Voltaic designs solar chargers to power electronics wherever you are in the world.

Choosing a Solar Charger for Solar Camping

Determine your Devices: We carry a lot more electronics when camping and hiking then we used to. Most customers Voltaic talks to are carrying a phone (usually a smartphone), digital camera and possibly a GPS system, headlight and a video camera like a Flip. Make a list of each of your devices, the size of their battery (labeled in mAh on the back of the battery) and Voltage (usually 3.7 to 7.4V). If you have a 7.4V battery in your camera, you'll need a solar system capable of outputting 12V like the Fuse and Amp.

Determine your Usage: The more devices and more power you use, the more solar panels you're going to need. Try to estimate how many days you'll need between recharging each device. For example: phone every 3 days, camera every 7 days.

Estimate total Sun Exposure: All solar chargers work best with direct sun. One reason the Fuse attaches to backpacks is that it is always setup and you don't miss any sun during the day. If you're unsure and are going to be in a reasonably sunny location, we would suggest six hours as realistic.

Calculate Daily Wattage Needed: For each device, multiply the Voltage * the mAh then divide by 1,000. This will get you the Watt hour of each device. Next divide by number of days between recharging to get Watt hours per day. Next add up the result for each device to get total Watt hours per day. For example, if my phone is 5 Watt hours and my camera 7 Watt hours, I will use 2.6 Watt hours per day. Here's the trick: Multiply the Wattage of your panel times the hours per day and DIVIDE by 2.5. In the case of the Fuse it is 4 Watts * 6 Hours / 2.5 = 9.6 Watt hours. This is a realistic number of how much power you'll generate in a day and it should be more than you're using.

Identify Connectors for each Device: Many handheld electronics have been standardizing on the Micro USB adapter, but not all. Look at our adapter page for adapters included in our standard kit and available as an optional purchase. If you have a DSLR camera, you'll need a special cradle to fit with your battery. We have several in stock and can advise if none of these matches your battery.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at support@voltaicsystems.com.

Our Solar Chargers in Action while Camping or Hiking: Solar Backpack in Nepal,Fuse Solar Charger on Kilimanjaro, Solar Charging an Alpine Climb, Use of GoPro on a Rafting Trip