Smartphone accessories
Perfectly prepared for trips and excursions
Far away from the socket civilization, portable solar panels are practical.
© Vitalii Nesterchuk / Shutterstock.com
Those who want to rely on their cell phone on excursions and trips rely on these accessories.
We have long got used to the fact that smartphones are now a camera, navigation device and flashlight in one. There are also useful apps to identify plants or estimate the weather. This is exactly why the devices are so useful on hiking, camping or cycling trips.
Always juice thanks to constantly increasing battery capacities
If there is no power connection for several days, that does not mean that you have to do without your cell phone. Power banks are now standard equipment, especially for nature lovers: storage capacities of more than 20,000 milliampere hours (mAh) are widespread, with most common smartphones that is enough for at least four full charges. Some of the portable batteries are even able to transmit the electricity wirelessly to the smartphone. Even connecting several devices to a power bank at the same time is no problem for many manufacturers.
Regenerative energies for your pocket
Because a power bank alone may not be enough on a longer trip and with intensive use, there are other practical accessories. With solar chargers, power banks, smartphones, e-readers and other electrical devices can be recharged using solar power. The portable solar panels are often foldable and no bigger than a tablet. If you only want to carry one additional device with you, you can take a look at combined devices, then the solar panel is built directly into the power bank.
If the sun is not shining or there is an acute need for electricity at night, thermoelectric generators are the help in an emergency. The small camping stoves convert the heat generated by combustion into electricity. The CampStove 2 from Biolite, for example, has an integrated battery with a capacity of 3,200 mAh. WaterLily makes use of the fact that not only fire, but also water and wind can be converted into electricity: If the turbine is installed in a water or wind flow, it generates enough electricity, depending on the strength of the flow, to reach a voltage of 12 volts – enough to charge your devices at the socket as usual.
Larger screen thanks to magnifying glass technology
Anyone who looks at their smartphone for a long time during the outdoor trip, on the train or in the back seat of the car may find use of so-called magnifiers. The portable display magnifiers enlarge the picture of the smartphone while maintaining the resolution. If you put a full HD mobile phone display behind the magnifying glass, you will have a screen that is at least twice as large in no time at all without additional power consumption or cable clutter. This is easy on the eyes and is particularly helpful when several people gather around the display.