Power Hungry

Good Morning Everyone!

As you all know, technology can be an amazing contribution to our lives and at the same time, be a royal pain in the ass. Although I will be on my bicycle for a long period of time, I will not be completely off the grid. My electronic devices will keep me plugged it. I gathered all of the items I will be taking me on my journey and photographed everything, everything except for my phone which was needed to take the photo.

I enjoy the functions of all of these luxuries, but I will not have the luxury of plugging them into to cigarette lighter of a vehicle or into the wall of a building. Fortunately, technology includes power packs and solar chargers, all using USB cords. Let me give you a quick run down of the items that will be traveling with me…

My Nikon D5200 camera speaks for itself. Along with my camera comes 2 extra battery packs, 2 extra memory cards, a 110/12 volt battery charger and a telephoto lens (not in photo).

Also along for the ride is a Samsung Notepad which is approximately 5″x 8.5″ and a bluetooth keyboard of the same size to make typing easier. Both have permanent batteries, but can be charged with 110 volts or 12 volts. They are much easier to travel with than a laptop when size and weight are important.

Next on the list is my Ipod. Yes, this Ipod Mini is an antique, but I’ve kept it for the very good reason that I found an Ijet remote control setup that only works with this model. The reason is, the headphone socket is on the top of the Mini rather than next to the charging port as newer models are. The Ijet is a wonderful tool for my out of the ordinary modes of transportation. I’ve used this on motorcycle adventures and long bike rides. Having the remote velcro’d onto the handlebars allows me to not be “wired” to my vehicle. The Ipod can be in my jacket pocket with headphones plugged in and yet I am able to control play, pause, volume, previous and next song. It’s a wonderful toy!

As I mentioned, all of the above items need power. When the batteries die and you are in the middle of nowhere, that can be a problem. Battery packs are saviors in situations like that. I think I will only need these two small ones for this adventure. Both will recharge my phone, notepad, keyboard and Ipod.

Having battery packs is great, but even they need power. Fortunately, solar power has come a long way in size reduction / power capability. These two units will be strategically placed to be able to recharge themselves, the battery packs and/or my phone, notepad, keyboard and Ipod directly. They both have their own power storage as well, so all in all, I will have 4 battery packs available. The larger one at the top of the pic below is also a flashlight and has a hand crank on the side to be able to use the light at night.

Well, that sums up my need for power. Theoretically, this setup should suffice but the testing ground will be on the road between Anchorage, Alaska and Cabo San Lucas Mexico! Viva la power!

If you have not read my home page yet, explaining how and why I’m riding my bicycle thousands of miles, go to: http://www.AKtoCabo.com

Have a Great Day!