The other day I was taking part in the Expedia Twitter chat (Wednesdays at 6:30pm – get involved!) which, this week, was all about adventurous travel. One of the questions asked about our three most vital pieces of equipment for when we go off on an adventure.
Now, this was quite an eye-opener, not only because I realised that pretty much 90% of the Twitter population doesn’t believe that tea is an essential travel item (Why, guys? WHY?) but also because it gave me some excellent ideas of must-have gadgets on the road.
The lovely Ashley and Alex from In Pursuit of Adventure mentioned their solar-powered charger was a life-saver on their travels. I thought this was such a good idea that I decided to do a bit of research of my own.
And I came across the gorgeous window solar charger from XD Design.
With a USB output and mini-USB input, the charger will connect up to all models of mobiles or MP3 players. Never again will you have to face the sheer frustration of running out of juice while in the middle of nowhere.
What I love about this charger is the fact it can stick to windows, meaning it’ll always be absorbing as much sun as possible (handy when you’re in a country like England where the sun can be a little bit temperamental). I can see it being really useful no matter where you are – whether you’re indoors reading a book, on the move in a coach, or just sunbathing on the beach.
While it’s not the cheapest of solar-powered chargers (Amazon sell them for just a smidge under £50 each), it’s a pretty nifty design, and is small enough to not take up much space in your luggage. You never know when it just might come in handy too, when you’re out and about with no plug socket in sight.
Now this is just the thing to maximize sun light on a south facing wall. I even go so far as to place dark colors in the kitchen to absorb heat…but that is only because my wife won’t allow me to place a massive solar furnace in the kitchen…she is the voice of reason.