During last year’s fighting in eastern Chad some NGOs found themselves trapped in their compounds without power. Running their generators attracted unwanted attention so they quickly ran down the satellite phones and laptops that they depended upon for communications. Fortunately there are more and more devices out there that can help if you find yourself in a similar situation.

I’ll forego a round up of external battery packs for mobile phones and other gadgets. There are too many of them out there and they are all more or less the same. Instead we’ll look at some greener options.

Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies’ HydroPak is billed as a clean and quiet alternative to lead acid battery packs and portable generators this innovative device combines fuel cell technology with a water activated energy storage cartridge. Not only will this have more than enough power to recharge your mobile phone it should be able to recharge your Motorola radio or satellite phone as well. Their brochure has all the details. Estimated pricing is USD 650.00 for the unit and USD 37.00 per cartridge.



The Medis Xtreme Portable Fuel Cell Charger is another fuel cell device. Its much smaller than the HydroPak but still produces enough juice to recharge your smart phone up to four times. You just need to unwrap it, squeeze it, and plug it in. The Xtreme Emergency Kit is currently retailing for around USD 50.00.

Lenmar’s PowerPort Solar Charger was recently announced at CES and should be available soon. The charger fits most mobile phones and can be recharged by the sun or by connecting it to a USB power outlet. Lenmar claims it will recharge your phone up to five times before it needs to be recharged. No word on pricing yet.

Kenisis makes the K2, a solar and wind powered mobile phone charger. If mother nature isn’t co-operating it can also be charged from the mains.

Hankey makes a hand crank mobile phone battery charger that looks interesting. No need for sunshine, just turn the crank.

If you need to recharge a laptop or satellite phone Brunton makes SolarRolls. These are essentially flexible solar panels that can be rolled up when not in use. There are three models depending on your power needs. The largest will charge a laptop. Prices range from USD 300.00 to USD 650.00.

An alternative is PowerFilm’s Foldable Solar Chargers. The largest (PowerFilm F15-3600) produces 60 Watts, enough to recharge a laptop or satphone and it folds up to roughly the size of a two inch stack of printer paper. Prices seem to vary a lot so shop around. I’ve seen the F15-3600 going for as little as USD 1000.00 and as much as USD 1,500.00.

If you have a MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air and deep pockets the Apple Ju!ce is worth a look. Its expensive but it comes with a free Element bag that’ll have you looking more like a stylish urban guerilla than an aid worker.

Some devices absolutely require conventional alkaline batteries. If you are using one of these you might want to take a look at Fuji’s new EnviroMAX line-up. These batteries are supposed to be landfill safe as they do not contain mercury, cadmium, nor PVC packaging.

Finally, if you are a DIY type or find yourself trapped in the middle of Chad with nothing but a soldering iron, some wires, and an Altoids tin you might want to watch Three Portable USB Battery Packs You Can Build.

Tags: Mobile Phones, Tools