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Gear Review: Solar Powered Backpacking Gear
Five of our favorite solar items to make your next trip brighter, safer, and less stinky
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Tags:
- Gear |
- Water filtration |
- Backpacks |
- Solar |
A headlamp built into a hat with no batteries to change
Just like a waterproof towel or glow-in-the-dark sunglasses, a solar-powered light seems almost like a punchline, but this hat/headlamp mashup works great. The cap itself is made super lightweight wicking microfiber with mesh sides for ventilation, is easily adjustable, and does a good job keeping the sun off your face. If you sweat up a storm you can hand-wash the hat, just don’t submerge the panel on top of the brim. The two super-bright LEDs built into the underside of the brim are angled perfectly for camp chores or walking. The single on/off button under the brim also works as a dimmer, which is handy both for reading and for extending the burn time. A full day (8 hours) of sunlight will provide around 3 hours on full power and 36 hours on dim. The beam doesn’t reach quite far enough for off-trail scrambling or last long enough if you do a lot of all-night hiking, but I never had the lights go out on me through over a week of trail time and found it best for wearing around camp.
The Specs:
$40
3.8 oz.
2clight.com
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READERS COMMENTS
it didnt switch on for me...took it back to the store, tried 3 more reutrns, still didnt work....
Backpackerzac- The manufacturer doesn't recommend water over 120 for the cap, and over 150 for the BPA-free bottle (included with the Lightcap 300 model). They said the plastic *may* deform slightly.
As for freezing temps (I'm assuming that's the root of your temp question), what happens with any bottle is the moisture freezes between the threads, which can make the cap be frozen on, or can sometimes deform the cap and make a small gap, but that can happen with any bottle. It's not any more or less likely with the Lightcap.
Steve- The shower head is threaded/screw-on. I actually carried it about 1/2 mile inside my pack (loaded with water) and none leaked out.
Does the shower head on the solar shower have a good shut off valve? I own a different brand that has a leaking problem with the push/pull valve.
Will the lightcap withstand boiling temperatures and is it leakproof in all temps?
...eh, maybe not for through hiking, but perhaps for surfing.
This I like. As a throat cancer survivor with radiation fried salivary glands and no spit I will be able to find my W/B at night without fumbleing around the tent.
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