Tesla Power Wall...For A Tent?? Solar Energy (With Storage) For Camping
My article on the African solar energy company MPower got me thinking about how useful a similar setup would be for camping. I've already got the constituent parts. Solar panels, power banks, appliances that run off USB. What's to stop me?
As you can see I've got a fan running off the 4 cell power bank, rocking Panasonic NCR18650B cells. It will run all day off this. But it doesn't need to, as the power bank is constantly being recharged during the day...
...by solar panels! It's my modular array. Just three panels for now, though I'll add a fourth soon. That should bring the combined amperage up to the maximum the power bank will accept anyway. Pardon how droopy the ends of the tent look, it's sitting on lumpy terrain.
As you can see, the holes in the corners mean I could secure this solar array to my tent with carabiners, or even small locks. This would help to prevent theft if I were to use this setup at a festival or crowded campground.
The lantern (which can also charge/run off USB) ties nicely to the highest point on the ceiling, which has a pair of ties specifically designed to suspend a light source. I'm thinking I can do better than this however. The lantern dangles a bit low and I can already tell I'll hit my head on it alot sitting up during the night.
Storage pockets at either end happen to be exactly the right size for my power banks. There's 5 pockets at each end for a total of 10. I've got 4 in there right now. Three of my 4 cell power banks and one of my 6 cell units. I'd love to eventually fill all the pockets with power banks, but then I need room for my phone and other shit.
Anyways having several power banks guarantees I won't be left without power if there's a couple of cloudy days in a row. I'd estimate I use these up at a rate of one per day while camping, just charging my phone and running small USB appliances off it. You'd be surprised how much stuff can run off USB these days.
Anyway that's all for now. I do plan to actually go get some camping done this Summer, so you may yet see an article wherein I put all of this neat gadgetry to a real world test (though I have in the past, tbh.)
Stay Cozy!
@alexbeyman,
Wow this is awesome! Hope to hear about that great camping experience!
Cheers~
Anyways having several power banks guarantees I won't be left without power if there's a couple of cloudy days in a row.
I have a similar one at my home coupled by 2 batteries so that it will remain charged for at least 3,4 days even if the sun is hiding behind the clouds.
Hi alex
wow i iremember when i was a kid my friends told me about camping
but wow i would love camping with all this stuff you have \o/
cheers
Some girls will plait their hair and their fore-head will be shining as if their head is using SOLAR ENERGY 😂😂😂
Solar energy is something that the African continent is look at, since we have lots of sun here and the hydro power plant cant supply enough. Alot of start ups are into solar power installations in small units for domestic uses at home
I see you’re putting all your energy generated into some creative use. Our lamp is working well off the dead laptop battery cells.
Proper gadgets for an awesome camping experience
Ah power banks have been part of my handset for a while now, i mean with mobile phones that goes off more than three times a day after a heavy charge of full 100%, power banks must not be underrated, however power bank with solar charging system, too awesome, do you know what is more awesome? A camping bed with pockets of solar charging power banks, i might just stay in the woods for a year.
I totally thought about creating a laptop with usb port as the main power source, lol, that should be soo universal right?
Many modern laptops do accept USB type C for charging.
Jeez im so 1990's 😵
Me too dude. I realized the other day that Super Mario Galaxy came out 11 years ago.
Lmao!super mario galaxy did? If i had Helper, maybe i wont be missing such updates😀
Using the panels to charge power banks for camping is a clever idea.
Good information..
I think for the lights we can design a new bro @alexbeyman, Because many lamps also lead to be in a raft again. For example lights on laptops and others. At a glance this has been very helpful. But is there any tool that can help to save the current from the bicycle dynamo.
Thanks
Sure. If the dynamo can power a head light for the bike, surely it could be connected to a battery during the day instead, when the light is not needed. That would let you then use the stored energy in the battery to power the light at night time, so it stays illuminated even while not pedaling.
Thanks for attention. Bro @alex
With a good 6.3V 2200mF capacitor bank, combined with the solar cell array, you'll get 25% to 30# better power, improve recharging capacity, and at night, battery charging will last longer. If you make or buy a load balancer, you'll notice the radical difference.