Gear Review: Sunferno Flintstone Solar Charger

by Todd Walker

Offers to review products come across my desk (a.k.a. ~ email inbox) a lot. I rarely agree to try products because, quite frankly, half the gear I see in the prepper, survival, and outdoor adventure community fits into my “Shiny Object Survival” category… flashy but not practical.

Then the CEO of Sunferno sends me this 6 ounce, pocket-size solar charger to review in exchange for an honest review. I was reluctant at first due to my very low geek quotient. Tech stuff needs to be very simple for us to get along.

Sunferno Flintstone Solar Charger

I know many of you see the benefit of owning a simple, affordable source of renewable solar energy for outdoor adventures and emergency preparedness. Here’s a two-word game-changer: cell phone. The main reason I carry my phone to the woods is to snap photos of nature. It’s also a handy tool in case you ever need to call for help… if cell service is available.

I recently attended a stalking/tracking class led by Mark Warren at his primitive school of earthlore in Dahlonega, Georgia called Medicine Bow. (I’ll share details of my experience in a later post.) I arrived late Friday, set up camp, and realized my iPhone was only half charged. I had forgotten my car charger.

I know. I was unprepared with my gadgets.

Dirt Road Girl knew there would be no cell service in the remote mountains of the Chattahoochee National Forest . She knew not to expect a call or text. But I needed my phone camera for the weekend class. I took lots of pics during Saturday’s stalking class and ran the phone battery into the red zone. No way would 18% get me through Sunday’s tracking school.

After the first day of class, I connected my phone to the Sunferno charger at 7:00 p.m. and practiced my new obsession – hand drill fire craft – and cleaned up for a relaxing evening in my hammock watching nature’s TV. An hour and a half later, my phone was almost fully charged.

Here’s my video review of the Sunferno solar charger…

The Flintstone comes with a USB cord for charging the battery pack initially from a computer port or a wall outlet adapter. A green LED light shines in the left top corner indicating the battery pack is charging. Once all four blue LED bars glow, the lithium battery is fully charged. Toss it in your pack for your next outdoor adventure. It weighs only 6 ounces and is only slightly larger than my iPhone. Be sure to bring a compatible charging cord for your device(s).

By the way, the two USB ports allows you to charge two external electrical devices at the same time.

It’s best to fully charge the battery pack beforehand. The solar panel is meant to be used as an emergency backup charging method. You may not have a sunny day.

Water-Shock-Dust Proof and Smart

While the charger isn’t bomb proof, the rugged design protects from shock, water, and dust. I tested the charger by dropping it from waist height in the creek near camp. It was submerged for 5 minutes while I attended to personal hygiene tasks. After wiping off the moisture, I opened one of the two side USB port flaps and resumed charging my phone with no ill effects.

Smart technology is buried in this solar batter pack. It recognizes your particular device and sends the appropriate amount of current for charging as quickly as possible. Pretty smart!

There is also a small LED flashlight on the Sunferno Flintstone. I didn’t test to see how long it would burn on a fully charged battery pack. I’m guessing a very long time with LED’s energy efficiency. Hold the power button down for 2 seconds to turn on the light. Repeat to turn it off.

Having an off-grid source of emergency power and lighting has earned this smart, lightweight battery pack a spot in my Get Home Bag. It’ll be a perfect charging device for all my extended outdoor activities in the woods and on the water.

Honestly, I really like this charger! It’s lightweight, compact, durable, simple, and provides me with off-grid power when needed.

Price and Ordering

If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can pick this solar powerhouse up for under $40.00 with free shipping. Hard to believe solar technology is so affordable now!

Will you do me a favor?

Since I’ve never monetized my blog, I won’t receive the small commission if you order from the link below. However, my buddy, Patrick Blair from Survival at Home, has been a faithful friend to me and helps with technical issues on this blog without ever asking for any thing in return.

By ordering from the Amazon link below, you’ll be getting the Sunferno charger and a small commission goes to my friend who could use the extra income for Maggie, his special needs daughter. Thanks in advance!

Click on this link to order and help out ~>> Sunferno Flintstone Smart Solar Charger

Keep Doing the Stuff of Self-Reliance,

Todd

P.S. – You can also keep up with the Stuff we’re Doing on Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook… and over at the Doing the Stuff Network.

P.P.S – If you find value in our blog, Dirt Road Girl and I would appreciate your vote on Top Prepper Sites! You can vote daily by clicking here or on the image below. Check out all the other value-adding sites while you’re there… 

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Copyright: Content on this site (unless the work of a third-party) may be shared freely in digital form, in part or whole, for non-commercial use with a link back to this site crediting the author. All links in articles must remain intact as originally posted in order to be republished. If you are interested a third-party article, please contact the author directly for republishing information.

SunJack Solar Charger: Portable Prepper Powerhouse

by Todd Walker

I go to the woods to disconnect and unplug from the madness of modern life. Times of staring at nature’s off-grid TV as it warms my feet and heats my cocoa are too few and far between. As cliche as it sounds, it don’t get much better than this!

