solar panel and water purifier for bike trip
Replies: 15 - Last Post: Feb 1, 2013 5:55 PM Last Post By: un_australian
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solar panel and water purifier for bike trip
Ok, these two items have not a lot in common, but I haven't decided yet whether to bring them with me or not.Next month I will start a trip aross Asia which should last about a year. The philosophy behind the choice of the kit has been: simple, solid and reliable. And especially something I shouldn't worry too much if it gets stolen or broken (I didn't manage to apply this to the bike unluckly). I have a Vaude tent and I hope to (wild) camp as much as I can and I don't have and do not want a dynamo hub.
Now coming to the point: I was thinking to bring with me also a solar panel, the powermonkey extreme, and a water purifier, the steripen. I am however not yet completely hundred per cent sure if I really need to buy and have them with me or not. I would be happy to hear any advice from you about possible pros and cons of bringing these two items with me. I will probably post this also in crazyguyonabike on the respective forums.
Thanks,
Francesco
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I've been using a Steripen for a while. As far as I can tell, it works fine - I haven't got sick drinking water cleaned with it. It's a bit delicate, and mine uses camera batteries which can be hard to find, and since it's quite power hungry, you will need to replace them on a long trip.I've also got a powermonkey. It's OK if you'll be riding somewhere where there's reliable, strong sunlight, and you don't need to charge much. Otherwise, it's not up to the job.
If you need more power, search Crazyguyonabike. There's an interesting recent article there about running a more powerful solar system.
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thanks for all the answer. I'm checking out the reviews about the product you mentiojed and especially drinksafe looks quite interesting, I didn't know them!Anyway, apart from brands and specific items, would you, from your experiences, advice me to bring a solar panel and a water purifier on my trip or are they just added weight and money?
for the dynamo hub: I know they are far better, but I really dislike them, especially because they are a possible source of mechanical troubles on the bike, and I want to minimize them. After all I need current only to charge a very old nokia phone, spare AA batteries and a very basic camera. I will start without a laptop for instance.
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Impossible to answer your question about a water purifier because you don't say where you'll be going. Asia is very big and diverse. I take a water purifier if I know I'll have to drink out of streams, otherwise I don't bother.Dynamo hubs are fine if you buy a decent one. Son and Schmidt will outlast pretty much any other moving part on your bike, and the cheaper Shimano ones are as reliable as all their stuff. Maybe you don't need one anyway, but don't dismiss it because of reliability.
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Buy a bottle with filter, like this one(there are others) http://www.drinksafe-systems.co.uk/products.php You save the batteries and all the hassle and the water is mechanically filtered as well.Or buy a solarbag which will clean water while you are pedalling along. No batteries necessary.
Depending on where you are going, accommodation ("hotels") are cheap, so you can charge there. If you buy a power chimp or the like, it can be charged for extra backup but you can also buy AA batteries and use them to charge your camera and mobile. Much easier and reliable. Even if you run out of battery on your ipod, in the evening, it can always be driven and charged with some AA batteries(available in all the world) in your Power Chimp.
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Ooops Solar bag here http://www.puralytics.com/html/solarBag.php12
Ooops solar bag is here http://www.puralytics.com/html/solarBag.phpPS: Buy some extra batteries for your camera, especially the newer types will hold charge for months.
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About the phone: I used an older Nokia in Morocco. I told everyone to only send sms(tects) so I only turned it on 1/2 hour everyday, read and answered sms (texts) I also used it twice for ordering a flighticket home,I didn't bring a charger but after 5-6 weeks I could still call and order tickets.
