These 6 backpacks are a bit different than you average backpack; they all contain solar panels!

I have tons on electronic gadgets I like to carry around, but keeping them all charged is a pain. Not only will these bags give you plenty of room for you gadgets, but the sun will charge them. They also all have internal batteries to store unused power, so you can even charge at night.

They range quite a bit in features and in price, and I recommend going for a cheaper one unless you want enough power for something like a laptop. If you do want to compute everywhere though, some of the higher-end bags can be a lifesaver!

Our roundup of the best 6 solar backpacks available after the jump.

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We’ve covered dozens of solar powered gadget chargers in the past, all charging your popular gadgets through USB cables or other special cable. So far however, we haven’t seen a solution to provide an actual outlet.

The Earthtech Portable Power Kit is marketed as a gree way to charge your laptop, and it does do a great job of this. A fully charged battery will run a 25w laptop for about 6 hours.

It’s much more than just a laptop charger however. It provides both a 12V DC outlet, and a 115V AC outlet for charging any other device or appliance. TV, Phone, Computer, Radio, etc. All can be powered by the battery.

Here’s a list of examples of operating times when running off battery power:

Approximate Operating Times for 115 Volt Products:

• Cordless Telephone (5 Watts): 40 Hours Operating Time
• Home Security System (5 Watts): 40 Hours Operating Time
• Clock Radio (8 Watts): 20 Hours Operating Time
• Portable Stereo (10 Watts): 15 Hours Operating Time
• Flourescent Work Light (14 Watts): 12 Hours Operating Time
• 5” Color TV (20 Watts): 8 Hours Operating Time
• Laptop Computer (25 Watts): 6 Hours Operating Time
• Table Lamp (40 Watts): 3.5 Hours Operating Time

Approximate Operating Times for 12 Volt DC Products:

• Cell Phone (6 Watts): 36 Hours Operating Time
• Fish Finder/Depth Sounder (6 Watts): 36 Hours Operating Time
• Bilge Pump (36 Watts): 6 Hours Operating Time
• Portable Cooler (30 Watts): 5 Hours Operating Time
• Car Vacuum (85 Watts): 1.2 Hours Operating Time

Pretty impressive times!

This can be incredibly valuable for emergencies, or just a small way to offset some of your electricity usage to a more green source.

The Power Kit was assembled by Earthtech from two different products. You can buy these two individually or as the kit to save some money.

The Battery pack is the XPower Powerpack 300 Plus, which Earthtech sells for $139.00

The Solar cell charger is the Sunlinq Portable Solar Panel Charger which Earthtech sells for $409.99

You can get these both in the Portable Power Kit for $478.95 (sale price).

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Well if that isn’t a terribly chosen name for a cool ecogadget, I’m not sure what is. Thankfully, the “Power Monkey” is cool enough to make up for it.

The charger does charging a bit differently than other charger’s we’ve talked about. It charges a battery pack which you can then use to charge your devices. You can still use the solar charger directly without the battery pack, but you’ll be thankful for a charged pack in the middle of the night when your iPod dies as well. 2 ways to charge your devices? Great improvement!

Additionally, this solar charger comes with almost any kind of connector you’d ever need, even USB to charge your iPod.

More information and photos after the break.

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 Solar gadget chargers are a dime a dozen, some are better than others, but they’re all the same basic idea.

Well let me introduce you to another take on green gadget charging: wind power. The HYmini wind power charger uses wind, the often forgotten green technology, to generate electricity to charge your devices. Perfect addition to your bike, car, or even your backpack on a windy day.

It can even be used at night!

Treehugger sums up all the performance information in a quote from Swept Away Media:

“Spend an hour outside in the sun with HYmini and you’ll get enough power for 2 full hours of MP3 playtime. Ride your bike for an hour, with HYmini strapped on your arm, or mounted on the handlebars, and you’ll have enough power for over 50 digital photos or about 15 extra minutes on your cell phone. Mount HYmini on a car window, drive about 40 MPR, and you’ll generate enough power to listen to over 8 hours of music on your MP3 or chat on your cell for over 40 minutes.”

Not bad for free energy!

Of course, if you’re riding your bike, you’ll get power as long as you’re moving. Great way to soundtrack a bike ride!

via Treehugger & EcoGeek

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