I'm happy to report that I'm on my third week of running my cell phone on nothing but solar power.  While the overall impact on my carbon footprint is negligible, it gives me a geeky thrill to know I haven't plugged the thing into a wall socket since early mid-May.  Ditto for my iPod.

The contraption that made it all possible?  The Power Monkey.  That's right, the Power Monkey.  I enthusiastically endorse this little gem.  It comes with a dozen or so adapters that will allow you to charge a metric boatload of different devices.  Here are a few things you need to know about using the Power Monkey.

The device consists of two parts: the clamshell solar panels, and the battery unit.  You actually use the panels to charge the battery unit, then use the battery unit to charge your devices.  You CAN plug your device directly into the solar panels, but I haven't messed with that.

The fully charged battery unit holds enough juice to charge your phone a couple times.  The documentation says "about three times" but in the real world, count on a couple charges.  To get a full charge on the battery unit, you need to leave it in full sun all day.  So if you have a nice sunny spot, put the charger there in the morning, and retrieve it at night to do your charging.

Tip: the unit is very rugged, but I'm not sure how much moisture the battery unit can take.  I like to leave the Power Monkey outdoors to charge, so I just put the battery unit in a ziplock bag.

If you get in the habit of charging up the Power Monkey regularly, it'll keep you juiced.  It's a morning routine for me now --- put on the coffee, have a shower, put the Power Monkey out to charge. 

(You can also charge the battery unit with a wall or USB adapter (both included) in a pinch, and the wall adapter comes with foreign outlet adapters.)

DISCLAIMER: We get no kickbacks for this endorsement (but if the company would like to offer us one, you can reach us here) . . . It's just true enthusiasm!  Your results may vary.  Tax and title are extra.  See dealer for details.