Adventure Tech: BirkSun Solar Backpacks

As rechargeable battery technology improves, more and more gear manufacturers are incorporating the power cells into our outdoor gear. Now days it is not uncommon for our headlamps, GPS devices and altimeter watches to all have lithium batteries keeping them powered up for our excursions into the backcountry. Not to mention our iPods, mobile phones and tablets. All of those items makes travel more convenient than ever before, but in order for those devices to be anything but dead weight, we need to find a way to keep them charged while away from home.

Thats where the BirkSun Solar Backpacks can come in handy. BirkSun offers two different packs, in two different colors, that range in price and size. Each of the packs has a built in solar panel and a built in battery pack. That battery pack can be either charged from a wall outlet at home or from the sun as you head out for the day. Whenever your gadgets need a recharge, you simply plug it into the battery pack, which stores 2400 mAh of power. That's enough to juice up your iPhone or Android device a couple of times.

The packs are reasonably priced at $125 and $150 and begin shipping in April.