We’re having a hard time remembering our last great family vacation! With gas prices the way they are, it’s hard to find the perfect destination for a family of four that’s close to home, loads of fun, and doesn’t cost a fortune. After thinking about where we wanted to go, and getting all everyone’s opinions, we decided to dust off the old tent and have a go at a real-live, weeklong camping fest! The only problem is that I’m self-employed and can’t afford to stop working even during vacations, so like it or not, I’ve got to drag some technology along on the trip. But how do I stay plugged-in when I’m outdoors?

The first challenge is finding a spot at or near the campground with wi-fi capabilities. That’s actually not too difficult these days, when every place from the public library to the local Panera Bread is wired. A bigger problem, however, was keeping all of my gadgets charged throughout the week without being able to plug them into the car-charger. So I did a little homework and discovered that there are solar battery chargers out there for all kinds of gadgets and devices, some of which I didn’t even know existed!

Portable Multi-function USB Solar Battery Panel Charger for Cell Phone MP3 MP4 U $4.90

15 Watt SOLAR Panel Battery Tender Charger Maintainer Car/RV/Bus/Semi DELTRAN $129.00

NEW 2600mAh Solar panel USB Power Battery Charger for CellPhone MP3 MP4 Camera $9.50

Solar Panel Battery Charger for Boats etc Brand New $42.66

Solar Panel Battery Charger for Boats Caravans etc NEW $47.41

For my purposes, I was excited to find a nifty little product on the Internet called the Solio. For hand-held electronics, it’s the mother of all solar battery chargers. It can provide a charge for everything in my briefcase: my cell phone, iPod, PDA –- even the GPS unit that’s going to keep us from getting lost as we explore the coast of Maine on our camping trip. And this particular solar battery charger fits right in my pocket, which makes it a must-have for all the tech-happy wanderers out there.

Solar battery chargers aren’t just limited to small electronics either. I can of course recharge batteries of all shapes and sizes, like AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, and even the tiny ones for hearing aids! Plus, I can also buy a charger for the lithium-ion batteries that are widely used in digital cameras. This is an absolute must, because we always end up taking about a million pictures while we’re on vacation. There are also solar battery chargers for cars and RVs, as well as weatherproof, collapsible marine panels for boats, which I’m sure will come in handy for lots of folks out there.

RoadPro RPSL-350 12V 1.5 Quart Slow Cooker $26.15 Roadpro 12-volt 1.5 Quart Slow Cooker - Roadpro RPSL-350....

Freeloader Pico Solar Rechargeable iPhone Charger $29.99 Freeloader PICO is a compact and lightweight solar charger designed for people on the move! Using advanced solar cell and lithium ion battery technologies, PICO will charge its internal battery in double quick time. It then takes only 30 minutes to deliver its power to give a mobile phone, iPod or GPS etc etc. Freeloader PICO is supplied with four connection tips, a master cable and a comprehensiv...

Apple iPhone 4 GSM 4S OEM Powermat Wireless Charging System PMM-1P4-B19 $24.50 OEM Powermat Wireless Charging System PMM-1P4-B19 Now charging your iPhone 4 is as simple as setting it down! Complete solutions are pre-pack bundles pairing a Powermat one position charging mat and a receiver to provide a seamless upgrade to wireless charging. Charge your iPhone 4 with the Powermat 1Xi and Receiver Case for iPhone 4. Powermat 1X Wireless Charging MatSMALL PROFILEFITS ANYWHEREThe ...

Jump-N-Carry JNC300XL 900 Peak Amp Ultraportable 12-Volt Jump Starter with Light $112.51 A great combination of power and portability, the JNC300XL packs the punch of 900 Peak Amps of starting power into a unit that weighs just 9 lbs. to start virtually any passenger vehicle. This store-anywhere, use-anywhere unit features Clore PROFORMER battery technology, specifically designed for vehicle jump starting. It also features a flashlight to aid in nighttime and other emergency jump sta...

Sunforce 7 Amp Charge Controller $17.36 The Sunforce 60012 7 Amp Charge Controller prevents overcharging of 12-volt batteries. It is intended for use with 12-volt solar panels, and can handle up to 7 amps of array current and up to 100 watts of solar power. The controller is easy to use with a charging light that indicates that your battery is charging, and a green light that indicates a fully charged battery. The 60012 measures 4 x 1 x...

In the end, I invested in solar battery chargers for all of my hand-helds and for the car as well. Doing so truly helped make my vacation worry-free, since I knew I’d be able to stay connected and keep pace with the demands of my business no matter how far off the beaten path we traveled!

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