solar power while camping?

20 years ago

Can someone help figure out how I can use something like a "Brunton SolarRoll" a solar panel you can roll up; http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47875654&parent_category_rn=4500465&;

I want to be able to use electronic equip. while on a long camping trip. I don't want to be always worried about have an electric site and my camping neighbors will never even know, so no worries abot the noise. The thing is I want to be able to plug in a regular 2 pronged electric device and not have to worry about having the right adapter. Is this possible?

Featured Answer

hippy

20 years ago

4.5 watts is equal to the power of about 4 AA 1.4 volt sized batteries. Not much power to work with.

Watts = Amps x Volts

Let's say that you wanted to run a 120 volt coffee maker that draws 2 amps when turned on.

2 x 120 = 240

You will need at least a 240 watt solor panel that is capable of producing 120 volts to run your coffee maker. You will need a huge bank of 4.5 watt solor panels to pull that off. And still you will need an inverter.

Now an inverter in it's self is a different story. It connects to a 12 volt car battery and converts 12 volt DC to 120 or even 240 volt AC.

If you choose the inverter route. Make sure that you get one large enough to power your devices. I just posted the pic and link from the first site that I came upon to give you an idea. Shop around and look at the Watts Peak Power (Like for starting a motor) and Watts Continuous Power (power it take to keep the motor running). I personally would not suggest anything under 1200 to 1500 watts continuous power when chooseing an inverter.

Here is a link that might be useful: 12V DC to AC 1400 Watt Power Inverter

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Comments (22)

saintclare
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks so much Hippy, this seems more like it but would this drain my car battery and how do I get around that?
Thanks!
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Sorry this post is long. If you get too bored, just skip to the next-to-last paragraph. So far nobody has yet found the perfect battery. All of them are balances of cycle life, cost, safety, temperature range tolerance, specific energy (Wh/kg), energy density (Wh/l), specific power (W/kg), charge efficiency, and probably some factors I've forgotten about.. No one battery type has them all nailed down, and probably none ever will. The battery that might make its way into a home power system today would most likely be lead or lithium ion. A few others have been used but are now mostly on the sidelines. These include nickel cadmium, nickel iron, and nickel metal hydride (which is really just improved nickel iron). Lead is the traditional battery for home power systems, but it has significant downsides. Specific energy and energy density are low. Flooded types need watering and periodic testing. Cycle life is good for heavy, expensive tubular plate types, not so great for conventional flat plate batteries. Lead used to be the uncontested leader in cost per watt-hour delivered, but in recent years lead metal prices have increased and it's no longer as competitive as it once was. Nickel iron is legendary for extremely long cycle life. I've read that some of the original NiFe cells built by Thomas Edison are still in service! Their specific energy and energy density are better than lead, but not dramatically so. Efficiency is a weak point because they gas too freely (too much energy going into electrolysis), and this also requires careful ventilation. The few NiFe manufacturers charge nosebleed prices, which limits their use. Nickel cadmium has long cycle life and decent specific energy and energy density. Their big problem is that cadmium is nasty, toxic stuff. Because of this they face severe restrictions in the EU. Nickel metal hydride batteries have sort of been lost in the lithium shuffle in recent years. They have long cycle life and quite good specific energy and energy density. The problem has been that they're encumbered by restrictive terms issued by the patent holder, but I think the relevant patents may expire later this year. The other big negative with NiMH, as with other nickel chemistries, is that nickel is expensive. If given a chance, I think NiMH could still become competitive, but don't hold your breath. Recently lithium ion batteries have grabbed the spotlight almost to the exclusion of any other type. Note though that they aren't all alike. There are several different chemistries with different balances of those concerns I mentioned above. Beyond that, each chemistry is optimized differently by different manufacturers with different design goals. In general I'll agree that lithium ion can be a bit touchy about temperature, certainly more so than lead. Some lithium ion cells shouldn't be charged below freezing (0C / 32F). Others can accept a charge down to -10C, and a few are OK as low as -30C. Again, it depends on what the battery manufacturer is optimizing for. In most home power systems this isn't a problem, especially if the battery is located in conditioned space. The battery's own internal resistance will keep it warm with any normal current use. Insulation and controlled ventilation will keep the temperature in the acceptable range. OTOH very warm temperatures can reduce lithium batteries' cycle life. The more fully charged they are, the more they suffer. So you limit the charging rate at low temperatures, charging slower and slower as the temperature falls, and eventually not at all. On the upper temperature end, you don't charge the battery completely if you expect, or already have, very hot temperatures. Because lithium batteries are fussier than other types about over-charging and over-discharging, they almost always are sold with battery management systems (BMSes). Good lithium ion BMSes know what their batteries are capable of. They monitor the cells' state of charge (or at least their voltages, which is not quite the same thing) and usually also temperature. They control the charging and discharging functions to suit, for a compromise between capacity and cycle life. To cut to the chase, based on Tesla's track record (no pun intended) with their cars, I expect that they'll be more than competent when it comes to their Powerwalls' battery management. As for whether a Powerwall or two can store enough energy for your household needs, that depends on many factors, including how you heat and your overall energy efficiency. Most off-grid folks have to make some lifestyle adjustments when they're no longer drawing their energy from an apparently bottomless source (the grid). If they don't, it probably means their pockets are pretty much bottomless. :-\
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westy66
20 years ago
get a $50 deep cycle battery from Wally World and hook up some 12V sockets and a power inverter as pictured above. should be all the power you need for a couple days. mine in my camper lasts days running small draw items. you can also get a nice plastic battery box to keep it in.