While I love to sit and document my dirt time adventures in my leather bushcraft journal, my scribbled notes don’t “upload” well to our blog. Electronic tools are more suited for this task.

Documenting dirt time in the wild is easy with electronic gadgetry… until the battery dies. As you are keenly aware, there are no electrical outlets in white oak trees. Bring extra batteries or… harness the solar energy to do the work for you.

If you enjoy unplugging in nature but want/need to carry electronic devices, here’s a simple, portable, renewable power source I think you’ll love!

I received the SunJack Phone (14 W) solar charger and CampLight USB Bulb to review. Out of the box I realized that this charger was simple to set up and use. I like simple! Plug in any USB device (camera, phone, iPod, tablet, etc.) into one of the two ports on the internal battery pack for quick wall-charging speeds. I topped off my iPhone as quickly as if I had plugged it into my wall outlet!

Here are some ideas on how to use this Portable Prepper Powerhouse…

Camping and Bushcraft

The two USB ports on the internal battery pack allow you to charge two devices or run that way cool CampLight which contains 8 LED bulbs. As a candling device, the CampLight’s illumination is equivalent to burning a 40 Watt bulb. That’s enough light to do camp chores, perform self aid, cooking, or reading your favorite book.

Handling sharp stuff in the dark is remedied with the CampLight hanging from my tripod!

Fire in the rain

Speaking of rain, the SunJack isn’t waterproof. I kept it covered with a contractor trash bag. SunJack offers plenty of accessories… one being a waterproof sleeve that maximizes the charging capacity while enclosed. Can’t do that with my trash bag. However, the CampLight suffered no ill effects from this wet test.

The SunJack weighs only 2 lbs. and folds up to the size of a iPad (actual folded size: 6.75″ x 9.25″ x 1.75″). It can be unfolded and attached to your backpack with several rugged loops and the two cheap carabiners that are included. Or simply prop it up on the ground in full sun to recharge at basecamp.

Oh, note to GigaWatt, Inc., a way to make us outdoor types even more happy would be to add a dimmer switch on the On/Off toggle located on the 7 foot cord. This one tweak would allow for longer burn times and give just the amount of ambiance for certain situations.

Emergency Preparedness

If you’re head lamps and flashlights use AA and AAA batteries, SunJack sells a USB charger for NiMH and NiCd rechargeable batteries ($9.95 for Amazon Prime members). It would be wise to transition all your gear to run on rechargeable AA/AAA’s. Keep in mind that those round nickel-sized batteries are hard to find. Keep it simple.

Being a simple man, I’m totally impressed with the 2 Watt CampLight. I intended to finish this review before Christmas. However, I agreed to build a covered wagon bed for a friend’s 6 year-old son. In a grid down situation, this little light (3.5 ounces) offers 340 lumens of brightness. Below is a photo of one wagon wheel roughed in. The CampLight was powered by my laptop in my shop. Here’s the best part… the price ($14.95 for Amazon Prime members). Order several for emergency lighting options.

Welcome to the 40 Watt Club

Vehicle Kit

Spread the charging panels on the dash board on your next road trip. Either connect directly to your device or recharge the battery pack. Depending on the sun and direction of travel, the battery pack can be completely charged in 3 to 5 hours.

Use the carabiner to clip the CampLight to the hood latch

As mentioned previously, the entire system folds up to the size of an iPad in a OtterBox case for convenient storage options. With one of the extra CampLights in the glove box, you’ll be able to change a tire or repair a water hose at night if need be.

Self-Reliance

Self-reliance is about decreasing dependence on others and building independence. This Portable Prepper Powerhouse is a good first step in that direction.

The SunJack Phone (14 W) solar charger with one 8,000 mAh fast-charge battery pack retails for $150.00 on their website… but Amazon Prime members get free shipping. Can’t afford one? SunJack is giving away this exact charger each month on their site. Scroll to the bottom of their page and you can enter to win one.

It’s rugged enough for hiking, camping, travel, hunting, fishing, and any other off-grid adventures. If you’re looking for a simple solar solution, I’d recommend SunJack!

Keep Doing the Stuff of Self-Reliance,

Todd

P.S. – You can also keep up with the Stuff we’re Doing on Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, YouTube and our Facebook page… and over at the Doing the Stuff Network on Pinterest, Google +, and Facebook.

P.P.S – If you find value in our blog, Dirt Road Girl and I would appreciate your vote on Top Prepper Sites! You can vote daily by clicking here or on the image below. Check out all the other value-adding sites while you’re there…

Thanks for Sharing the Stuff!

Copyright: Content on this site (unless the work of a third-party) may be shared freely in digital form, in part or whole, for non-commercial use with a link back to this site crediting the author. All links in articles must remain intact as originally posted in order to be republished. If you are interested a third-party article, please contact the author directly for republishing information.