O
ur latest Solar Backpack is shipped! Just before I sent it off to its lucky new owner, I remembered to snap some photos. I’ve been reluctant to send this off because well, its so awesome! I’ve been “field testing” it for the last few weeks. With a built in solar-powered battery pack connected to a USB cellphone charger (accessible under the cap switch) its one’s own personal power day-pack.
Best of all is the built in light that is activated by turning the cap tighter.
At first, when I added this feature, I thought it was a little bit silly– what would be the use of a light on the side of your bag? However, walking at night on the un-lit pathways of Sagada, the value was perfectly clear– and so was my way! I would just remove the backpack, hold it by the straps and use it as my perfectly handy-flash light. Unpacking in a dark room, I’d keep the light on as a handy ambient light. Then, when biking at night, the Red LED proved its value over and over again. There are no street lights on the Mountain Province highways– so the red light proved invaluable as a rear safety light.
I am getting ready for the next round of solar backpack making. It will take several months to order the panels, weave the bags, get me back to the Philippines to oversee the circuitry, but, the intention for is set– I want one myself!
Anyone else? Let me know if you want one and we’ll make it happen together.
Hand made from rainforest rattan in the ancestral traditions of Barlig and Sagada, Coordilleras, Philippines.
I am super excited about the next round of development! The back pack will add a kinetic generator (so it will also charge through piezo-kinetic harvesting) as the back bounces with your strides. More powerful solar panels, and it will add a OTG USB drive circuit (so that when you plug your phone to the cap port to charge, you can also access the bag’s 16GB flash drive on your tablet).
This way you can say to your friends when you see them pull out an old-school flash drive from their nylon backpack: “Dude! What? Your backpack doesn’t have a hard-drive? Well… please tell me it at least charges your phone and is biodegradeable?!”
