TreeHugger Picks: Solar-Powered Bags (and a Jacket)
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04. 3.06
Now that Daylight Savings Time has arrived, it's time to get out and derive the maximum benefit from that extra hour of sunlight every day. Most of us are busy people, with places to go and people to see, so here are our favorite ways to do solar on the go and keep cell phones, PDAs, mp3 players and even laptops charged up without having to leave your gear behind.
1) Voltaic Systems has a great backpack and assorted other bags for hauling your stuff and soaking up the sun (you can even turn it in to a solar-powered wifi hotspot).
2) Solarstyle's mini messenger bag is perfect for traveling light and using light to power your gizmos.
3) The Scott Solar SeV jacket is perfect for days when you need to recharge but don’t feel like dragging a backpack or messenger bag around.
4) The Power Purse offers solar functionality when other bags are too big.
5) Reware's bag is a hybrid daypack/shoulder bag that'll even charge some laptops!
6) Eclipse offers both a messenger bag and backpack so you can pick: one shoulder or two.
It would raise awareness of solar power, to have a solar panel on your back or bag, like a logo prited on a tshirt. The amount of actual energy generated by one of these products would be disappointing though. The largest of these may be enough to keep a cellphone charged. I would get one though, to raise awareness.
Oh wow, this DOES sound incredible, and particularly convenient for anyone who always has a bunch of gadgets in his or her bag! I wonder if these bags will ever show up in my part of the world. It's summer where I currently am, and it's the perfect time to take advantage of bags like these!
Yes, but where are the bicycle panniers?
Hey, what about that solar denim jacket?
What I would really like to see is a DIY kit to add small solar panels to a bag you currently own, or small panels you can affix to a board that you mount outside a window to power something small (alarm clocks, cell phones, etc).
These products are great, but I unforunately spend a large amount of my day indoors and my commute in the subway. so another small scale, solar device for home would be excellent.
Overpriced and stupid looking.
Only a tool who needs to make a show of everything would buy one.
Mike, I have a backpack like that. My solar bicycle lights are attached to my backpack. Cost me $45 bucks for a solar powered flashing red LED ($15) and a steady white LED ($30). They look real good next to my home-made Solar Is Civil Defense button.
You can see video of my system at http://solarray.blogspot.com
And there's even more such solarpowered bags coming from all parts of the world --> e.g. switzerland :-). Watch out for www.sakku.ch. The bag is made of sails and flexible solarpanels.