Bob
saintclare
Original Author
20 years ago
Oh, and then I would just recharge it with my car battery? Sounds like a great idea! Thanks so much!
hippy
20 years ago
Clair
Most of the better quailty inverters have a Low voltage alarm or Auto shut down mode should the batteries power becomes to low.

It would really help if the make and model of the auto was given. For some cars, trucks and vans can be wired with a Battery Isolator. They allow you to connect two batteries to the cars alternator. Then you can power equipment from the second battery and not drain the one that is used to power the car. Since both the Main and Aux batteries are mounted in the car. You do not have to remove one to recharge it. For the Isolator will charge both at the same time to a full charge.
Nordic80
20 years ago
what kind of electrical device do you want to power while camping? the brunton solar panel you referenced is only 4.5 watts. a better choice would be their 14 watt brunton solar panel with a xantrex portable powerpack. there's a built-in inverter with one 120 volt ac outlet & a 12volt outlet. it also has an air compressor, a light and battery cables so you can jumpstart your car. i usually charge the powerpack before a trip using the ac charger & use the solar panel as a trickle charger to the powerpack to help extend its useful power time.

works as a great alternative to those noisy generators as long as you use it sparingly. don't expect it to power your 1800 watt hairdryer. it's heavy, so keep it in the car. look for a 12 volt alternative to whatever appliance you want to use. they are out there, usually at rv stores.

the nicest way would be to follow the previous post & mount a second deep cycle battery in your car. this is what i plan to do once they qualify the power manager my the 2004 tacoma 4x4. it is qualified up to 2003.

Here is a link that might be useful: xantrex 300 plus portable powerpack
saintclare
Original Author
20 years ago
I drive a 94 Volvo 850 Turbo, and I am embarrased to say i want to use a fan while camping...just can't sleep without it. I am a zombie after a couple days of camping and my small battery operated one just doesn't cut it.
Thanks for the xantrex link, I will look that up also! Thanks
saintclare
Original Author
20 years ago
Ok, I found a 12v fan that draws 3 amps per hour at: http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?skunum=21314&tab=reviews

Could I use the xantrex 300 plus portable powerpack with this or the deep cycle battery/inverter option?
Nordic80
20 years ago
36 watts = 12 volts x 3 amps

xantrex
although they claim it's a 300 watt / 20 amp hour battery, you're going to experience much less practical use out of it. don't get me wrong, it is great to have when camping, but real world usage is going to be different than their lab tests. besides, the air pump has come in handy too.

it should work to power your fan. i use it to power a shurflo water pump and my led lights. i'm trying to rig a shower to my truck & it seems to work fine. the solar panel also works fine to power my pump.

