Wind Power?

[Colin Krusor]

There is currently an active thread about small solar panels for charging devices like cell phones and Steripens. Several posters observed that, in many places (notably the Pacific Northwest), you just don't really get much juice per unit mass for a solar panel system.

There are now quite a few functional and commercially available toy wind generators, and a few that are explicitly for charging cell phones and similar devices.

–

–

–

Electronic and mechanical parts necessary to rig up a DIY palm-sized, 1-3oz wind powered battery charger are readily available on sites that supply the micro-rc airplane community.

It could be problematic to attach a mini wind turbine to a backpack (but not completely impractical, depending on the size) during the daytime, but it could easily be attached to the peak of a shelter, or lashed to a stump or a rock, and allowed to run continuously all night. In areas where the wind blows ceaselessly, like the PNW coast, I think this could be a lightweight and reliable source of power.

[Bob Gross]

Your other option is water power. A Pelton Wheel can generate a fair amount of electrical energy if you used it in a stream beside a camp. However, they probably weigh too much. About a hundred years ago, they were used for electricity at remote mining camps that had a good stream nearby.

–B.G.–

[John S.]

Eating beans and strapping one of those to the back of my pants…hmmm

[Author]

Posts