31–40 of 72 posts
So basically, you can carry: - FlexSolar 40W panel: 1.35kg - Nitecore NB20000 ~75Wh battery: 300g - Starlink Mini: 1.1kg - Smartphone: 250g For 3kg you have something that should give 2-3 hours of Internet usage on an average EU/USA good weather day (assuming 20% solar panel for 10 hours = 80Wh/day, 25-35W power usage of Starlink Mini + smartphone). For each extra 1.65kg you get an additional 2-3 hours, resulting in…
So basically, you can carry: - FlexSolar 40W panel: 1.35kg - Nitecore NB20000 ~75Wh battery: 300g - Starlink Mini: 1.1kg - Smartphone: 250g For 3kg you have something that should give 2-3 hours of Internet usage on an average EU/USA good weather day (assuming 20% solar panel for 10 hours = 80Wh/day, 25-35W power usage of Starlink Mini + smartphone). For each extra 1.65kg you get an additional 2-3 hours, resulting in…
If you can live without Internet when backpacking, enjoy the outdoors! If you need it for whatever reason, this just cut the cost per megabyte by about 95% and the cost for the terminal by 99%. You'll probably also not hate LEO latencies compared to GEO.
Regular backpacker here. I don't want or need this. Literally we all use eSIMs and just have downtime occasionally, which is partially the point of it.
You deserve more upvotes. This will ineluctably lead to trails resemblimg subway cars, where people stare down and play TikTok videos full volume.
I didn't even have 4G there. I was just wifi hopping as and when I needed it.
Regular backpacker here. I don't want or need this. Literally we all use eSIMs and just have downtime occasionally, which is partially the point of it.
You deserve more upvotes. This will ineluctably lead to trails resemblimg subway cars, where people stare down and play TikTok videos full volume.
So basically, you can carry: - FlexSolar 40W panel: 1.35kg - Nitecore NB20000 ~75Wh battery: 300g - Starlink Mini: 1.1kg - Smartphone: 250g For 3kg you have something that should give 2-3 hours of Internet usage on an average EU/USA good weather day (assuming 20% solar panel for 10 hours = 80Wh/day, 25-35W power usage of Starlink Mini + smartphone). For each extra 1.65kg you get an additional 2-3 hours, resulting in…
Somehow I'm left thinking — I go hiking to get away from the internet.
I realize that some people don't have that luxury due to work or family obligations, but for these, doesn't affordably connectivity actually open up the possibility of spending extended time outdoors that they just didn't have before?
“In the US, Starlink Mini is an add-on to Residential plans — at least for now. The Mini kit costs $599 which is $100 more than the standard dish, and will cost an extra $30 per month to add the Mini Roam service to existing $120 Residential plans. That gives Starlink Mini users up to 50GB of mobile data each month, with the option to purchase more for $1 per GB…”
Last I checked, starlink was $50/month for the residential plan here in the Netherlands... that's quite a large difference.
Becomes abstract. In the short term, you will be able to use your iPhone 17 to utilize Starlink satellites. They have already done tests with the iPhone 15.
Starlink has indeed tested a video call to one phone, but you can probably do about 10-30 of these per cell until you max out the capacity (single-digit Mbit/s for everybody in a 15 mile or so radius).
For more, you need active steering and more powerful antenna arrays, which are also larger. Fitting that in a phone will probably take some time, and it might end up being awkward anyway (and slowly cook your hand/ear).
As a backpacker and avid hiker, no thank you. I go outside to intentionally avoid screens and the internet/connected world. Fortunately I can just not buy this and it won’t have an impact on my life.
Another interesting thing I’m curious about is if this would provide any benefits to SAR crews over traditional sat phones. I could potentially see some benefits there, maybe, but I guess time will tell.
Regular backpacker here. I don't want or need this. Literally we all use eSIMs and just have downtime occasionally, which is partially the point of it.
You deserve more upvotes. This will ineluctably lead to trails resemblimg subway cars, where people stare down and play TikTok videos full volume.
On the other hand, while this is less common (in my experience) in e.g. the alps, and people will probably reprimand you if you attempt it, I've heard some mind-boggingly loud, annoying conversations between hikers shouting across switchbacks in a large group so that everybody can hear as well. That doesn't even require a battery!
It's a social problem if anything, not a technological one. But realistically, the outdoors are pretty large – you can almost always just wait a few minutes and let people that bother you pass by.
So basically, you can carry: - FlexSolar 40W panel: 1.35kg - Nitecore NB20000 ~75Wh battery: 300g - Starlink Mini: 1.1kg - Smartphone: 250g For 3kg you have something that should give 2-3 hours of Internet usage on an average EU/USA good weather day (assuming 20% solar panel for 10 hours = 80Wh/day, 25-35W power usage of Starlink Mini + smartphone). For each extra 1.65kg you get an additional 2-3 hours, resulting in…
Compared to what? Even remotely comparable solutions drawing less power either cost something like $5-10 per megabyte (Inmarsat L-band, i.e. BGAN, Iridium Certus) or require even more power (Inmarsat Ka-band) and still cost something like 50 cent per megabyte! Monthly plans start at several hundred dollars, and terminals start in the low 4 to medium 5 digit ranges. If you can live without Internet when backpacking, e…