The Power Monkey Explorer

I was recently given a great little product to test out in the field, designed for a for a power-hungry paddler, the Power Monkey eXplorer. It's a mini power storage unit that comes complete with a whole bunch of adapters for phones, iPods, PDA's & most USB chargeable products, with the added bonus for a kayaker of a tiny portable solar cell (the Solar Monkey, of course....) to top up power levels. For me, with an iPhone (just replacing a Blackberry), an iPod & a welter of other devices that charge by USB, it's a great addition to my travel or paddling kit, as it allows me to charge up my devices without having to carry a spare battery for each, or a bulky solar panel system with intricacies well beyond my limited electrical knowledge. You simply plug the Power Monkey into a mains for an hour, before you leave home, to return approximately 96 hours of standby on your mobile, 40 hours on your iPod, 5 hours on your games console, 48 hours on your PDA and 6 hours on MP3/MP4 players. According to the manufacturer "Ultra compact, tough and powerful, the powermonkey-eXplorer is water resistant and made from rubberised casing so can take whatever life throws at it, yet it remains the lightest, most versatile portable charger available today." I've been using mine now for more than 3 weeks, and I reckon I get three full charges out of my power-sapping iPhone, with a charged unit, as well as enough power to keep my iPod shuffle going for more than a week. It's compact, the solar chargers are very efficient, and I can't recommend it highly enough as a simple charging system. It won't charge your camera (unless you have one of the few on the market that charge through USB) or a VHF Radio, but nonetheless allows you to stay connected & powered up for the 2-3 day trips that in reality almost all of us undertake when we say we're going on an 'expedition'. You can buy the Power Monkey Explorer with the Solar Monkey through our online store for $149.00, including delivery.