Affordable Solar & Wind

The Great British Summer and Solar Camping - What to Look Out For

Apart from the Great Outdoors and the Great British Summer, what else is there to ask for? What about the latest eco-friendly solar camping gadgets to help make this year's trip the best yet. This summer, why not try out some of the great ways to make good use of a sunny season with solar power - here are five-of-the-best solar portable devices and gadgets to take with you on your camping trip this year.

The first gizmo to look at or look with is the Solar Torch. Not the most extravagant or exciting gadget out there, but with a good torch you wont get lost in the dark, and with the Solar Torch there is no more need for spare batteries or fumbling about to discover that the power has run out.

The Solar Torch retails at £6.50 from www.selectsolar.co.uk. With three PV cells down its spine and sides, and a flat sturdy base for placement, this robust torch can be left outside in the sunshine all day to feed off of the sun's energy. The energy converted by the solar panels is fed into a transmitter and stored behind 5 super bright LEDs. The Solar Torch comes fitted with a miniature compass on its base and is great for any outdoor adventures, at home or away.

The next gadget makes camping that little bit more appealing for all. The Hi-Gear Solar Shower is an essential accessory for camping in comfort. This travel shower makes sure that an early morning cold water wash is something of the past. Simply fill the bag with water, leave it in the sun for approximately three hours to warm through, and then hang the shower to enjoy freshening up in comfort.

The Hi-Gear Solar Shower is a multi use shower device that can provide up to seven years of use. The dimensions of the bag are 55cm deep (including handle) and 40cm wide, with a 20litre capacity - which equates to about three showers a bag. The hose is approximately 67cm and the device itself is capable of reaching temperatures of up to 48 C - so it is always best to test the water before using and add cold water if required. The Hi-Gear Solar Shower can be found at www.ethicalsuperstore.com with a retail price of £8.99.

Continuing from the make-shift shower room, the next gadget is a reminder that being away from mains power is no reason to end up looking like a grizzly bear. The Solar-powered Rechargeable Shaver means that a clean shave and feeling fresh is always at hand - just remember to leave it in the sun.

The innovative shaver will take 8-12 hours to fully charge and comes with a beard trimmer, brush and drawstring travel bag - which means it is ready to travel with you anywhere under the sun. The rechargeable shaver works in the same way a traditional shaver will, but is fitted with a discreet miniature solar panel. It retails at £24.99 and is also found at www.selectsolar.co.uk.

The penultimate gizmo - which is a must-have for any gadget enthusiast on a camping holiday this summer - is the Maplin Electronics' Scotty personal solar charger. The personal charger clips onto your clothes or bag allowing it to bask in the sunlight whilst you move about, charging your iPod and other portable gadgetry on the go.

The Scotty personal solar charger costs £34.99 with larger panel kits from £69.99 and can be found at www.maplin.co.uk. A full charge from the Scotty charger will provide enough energy for one hour's talk time on a mobile phone or 60 minutes stand-by time. The universal connector means that the charger can supply power to a range of devices from Sat Nav systems and beyond - you can even use it to power household lamps when you get home.

Finally, the last and probably most advanced gadget is the UNI-PAC charger. This solar charger uses United Solar Systems Corp. Triple Junction Technology to convert sunlight into electricity. The UNI-SOLAR UNI-PACs can be dropped, stepped on, packed and re-deployed; they can even provide power with bullet holes through them or in partial shade - so to any secret agents, this is the charger for you.

The UNI-PAC 10 offers dual voltage charging for 12v and 24v, and can be wired together with other UNI-PAC panels. This is not so much a gadget as it is a piece of kit. The UNI-PAC was designed to meet charge Laptop or Notebook computers under military requirements for durability, performance and reliability - retailing at a rather costly £451.63 from unlimitedpower it is no surprise that this technology is built to last.

There are many other eco-friendly ways to set out on an adventure this year. But with these five of the markets latest, you can be sure that solar power can supply the solution for any type of camping quandary.

About the Author

Ryan Whatley is the
solar panels
expert at EcoSwitch The environmental social network.

Solar array Video 4

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