wide mouth, narrow, lexan, plastic.... solar pannels?

[sleeping bear]

Has anyone used one of these? I'm super intrigued, but not sure if I want to blow 25 bucks on a water bottle.

 

[michaelb]

I just bought one a couple weeks ago for my partner, so we could use it family camping with the kids as a night light. She loved it. The solar top seems a bit heavy, obviously heavier than a water bottle top for use drinking. It does need light but will charge indoors or in the shade pretty well. Once charged, we left it on all night on the red mode and it still had some power in the morning, so that was 12 hours or so of continuous use. It has a light sensor too, so it will shut itself off in the morning, or turn itself on at night if you leave it on (if you went hiking in the evening from camp for example, it could light up camp for you to help find yourself back). It doesn't put out much light, so it really won't light up a camp or even a tent (for reading), but for a little light at night, even all night, it seemed to work great. The switch is tight and bit hard to find in the dark and to move from side to side, but the overall quality seems pretty good.

I got it at amazon for $20 I think.

 

[skibones]

Sounds like a lot of money for a sketchy item. I'd stick with a Petzel head lamp.

 

[Rick]

Sounds like a lot of money for a sketchy item. I'd stick with a Petzel head lamp.

Ditto Looks like a "gadget" used once or twice and then relegated to shelf duty.

 

[Doc McPeak]

Good assessment and review, michaelb. I talked with a person who was camping with one and he said the same thing. Not a headlamp or real camp light. More of a night light that can left on as a bathroom break beacon and as a nice light in a tent to find things without shining a brighter headlight around.

I've seen battery operated ones as well, but like the idea of solar powered. Not something I would use backpacking, but for car camping or canoe trips with kids I'll probably pick one up someday. Good way to teach youngsters about the differences between energy sources, such as the coal powered headlights so many of use without really knowing it.

 

[jjmcgo]

Coal-powered headlights?

Please explain, Doc?

 

[Doc McPeak]

Please explain, Doc?

Headlamps, gps, etc. use batteries.

Over 90% of non-rechargable batteries are powered (given their charge) by burning coal for the energy.

Standard Duracell inside headlamp = coal powered.

Depending where you live, and how your energy grid is powered, using rechargables can still be all coal derived (Georgia residents get almost 100% of their electricity) to a mix (NY) to 0% (CA).

Personally, I still have some standards I am using up, but am mostly powered off the NYS grid. I recently got a Brunton solar charger, and will put that first in line. It will probably take 3 to 5 years to break even, but I'm in this for the long haul.

An interesting book on coal in 2006 America is "BIG COAL" by Jeff Goodell.

 

[DougPaul]

Headlamps, gps, etc. use batteries.

Over 90% of non-rechargable batteries are powered (given their charge) by burning coal for the energy.

Standard Duracell inside headlamp = coal powered.

Don't forget that significant amounts of energy are used in manufacturing and transporting just about everything...

Doug

 

[Doc McPeak]

Don't forget that significant amounts of energy are used in manufacturing and transporting just about everything...

Doug

And just living. Half of America's energy is used in our homes.

And how much of that comes from coal? More than you would ever imagine. In the end living takes a lot of energy today, but are all sources the same?

Since the question refered to coal, and this is a hiking forum, my brief point on this subject will be toward the one thing most of us hikers use and carry. Batteries. Which are charged primarily by coal. Not many people know that. Does it matter? It did to me when I realized to what extent.