper alternatives.
 
Aug 16, 2011
45
0
seriously shorty if money was no object sure why not ! You mention deserts but if you look at the pics it also works up a mountain covered in snow , in winter . Just requires light which i dont think the sun is going to let us down for while yet ! Its water proof & their more popular than you might think , iv seen these getting packed into the back of the boot & had to ask what it was & what their thoughts were . Very reliable & even on short camping trips it kept the better half chippy & the kids , like mentioned above plays dvds , recordings & music from your playlists with out internett ! As you can see on the stats top right it doesnt need a lot off charging & to think always having a full charged phone if you ever say broke a leg well anything with security deserves a second look ! If you wanted to see your loved ones & wanted a wee blether then its just button away really !
I like it ! to justify getting one at the present is another matter but yeah i would with out a doubt
 

user24

Forager
Aug 13, 2011
103
0
Shrewsbury, UK
I'm unconvinced. A small LED AAA torch can last up to 21 hours (eg fenix e01) or a AA can last 70 hours (fenix LD10). A mobile phone fully charged and then turned off will last for a very long time. A portable stove will provide not only water purification but also ability to cook. Total weight and cost will be significantly lower, and you get *more* features (cooking, portable torch). And as Shewie says if my torch gets lost or squashed, well then I have no torch. I can still purify water.
 
Aug 16, 2011
45
0
Not one off these Gadjets gives you constant power & will simply run out , whilst needing a power source again at one point :) This is what i mean it supplies the source of power & it comes with lights the same power output as a 60 watt bulb .
Here`s something to think about ! Lars monsen a national hero in scandinavia went on tour in canada , to find him self on one of the great lakes melting before him ! bogged down & packs of huge wolves being attracted to his dog team. He had a small solar panel attached to his sledge allowing to charge up his satellite phone. which he then made a life saving call & got flown out to safety !
Iland solar has done rigerous tests on their product making it very reliable & robust so if in a hostile place with no amenities & solo it would wise to have something like this would it not ? Heimo korth another national hero embraces modern technology who has had to call out the national guard on a few occassions as he lives so far north in alaska but uses a generator for charging but makes it plain in his book that its a constant worry of running out of fuel ! So both mens lives were saved not with tools or knowlege but simply a power supplying carried in their posession which is the point im trying to get a cross ! Two wise men who embraced technology which ultimatley saved their lives with out a doubt ! now theirs something to think about & ilannd being reliable no wonder many people who like going into hostile places have one !!! (A wise man is a live man).
If any one does actually thinks this has a place give me your support on this as its why i decided to post it to save lifes !
 

Retired Member southey

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jun 4, 2006
11,098
13
your house!
chill out chap, do you work for these guys?:) I as have many other on here spent time in very hostile places where relying on kit that needs to be tough, reliable, easy to fix and some times light, were commenting on the kit not you personally, don't take it so hard if peeps don't like a bit of kit, if you look at this and think its worth posting then you have to be ready for negative comments as much as welcome the positive comments, its all the fun of the fair matey:D I dont like solar stuff simply because if you rely on it then get stuck under heavy cloud cover for a week or longer then what do you do? you would have to carry a weeks worth of batteries as a stand by any way, to me its better to not rely on recharging and instead rely on having enough batteries for your trip if you need sat phones then you dont use it for anything but neccesitys, I would rather use a hand charger as you can sit and charge during a down day, if you need to,

Have dude!

Southey:)
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,147
2,883
66
Pembrokeshire
?My personal experience is that technology lets you down just when you need it!
On exped in Ghana we relied on military quality solar pannels to recharge the batteries of our two way radio comms.
I fell seriously ill a days paddle (on lake Volta) from any kind of road.
My assistant tried to use the radio to call in support only to find that the solar panel had died and the radio batteries had lost charge.
I was explaining how to rig torch batteries to get enough power whilst in severe pain and in fear of my life.
Luckily we got through (using "click code" rather than voice) and a recue was organised - OK this was nearly 10 years ago and technology has advanced....probably to the point where it would be impossible to jury rig a system to get technology to work when its primary systems fail!
 

user24

Forager
Aug 13, 2011
103
0
Shrewsbury, UK
Yeah I mean.... I don't know what the requirements are for extreme survival situations, I hope to goodness I never end up in one. Perhaps it has its place if you're planning to climb everest etc. But mucking about in my local woods.. might as well bring a caravan really.
 
Aug 16, 2011
45
0
Im very chilled southey trust me on this :) im just making a point two of the most experienced men in bushcraft that we have come to know has relied on not their skills but a radio system to get them out a serious life threating mess ! Even john mentions that which glad to hear you were ok in the end - close one thanks for sharing john .
These solar panels are so advanced now that its more of a form of light & not the sun to charge them ( it was hardly sunny when lars monsen was in canada or the pics on the company site upon a snow mountain with no sun just light ) . like you said southey cloud can be a problem but id rather know only having to wait for it to shift to have constant power than depend on a fully charged phone or fuel which runs out ! I think solar is the way forward all the time !
yup user you couldnt hall ilan around on normal hike. It would be more suitable with a 4x4 journey , sledge attached to a person solo , dog team . snow mobile or maybe even an extra person to carry it which is feasible but not practical on a few days enjoying out in the boonies i agree . But on adventures or dangerous hostile terrain it would serve one well !!!
On terrain we know & trust ourselves on it would be more off a luxary item with all it offers which im with you all their , a candle would keep me happy replacing its lights bulbs , natures views would replace the lap top entertainment & fetching the water myself rather than it feeding it to me would make me more complete but on hostile terrain give me solar any day :)
Thanks for the replies to all my fellow patriots who replied & just hope it opens some eyes that in times we do need the (Modern mixed with Old ) :)
 

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