Ideal Bite

On camping trips, does your packing list include your laptop?

07.05.2007

Submitted by tmeronek on Thu, 07/05/2007 - 12:01am.

The Bite:

We could say that's just wrong. But rather than judge you, we'll give you the skinny on solar-powered camping gear that lets you light your tent, charge your digital camera, and, yes, power your laptop, all without leaving a trace.

The Benefits:

Minimizing your impact. Solar chargers require no water for system cooling and generate no pollution.
Waste-free wattage. The 3 billion alkaline batteries bought each year in the United States create 100,000 tons of battery waste.
You can take your work with you. Sad, so sad, but true: Solar panels keep your cell phone and laptop juiced, so you can enjoy the great outdoors without missing deadlines.

Personally Speaking:

The Bozeman team Biters recently cooked a pizza for lunch in the Global Sun Oven. They claim they were product testing, but we all know it was just an excuse to enjoy the great weather.

Wanna Try:

Global Sun Oven - harness the power of the sun to cook food with this 21-lb oven ($259).
Sierra Solar Systems Notepower Laptop Charger - weighing in at just 6 lb, this carrying case extends the battery life of any laptop ($350).
Eureka Solar Intent - 11-ft tent packs in six people and provides up to 8 hours of light ($253).
Voltaic Backpack - heavy-duty solar backpack comes with 11 different adapters and generates up to 4 watts, in four colors ($249).
Solio - stylish, handheld charger can use regular or solar power to charge your cell phones or MP3 players ($100).
Wagan Solar Lantern - with a long-lasting fluorescent bulb, it also works as a flashlight ($50).

Cocktail Fact

A man camped out for 139 days, working from a cell phone and laptop the entire time, so that he could be one of the first to see Star Wars: Episode III.