# Best way to power and e-reader on an island **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 13, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579 "2015-04-13T17:49:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/1 "2015-04-13T17:49:57Z")
Suppose you knew you were going to be stranded for a month on a deserted island. You fill your e-reader with 100 books, but then realize it needs charging regularly. Let’s suppose that, like my wife’s, it is intended to be powered through a USB port on a computer. You could bring with you some solar cells and the necessary circuitry or a small portable hand-powered generator, which I imagine you could crank while reading. What would be the best? The solar cells would need some circuitry and voltage regulation. The generator would need a rectifier and voltage regulation. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/2 "2015-04-13T17:53:26Z")
Why is this a question? Do you want to be continually using a hand crank while you’re reading and turning pages? Are there other criteria … weight? size? ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/3 "2015-04-13T18:09:37Z")
E Ink e-readers use amazingly little power (assuming you’ve got wifi, cell modem, the backlight, etc off.) Keeping the thing topped off with a crank-charger or solar panel wouldn’t be nearly the chore it would be with a smartphone or tablet. Here’s another exotic solution: the [FlameStower](http://www.rei.com/product/877622/flamestower-thermo-charger) which charges your device (slowwwwwwwwly, the reviews suggest) from any heat source like a fire or camp stove. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/4 "2015-04-13T18:09:39Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Why is this a question? Do you want to be continually using a hand crank while you’re reading and turning pages? [They actually do make hand-crank phone chargers](http://www.amazon.com/SOS-Charger-Hand-Crank-Emergency-Flashlight/sim/B002WRKZZ4/2), you know. I gave my sister one a few years ago to keep in her car in case of emergency. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/5 "2015-04-13T18:10:29Z")
I’d get a [Biolite Stove](http://www.biolitestove.com/), which seems to be a better solution vs solar. A lot of long distance hikers are using these, since they already have to carry a stove. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/6 "2015-04-13T18:38:09Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [They actually do make hand-crank phone chargers](http://www.amazon.com/SOS-Charger-Hand-Crank-Emergency-Flashlight/sim/B002WRKZZ4/2), you know. I gave my sister one a few years ago to keep in her car in case of emergency. I believe it, but if the’s a choice between a solar panel and a crank, I’d take the panel every time. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/7 "2015-04-13T18:41:38Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I believe it, but if the’s a choice between a solar panel and a crank, I’d take the panel every time. On an island, sure, but for a car take the crank. Faster, and it works at night. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/8 "2015-04-13T18:47:55Z")
Solar wins over a hand crank. I’ve had to use a hand cranked charger for a cell phone after a hurricane. Major suckage. The FlameStower that **GreasyJack** linked to of the BioLite linked by \*\*Telemark \*\*would be even better, allowing you to carefully charge while you sleep. Another option is the [Hydrobee](http://hydrobee.com/), if you have access to flowing water. I wonder how it would hold up to salt water as I have a decent current flowing along the shore at my home. It is still in the development stage but looks like they are taking orders. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/9 "2015-04-13T18:49:57Z")
I think your E-Reader is broken. It’s been a while since I’ve used mine, but I’m pretty sure my Kindle would get a month of (even heavy) use without dying. Even if it doesn’t, it certainly doesn’t need _constant_ charging. Even if you read 24 hours a day, I bet you couldn’t kill the battery (reading, not just flipping pages constantly) in less than a week. ISTM a solar charger would work just fine, you can find them on Amazon. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/10 "2015-04-13T18:59:28Z")
I have a solar charger at home. Folded up, it’s about the size of an iPad. Unfolded, it’s perhaps the size of a legal size piece of paper. I’d go for the solar charger. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/11 "2015-04-13T19:27:28Z")
would this be a tropical island with lots of sun or some rock in the north Atlantic? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/12 "2015-04-13T19:48:51Z")
I’ve got a solar powered battery bank a bit like this one: > **[Banggood Sitemap - Wholesale Sitemap - China wholesale](https://www.banggood.com/sitemap.html)** > > China wholesale Sitemap, dropshIP wholesale from China, Professional Chinese wholesaler for general merchandise on wholesale price. I’m reasonably sure the battery capacity rating is overstated, but the thing charges itself to about 60% after a day in full sunlight, then it can be used to charge phones etc overnight when they are not in use. Mine will just about keep my smartphone topped up, so it woukd very easily keep an e ink based ebook going even if it was only sunny once or twice a week. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/13 "2015-04-13T19:55:37Z")
