Solar For Camping And Hiking

When looking at solar powered camping equipment catelogs, you will be surprised how advanced the state of the art is if you hadn’t looked before. Because batteries are heavy and hikers need to bring their electricity with them somehow, solar power systems for camping have been developed since the 1970s. Though some applications, such as solar warmed showers for camping have been around since there’s been plastic sheeting; it’s not ‘til recently that low-powered devices, such as LEDs for solar powered camping lanterns and flexible, thin film panels, have made solar camping supplies viable.

A simple project that most people can make is to create a solar camping oven based upon the notion of focusing beams of light, just like burning toy soldiers with a magnifying glass. Solar camping stove projects tend to be quite simple, though using lightweight materials can sometimes make the resultant solar camping stove suitable for reheating foods rather than cooking things like cakes from scratch. There are also plenty of solar camping stoves on the market for purchase.

Thin film solar panels have made solar chargers much more useful for campers. Now there’s no need to haul heavy batteries and glass around. Before this innovation, most portable solar power chargers were actually used for cabins rather than hiking and camping.

There are a great many devices to choose from now and there will surely be many more in coming decades as the materials used for solar panels come down in price and become increasingly ubiquitous. Some companies even make devices such as solar panels that actually run fans inside a solar-vented camping tent. Those who prefer to do a little “car-camping,” might find a portable solar powered pump for inflating camping mattresses very handy.

Even the park service has been using solar power to light bathrooms and signs, even in relatively cloudy areas. The use of solar camp lights is also very common now in private campgrounds. The use of solar powered camping lanterns among hikers has steadily increased as fluorescent and now LED technology allows them to be very light. Now that they weigh less than even a candle, the market has expanded greatly. Some people even use lanterns that are powered by flexible panels sewn into their clothing.

In more urban environments, such wearable solar is used to power portable phones, iPods and other devices. Some are even powerful enough to fully charge a laptop for several hours.