Solar chargers for phones?

[Kacie123]

Right - since in the event of an actual emergency the one thing I'd do is turn straight to my mobile, I've been thinking of ways to charge it.

I know that mobile grids would probably be overloaded etc if it was a real disaster, but am vaguely thinking I'd still want to try. Also might be a way to save on electricity costs in general if cheap enough as I have to charge the bloody thing every day.

So ... Anyone got any they use and like, and would they work in the sunless UK? (Like this for example?)

The only solar charger we had took forever to charge the phone. They might be better now.

This article is interesting as to why mobile networks stop working in an emergency. It is worth trying a text instead of a call.

www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2013-04-16/why-cell-phone-networks-fail-in-emergencies

That's one of the many reasons we still have a landline.

Why not go for a wind-up charger, Kacie? A friend of mine got one for us and it seems robust enough. (Although, as you suggested, the networks might well go down for a period of time.)

Ooh will look into a wind up one, that's a good idea!

Yes we have a landline too. Just thinking that if we did end up outdoors it would have to be portable.

Am also assuming possibly wrongly given the rubbish signal in our area that emails, calls through Skype, Facebook etc could be accessible; in the horrible Paris attacks the first we heard from one relative we all worried about was on Facebook through the "check-in". Never thought I'd be grateful for Facebook before!

I saw a picture of one, once.