100 books? Who wants to be stuck on an island with that small a library? Solar all the way. My Kindle DX will run for a solid week of several hours a day of reading on one charge, so a solar top-up would be easy. Let it charge while I’m fishing in the morning and I’m good, even during storm season. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/14 "2015-04-13T19:58:32Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I think your E-Reader is broken. It’s been a while since I’ve used mine, but I’m pretty sure my Kindle would get a month of (even heavy) use without dying. > > Even if it doesn’t, it certainly doesn’t need _constant_ charging. Even if you read 24 hours a day, I bet you couldn’t kill the battery (reading, not just flipping pages constantly) in less than a week. > ISTM a solar charger would work just fine, you can find them on Amazon. I have a Kindle Fire, and I get maybe 6 hours of reading on a charge, which is pretty close to what the documentaion said it would last. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/15 "2015-04-13T20:18:06Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I think your E-Reader is broken. It’s been a while since I’ve used mine, but I’m pretty sure my Kindle would get a month of (even heavy) use without dying. > > Even if it doesn’t, it certainly doesn’t need _constant_ charging. Even if you read 24 hours a day, I bet you couldn’t kill the battery (reading, not just flipping pages constantly) in less than a week. > ISTM a solar charger would work just fine, you can find them on Amazon. Mine gets 2-3 days with the wifi on, maybe a week when it is off. And that goes for every Kindle I’ve owned ( I’m on the 6th one now ). That is with the backlight off. I’ve discussed this with Kindle Tech support because it is my biggest disappointment with the Kindle so far. They told me their battery life estimate is based on 30 minutes of use a day. I think that is ridiculous. And once you’ve had the Kindle for awhile, like any device, the battery life gradually get shorter then it will drop precipitously. I had to trash my last Kindle because I couldn’t use it more than an hour without a charge, ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/16 "2015-04-13T20:58:41Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Mine gets 2-3 days with the wifi on, maybe a week when it is off. And that goes for every Kindle I’ve owned ( I’m on the 6th one now ). That is with the backlight off. > > I’ve discussed this with Kindle Tech support because it is my biggest disappointment with the Kindle so far. They told me their battery life estimate is based on 30 minutes of use a day. I think that is ridiculous. > > And once you’ve had the Kindle for awhile, like any device, the battery life gradually get shorter then it will drop precipitously. I had to trash my last Kindle because I couldn’t use it more than an hour without a charge, The thing with the E ink displays is that they only really use power when the display changes. The basic background processes don’t really take much energy so can run for months without a charge. Sometimes you see the battery life for them expressed in page turns, which is probably more useful. I think Amazon claims 7,500 page turns which depending on your font settings probably works out to something like 2 or 3 fat paperbacks. Burning through it in a few days of binge-reading is entirely within the realm of possibility. (Of course when the battery does die sometimes the E ink display just gets stuck on whatever the last thing you looked at was, which is invariably something embarassing.) > [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I have a Kindle Fire, and I get maybe 6 hours of reading on a charge, which is pretty close to what the documentaion said it would last. The Kindle Fire is pretty much just a tablet. It has the beefy computing hardware to run video and such as well as a thirsty LCD screen. The E ink readers like the original Kindle have much more basic computer components and the displays don’t use a ton of energy. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/17 "2015-04-13T21:03:32Z")
Why, I would have my valet handle those sorts of issues. Right after they bring me a Margarita. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/18 "2015-04-13T21:19:50Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > The thing with the E ink displays is that they only really use power when the display changes. The basic background processes don’t really take much energy so can run for months without a charge. Sometimes you see the battery life for them expressed in page turns, which is probably more useful. I think Amazon claims 7,500 page turns which depending on your font settings probably works out to something like 2 or 3 fat paperbacks. Burning through it in a few days of binge-reading is entirely within the realm of possibility. > . 2 or 3 books a week is average use for me - sometimes more or less depending on the size and difficulty of the book but that’s pretty much my average. And I tend to use the larger type sizes, which means more page turns. Not the HUGE 4 words to a page fonts but a size larger than the default - sometimes two if the default for the book is small. Yep, it sounds like I’m right about how much the battery life sucks. The “30 minutes a day” estimate that tech support gave me made me stabby, sometimes it’s like the Kindle team doesn’t understand people that read. Can you imagine if a portable gaming or video system gave a hugely exaggerated estimate of the battery life then said it was based on 30 minutes of use a day? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/19 "2015-04-13T21:45:37Z")
Hell if the Professor could figure out how to power their radio from coconuts and lime juice for several years with 1960’s technology, I’m sure you’ll be able to figure this out for 1 month. ---
**Author:** ![prettydorky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@prettydorky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prettydorky)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579/20 "2015-04-13T22:06:56Z")
I bought my husband a Kindle and [this](http://www.amazon.com/Levin-trade-Rain-resistant-Shockproof-authentic/dp/B00JEGLLHM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428962702&sr=8-1&keywords=solar+power+charger+usb), which he uses in his ancient old jeep that has no power adapters. It keeps his kindle going and his iphone occasionally. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-power-and-e-reader-on-an-island/717579.md?page=2)