Recently the dog and I needed to get away from the city, but I had a lot of work to do. Having swapped my laptop for an Android tablet, I was better prepared than ever to abandon the urban center while still maintaining the connectivity and battery power needed to produce quality content for Android Police.
I researched which affordable portable chargers, cables, and solar panels could keep my devices powered and my route on track. Extensive planning and testing before the trip made connectivity and charging easier than expected. In the end, getting up and down mountains and cliffs proved to be the biggest obstacle, thanks to these handy devices.
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Staying on task and on track on the trails
You can navigate the American wilderness with a paper map and a compass. However, where I live, private ownership and heavy use of trails results in ever-changing conditions, requiring dynamic assistance. Rather than lugging around a big, expensive panel phone, my Unihertz Jelly Star served as my GPS-connected map. It served double duty as a Wi-Fi hotspot at work. Battery life isn’t great, but airplane mode extends it by preventing on-off reception from consuming excessive amounts of electricity while hiking.
Unihertz Star Jelly
Nothing is as small as the Android 13-based Unihertz Jelly Star. The battery isn’t great and the screen size slightly limits what you can do, but it’s still a well-rounded smartphone and fits in your pocket like no other.
The somewhat popular AllTrails hiking app actually stinks. Instead, I use an open source, crowdsourced database called OpenStreetMap. The Android and iOS application OsmAnd delivers up-to-date maps to your mobile device. The free feature set is absolutely brilliant (it’s all I needed), and a reasonably priced subscription opens up even more options for frequent hikers.
Getting the job done required a screen large enough for searching, but portability was still essential. My Redmi Pad Pro did the job admirably. Its performance and battery life are unbeatable for its price. Plus, its 33-watt fast charge outperformed my low-cost power bank for quick recharges when I periodically stopped at a coffee shop. It includes the exclusive 33 watt fast charger.
Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pro
Heavier than an iPad but much lighter than a Chromebook, pairing this mid-range master tablet with its companion keyboard case was the perfect solution for working in the woods. I have used it with the Jelly Star hotspot with great success.
Backwoods Electricity, Most Simplified
Harnessing the power of the sun
Trees only produce about 200 millivoltsso I turned to nuclear energy while hiking. The first 10 watt solar panel I tested failed to produce usable current. Switching to the FlexSolar 15W solar charger allowed me to slowly charge devices when not in use, and with enough light, it more than made up for battery drain while working.
I avoided completely draining my batteries by lowering settings like refresh rate and brightness and turning on all battery-saving features. I approached one day. This is where a caveat arises. The wilderness of Western Europe is not like the American West, where hikers can go entire days without meeting a soul.
During and after successful working days, in cafes and campsites.
It’s hard to escape civilization near the coast of Portugal. I had the luxury of taking coffee breaks to replenish power if necessary. One day, when my batteries were almost empty, I visited a local brewery to grab a pint and plug in before camping for the night. Driving through the United States’ national forests offers no such opportunities. In the real wilderness or during resource-intensive work, you may need a larger battery or solar panel.
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FlexSolar E15
$36 $60 Save $24
The FlexSolar 15W produced just enough juice to charge my devices in the great outdoors. Naturally, the results depended on the weather and how I positioned it on my backpack. Note that it doesn’t come with any cables, just a USB Type-A port.
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FlexSolar E20
$40 $80 Save $40
Although it only offers a nominal one-third improvement over the power of the E15, the increased surface area allows it to take advantage of the sun in bad weather and charge devices faster in all conditions.
Cables, batteries and chargers, oh my
Liaison with nature vs connection In nature
With no bears or big cats in my area, lack of juice posed the scariest threat. I picked up a flyer on a relatively unknown brand, Veger. It worked well, but its recharge rate didn’t match the ads. A slightly better USB battery or a known high-end brand will do the job better. I opted for a 10,000 mAh capacity, which provides around 7,000 mAh to mobile devices after undergoing conversions with inherent inefficiency.
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Vegetable V1171
$20 $37 Save $17
This is the brand I chose, largely due to its low cost in my area. It worked well, although charging from the wall power took longer than I had hoped.
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Anker Zolo Power Bank
$16 $26 Save $10
Anker makes just about the most reliable power banks on the market. If the Zolo is available and reasonably priced where you live, it’s probably your best bet.
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INIU B61
$20 $25 Save $5
This one has similar stats to the others and comes from a fairly well-known brand. If you end up using it only connected to a portable solar panel, its charging speeds will be on par with the others.
I have more USB cables scattered around than random USB chargers that I don’t need, but they’re all longer and heavier than I wanted. I invested in compact cables to reduce weight and bulk, although I still had a meter-long Type-C cable to properly connect the solar panel when mounted on my backpack .
Brand availability and your needs may vary depending on region and your devices. I ordered Type-A to Type-C, double-ended Type-C, a few Micro USB cables to accommodate the input to my Veger power bank, and my pair of Micro USB rechargeable headlamps. These selections best cover most people’s gadgets.
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Anker Premium USB-C Cable
$6 $10 Save $4
These two-meter-long nylon-wrapped cables will get the job done, especially when you’re connecting a solar panel to a power bank while you’re on an active hike.
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SunGuy USB-C Cable
A three-pack of half-meter Type A to Type C cables helped me on my backpacking trip, but I can already say that they will be very useful in daily life by helping to declutter my gaming setup. daily load.
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Anchor A8751
These ultra-short, double-ended USB-C cables made it possible to charge my tablet from the power bank while I was actively working.
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SunGuy Micro-USB
Some economical, lightweight and compact electronic devices still rely on the old micro USB jack. If one of yours does, here are the short cables to get.
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SunGuy Micro USB to USB-C
Perhaps I overdid it to cover every possible charging situation, but one of these Micro USB to USB-C cables came in handy for charging my rechargeable headlamps.
My technical gear for this outing weighed just under 2 kilograms (4 pounds). It’s a big commitment for an ultralight backpacker, but it unlocks long hikes when you can’t take multiple days off. I’ll use the same configuration again when it’s hot outside. I’m thinking about a solar panel upgrade to avoid charging stops and I need a compact Bluetooth mouse because I would so love to stop using the touch screen. Overall, I’m more satisfied than expected. This setup had no glaring limitations and it will work best in late winter and when the sun shines brighter and longer.
The rest of my gear consisted of minimalist, ultralight products that don’t offer the greatest luxury. Still, they will help you get through the woods without breaking your back. With decent service and a good Wi-Fi hotspot, you can also stop and work.
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Naturehike Cloud Up Pro Tent
This incredibly economical ultralight tent has more comprehensive features than name-brand models that cost three times as much and weighs only a little more than tents from famous manufacturers like Big Agnes.
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Osprey Sportlite 30L backpack
Ultralight backpacks tend to skimp on padding and in-depth features, but this one is quite well designed and will satisfy the discerning hiker. You’ll need to make careful decisions about what to pack, though, because it’s not a huge deal.
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SteriPen Ultra UV water purifier
$115 $130 Save $15
By minimizing your maximum water transport needs from the start, you have additional space for your technical equipment. This UV sterilizer sets the standard, even though it only works on plain water.
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Coast XPH30R headlamp
This USB-C rechargeable headlamp is actually much nicer than the cheap pair my dog and I use. It doesn’t weigh much, produces a lot of light, and allows you to replace the battery if you use it a lot and wear it out.