the deep cycle battery / inverter should work as well, although you may not want to keep the battery in the area you're sleeping in. it vents toxic gases. even a sealed gel battery is questionable if it should be used in a sleeping area.
Campin_Fool
20 years ago
A Simple power system while camping. Here's my solution. Running everything on 12 volt DC seems simplest to me for camp site power. I use a 12 volt 19 amp hour garden tractor stored in one of those plastic ammo boxes w/ handle for storage. To recharge and maintain the voltage I use a 350 ma solar panel. If I start the trip w/ a full charged battery this system will have enough power to run my Zodi shower pump (2.0 amps draw) for two 10 min. showers a day, plus pump enough hot water to wash the daily dishes (about 10 min) with some juice left over to run a radio/CD player for 2 weeks of camping. I have a portable 12 VDC fan that draws 2.8 amps on high that I rarely use, I am sure this would discharge the battery in a few hours. This power supply is a compact unit w/ three quick connect automotive type 2 prong connectors to hook up the items that need power. I used a formula I found in a West Marine catalog to calculate the storage and recharge capabilities I needed for what I wanted to power. I think this formula is commonly available on a lot of internet sites, start by looking at West Marine. A Coleman Northstar is hard to beat for lighting. If I knew how post photos on this web site I would post few of this system.
Campin_Fool
20 years ago
Garden Tractor Battery, the fingers are a little slow on the uptake!!
tplife
20 years ago
Saintclaire, if you don't want to convert your vehicle to a 2-battery system as described above, Costco and large automotive suppliers sell a portable charging station. This will start your vehicle if you have a dead battery. The better one has 110V plugs as well as "cigarette lighter" plugs built into it. It can be plugged into any 110V outlet to recharge, or recharged off any car battery. I think these are the greatest things since sliced bread, are less than $ 100, and will power a light or radio or any low-wattage electrical devices for a long, long time. They are about the size of a lunchbox and weigh about 12 pounds.
tplife
18 years ago
BTW, these power stations are junk! Mine didn't last one year before battery exhaustion. They can't be both jump starters and power supplies as those are two entirely different types of batteries. I'm moving to a deep-cell Optima battery as a power supply with a DC converter that won't suck 5w off my battery like an inverter will.
cparkinson
18 years ago
hello everyone,
Great tips and I will have to check it out when I go out camping!!

Maybe I can even use it to power the pump to blow up the inflatable bed?

Enjoy the summer and gardening...bye for now.

Here is a link that might be useful: printer cartridges
rustyj14
17 years ago
Geez, if i had to go to all that trouble just to go camping out in the woods, I'd stay at home!
I thought folks went camping to get away from the problems, but here you are--talking about taking a whole mess of new problems with you--to worry about!
If ya need all that excess junk--better stay home!
pheyy
17 years ago
I agree, it's an another problem to think.. Camping doesn't need solar or any power for lights and gadgets. Camping is an experience to live outdoor, without electricity it's an experience.

Here is a link that might be useful: Yellowstone Cabins
duc8ti
17 years ago
i get the 12volt/inverter hook up. can't a 24volt/inverter set up be used as well, supplying more power?
greenproducts
16 years ago
I do agree with you about the electricity in the woods, but you have to think about those emergencies situations. I just had a customer purchase the Gobe system. And she wanted it just in case her son gets bite by a snake or if a mountain lion comes around.

I think that we should not go to the woods to bring more problems with us, but we should use the wisdom we have to bring what is needed like solar power. Plus what if you fall and twist your ankle that you cannot walk and then you are up in the mountains and your girlfriend can't carry you, and it is getting dark. You would be crawling and then you would really be up a creek because you thought you wanted to be one with nature. And by the time you get back to the doctor, it will be really bad than if you just had that extra juice to make a emergency call to a ranger to helicopter you to a hospital.

Going into the woods is a place to relax and get away from problems. But so many people have actually died in the woods for numerous reasons and then some other couple come walking by two or three weeks later and see a dead body. And they have their phones and they call the police. Y

As you can see having solar power or batteries or even electronics in the woods is not bad, it is when we forget to mediate and quite our minds to the sounds of nature that we tend to forget where we are.

If you are looking for quality solar power, check out livecofriendly.com They carry solar power but also agree that we should think of a camping trip as a adventure with nature not electronics but also take safety and wisdom into consideration.

Here is a link that might be useful: Portable Battery Chargers
jerrywest_190jw
10 years ago
I need to use my CPAP machine on a 4 day hunting trip with no electricity what would work best for me I believe my machine is 60-80 watts
PRO
buy american flags for sale
10 years ago
Greatb summary of basic hook up .Invertor would work best with extra on Flag for yourcampsite board deep cycle battery
dorismolly
10 years ago
Just for your info, there's hundreds of solar panels that can be folded into a portable size in the market. My camping must is a suaoki solar charger with 2 USB ports. It's small and lightweight. Really great and it helps a lot when go camping out of grid.
esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
10 years ago
Solar panels don't produce enough power to run most appliances, maybe a cell phone charger. That is where the battery comes in. The solar panel is used to charge the battery between uses. The battery is able to store the power and output it at much higher power than drawing straight from the solar panel. The solar panel recharges the battery between uses. Then you are just limited to the capacity of the battery between charges. Most solar panels can supply enough power to charge at a 2amp to 4amp rate which is similar or higher than most "trickle" chargers which supply 1.5 to 2amps but could take a full day to fully recharge a fully discharged battery. I would suggest using solar panels that will put out 4 amps or more to ensure full charging between uses. Also, it would be advisable to use a "Deep Cycle" battery which are not as affected by deep drains as a regular car "Starting" battery would be.

solar power while camping?

hippy

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