The PowerPot is a Kickstarter project that has already earned funding with 8 days to spare. What is it? It’s a portable thermo electric generator. Take it camping, fill it with some water or food, place it on your campfire and you’ve got instant power. There are two versions: the PowerPot V and the PowerPot X, which respectively produce 5 and 10 watts of usable electricity. An attached USB cable (yes, it’s fire resistant) connects to your device. They provide enough power to charge 2-3 smaller devices like your mobile phone, GPS, MP3 player or LED light. A larger version is in the works that will be able to charge a tablet. They can even work with a candle instead of a campfire, so you could use them in the event of a power outage. If you pledge $125, you’ll receive the smaller PowerPot V backpack version that can hold 1.5 quarts. $199 gets you the larger PowerPot X which has a 2 quart capacity.
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I think having a solar charger would be a bit safer. The built-in usb cord might be fire resistant but I’m sure the usb cord for your electronics isn’t.
It’s worth noting that some of the pledge levels don’t actually get YOU a Powerpot but actually fund sending a Powerpot to someone in a developing nation.
How many people will be keeping water boiling for 2-3 hours to charge a cell phone?
It’s a neat idea in trying to capture waste-heat, but I can’t see it being really practical.
MAYBE something like this attached to a home water heater…
@jhon – Or have this built into a solar panel capturing both the light and heat from the sun.
You will run out of fuel in a few hours. The sun is available for free for many hours a day (unless the weather is bad).