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For a few days, you can just bring a battery. They are much cheaper and more convenient. It is an interesting novelty, but it is just so heavy, bulky, and slo
by mattgrice 12y ago
For a few days, you can just bring a battery. They are much cheaper and more convenient.
It is an interesting novelty, but it is just so heavy, bulky, and slow that I am having trouble understanding who this would work for.
- swalberg 12y agoI could see this being handy on larger group camps. I'm a Scout leader and for a weekend camp will take a battery pack that will keep all our leader's phones charged for the weekend, but if it were any longer or wanted to give the neighbouring camps a charge, would need something solar or fuelled. From what I've seen of the solar stuff out there, most can't keep up with constant charging.
- mattgrice 12y agoAll the reviews I have seen seem to agree that it takes around 4 hours to for the BioLite fully charge an iPhone. For the same amount of weight you could carry 3 Anker 12,000 mAh batteries, which I believe would provide on the order of 15 charges, at a cost of $150. Unless you have scouts tending the BioLite constantly, I think it is definitely not a solution for groups.
- thret 12y agoFortunately scout labour is free :)
- hrjet 12y agoBut can the batteries cook your dinner?
- mattgrice 12y agoWell, it only boils water. For that purpose some competitors would be: - Backcountry Boiler, which is also wood-fueled and 1/4 the weight. - Jetboil Sol, half the weight including fuel canister. canister good for 20+ boils - alcohol or esbit burner + titanium cup and fuel - less than 1/3 the weight including fuel The only scenario I can think of where the BioLite makes sense is if you have no access to electricity for weeks at a time. Even then I think solar panels make more sense.