Solar Camping
| Solar Resources Renewable Energy |
One stop at the local outdoors store, or a quick look at their catalogue, shows that many traditional camping products such as tents, lanterns and stoves are solar adaptable.
Most of these items sell for less than one hundred dollars, and offer the same advantages as their non-solar counterparts, without the hassle of needing battery or kerosene refills.
With a little imagination, and an investment in a portable, lightweight, solar powered generator, solar camping can easily move from the traditional roughing it experience to a high-end outdoor excursion.
The key to a pleasant, high-end solar camping excursion starts by matching the portable solar generator with consumer gadget preferences. Many solar-powered generators are designed to be compatible with today's specialty made twelve volt appliances such as flat screen televisions, coolers (semi-refrigerators), heaters or fans.
Don't like solar ovens? Bring a twelve volt stove, popcorn maker, coffee pot, microwave oven and/or toaster oven on the trip for a taste of home made cooking away from home.
What about family members allergic to the dirty outdoors? Packing a solar shower, twelve volt curling iron and hair dryer are often sufficient to keep even the most finicky stay at home proponents happy.
Can't live without your laptop? Some portable generators can easily be adapted to power them up. Add a wireless broadband network and you are good to go as long as the sun shines and the broadband bars are visible.
Whether you choose a low-end or high-end solar camping option depends on whether you want to get away from it all, or bring some of it with you. Either way, solar camping comes close to being a zero emissions camping experience.
© 2007-2009. Patricia A. Michaels