Wind Powered IPod and Cellphone Charger

When traveling self contained  keeping your cellphone and iPod charged is always a problem. My problem has gotten worse this year since I stopped reading anything but electronic books.  The nice thing about electronic books is that you can carry as many as you want and they are still smaller and lighter than a paperback book. You can also read them at night in your tent without a flashlight. The bad news is I need to recharge my iPod Touch frequently.

My son suggested I get a solar charger. But I found on the solar site and even more interesting way to charge your cellphone or iPod while cycling … a mini  wind turbine. They even have a bicycle mount.

The claim is that an hour of cycling is enough to charge the 1200 mAh battery that then charges your cell phone or iPod. I plan to try it out this summer and will update you on how well it works. Check out for your self at Sundance Solar.

Tips: Recumbents and Trailers

BicyleR Evolution – The Shopper

There are times when you need to tote more than you can comfortably carry on your bicycle, even a long wheel base recumbent designed for self contained touring. That is when you need a trailer.

I used a trailer for all of my European Tours and for Newfoundland and Labrador. I didn’t use one for any of my trips in the South, the West or Quebec because I have trimmed down the size and weight of what I carry when Touring. However, I will be using my trailer again for grocery runs now that the weather is better.

Let’s discuss when to use a trailer and what types of trailers work best for touring: