Before Far Horizon’s 2019 Photo Tours, we posted about testing and planning for power in the Himalayas for a group of five photographers and guides. So how did that go?
In a word: Swimmingly!
In the end we had two RAVPower 24 Foldable Solar Panel and two RAVPower 26,800mAh Power Packs for guests to use. Why two packs for five people (plus a guide makes it six)? Because two of the guests brought their own panel and power packs.
Two guests shared a power pack between them and the fifth guest had their own unit. FHPT guides and Sherpas carried the solar panels on their backpacks during the day or they were laid out when not trekking. In some locations, like Namche Bazaar, we had power in our rooms and that helped.
But for approximately a week of trekking we relied solely on the panels and power packs.
While the packs were intended for camera battery charging, most guests (and the author included) used them to charge cell phones. Let’s face it, the cameras on phones get a lot of use because they are so easy and handy.
The USB charger for camera batteries (such as this version for Canon) were very helpful and efficient in getting that power out of the power pack and into the cameras battery. It’s nice not having to use a traditional AC adapter because there is not a lot of AC higher up in the Himalayas!
It also helped that during the trek up to Gokyo, our backs were always to the sun, with ample hours of charging each day.
As the technology progresses, ensuring ample wattage on the trail for modern cameras and phones will only become easier. We are happy with the solution and so were our guests!
While we aren’t heading to the Himalayas in 2022, we do have a cultural tour planned! 14 days visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the cultural diversity of Nepal.
For the adventurous, that tour can be combined with our 2022 Bhutan Photo Tour.
