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"I still can't quite get over the technology and subsequent autonomy it provides!" on by TheWanderer...
Pros: Free Energy! Great backpack design. Great for the environment. Allows you to operate electronics in remote areas. You can leave all your power adapters at home.
Cons: Takes a while to charge. You will most likely need to purchase various adapters for your electronics.
Summary: I am simply amazed by this thing.
The design is great, very stylish. The panels and wiring take up very little space, thus you get the benefit of free energy + space.
I haven't had too much time to experiment with it, but I did successfully charge my iPod with it so it works! It takes a while to charge via the sun, but come on, it's free and clean energy! If you manage the battery life of your electronics right, you should have no problems.
I have no real issues with the pack, and am completely blown away by it. However, you probably will end up buying adapters for most of your respective devices. My iPod ran fine on the USB adapter they included. I was forced to purchase a (3rd party) $30 battery/car charger unit for my digital camera and a $15 car charging unit for my cell. It seems if all else fails, you can hook up your device somehow through the car charger, but you will have to have the specific adapter for the device, not the one they give you.
The other beautiful thing is, if you have a few electronics, you can leave their power adaptors at home and basically run 'em all from the pack. I did say you will probably have to purchase adapters for your devices, these adapters still probably will be smaller than the AC/DC outlet power adaptors you normally use. -
"I charged my iPhone in 4 hours!!" on by appletime
Pros: This is hands down the best-working, most powerful solar charger/battery combo on the market. It's clear that whoever designed the bags did so with the thoughtful intention to get the most power per square inch.
Cons: It's attached to a bag I don't particularly like the looks of. They should come out with a stand-alone charger.
Summary: From the recycled PET fabric to the high-powered solar cells and battery, this is the real deal solar solution. If they can come out with non-bags that are just as powerful, then GREAT.
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"Fricken Awesome!" on by File13
Pros: Really customizable, tons of pockets, well made, ergonomic and really comfortable
Cons: can't charge laptops, draws attention, price tag
Summary: Pretty damn cool! I love mine
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"This backpack was built as if it was meant for me." on by yung_dai
Pros: Amazing amount of plugs great for any gadget I currently use.
Cons: The depth of the bag is smaller than I would have liked it to be. Bit pricey to be paying for a backpack. Stylings are a bit conservative.
Summary: This is a great bag for me as I use a lot of devices and usually carry a lot of plugs in my bad to take with me when travelling to work or abroad. I used it to keep my iPod, Blackberry, Nintendo DS Lite (bought a USB adaptor for it), PSP, and a pair of JBL portable speakers for on the go use.
If you're a complete geek this bag is for you. The stylings are a bit conservative for my taste, and I don't know why they didn't have all the colours available for the solar panel for all the bags. I would have prefered orange instead of green but it wasn't available for this size. I swear having at least five colours wouldn't have killed Volatic. Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, Black anyone?
All in all a pretty good value, not the best value for my buck but it has great geek cred.
Voltaic Backpack user reviews (silver)
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