italynstylion
Well-Known Member
I just bought a RTT and I'm excited to go test this thing out. As I lay on the comfy mattress inside my Tepui tent setup inside the garage like a 5 year old child, I started thinking about how this damn tent is really like a mini hotel (it's that comfy). So my mind wandered to other amenities a hotel (or house) would normally have too. A lot of those amenities boiled down to one thing in particular....electricity.
Sure, you could bring a small generator but those are expensive and often overkill for most of what is needed. So I started thinking about power sources and connectivity. One thing that homes have really nailed down is the aspect of having a common receptacle for all things 120V AC. Now, seeing as how we're not getting 120AC without a beefy inverter (also incurring power loss) I needed to look for another widely accepted standard.
And then it hit me....USB
USB is one of the most widely accepted power standards in the world. Even other countries that utilize different AC power standards still use USB. What's great is as long as it's normal USB on one side, it could be micro, mini, or even USB type C on the other end. Sure, you're only working with 5V and somewhat low amperage, but it's plenty for a LOT of things.
So this thread is about figuring out what types of things you can do with USB as a power source as it relates to camping and other stuff.
First off.....the power source I'm starting with (for now) is an EC Technology power bank. It's 22,400mAh and has 3 USB ports able to yield 2.4A to each device. It also has a little LED flashlight on it. Nice. In case these numbers don't make sense to you, your phone has a battery about 2,000-3,000mAh inside of it. So this baby can charge your phone from totally dead about 8 times. Sweet. The fact that it's removable and can be charged inside the truck is a HUGE bonus. USB powered lights? Hell yeah. Charge your phone in the tent whilst you sleep? You know it. Here's a link to the power bank.
Amazon.com: EC Technology 22400mAh Power Bank Ultra High Capacity External Battery 3 USB Output External Battery Pack With LED Flashlight Portable Charger for iPhone, iPad, Samsung, Nexus, HTC and More- Black & Red: Cell Phones & Accessories
I found a LOT of LED light strips that will work out perfectly for what I need. I decided I needed light in two major areas. Inside the tent for getting shit ready for bed and also outside the entrance of the tent for exiting when having to piss in the middle of the night. The first link below shows a little 1.5ft LED strip. I just received it in the mail and it's VERY bright. It can be cut to length too. Super flexible almost like it's made of rubber. I also got the 6 foot version in the second link so I could wrap the exterior of the RTT base and project light onto the camp site. Nothing worse than walking face first into a spider web when you're dying to piss and totally sleep disoriented.
Amazon.com: ONEVER Flexible Led Strip Lights with USB Cable for TV Computer Desktop Laptop Background Home Kitchen Decorative Lighting, SMD 3528 50CM Cool White: Computers & Accessories
Amazon.com: Lemonbest 2m Resin Flexible USB LED Lights Strip Ribbon 3528smd 120leds 5V Waterproof Cool White: Home Improvement
They also sell USB switches that you can use to toggle a USB device on or off. I'm thinking those will be helpful as I get this project going. More to come. Very interested in ideas that people have! It would be cool to get a running list of neat shit we find that can be powered by USB.
Sure, you could bring a small generator but those are expensive and often overkill for most of what is needed. So I started thinking about power sources and connectivity. One thing that homes have really nailed down is the aspect of having a common receptacle for all things 120V AC. Now, seeing as how we're not getting 120AC without a beefy inverter (also incurring power loss) I needed to look for another widely accepted standard.
And then it hit me....USB
USB is one of the most widely accepted power standards in the world. Even other countries that utilize different AC power standards still use USB. What's great is as long as it's normal USB on one side, it could be micro, mini, or even USB type C on the other end. Sure, you're only working with 5V and somewhat low amperage, but it's plenty for a LOT of things.
So this thread is about figuring out what types of things you can do with USB as a power source as it relates to camping and other stuff.
First off.....the power source I'm starting with (for now) is an EC Technology power bank. It's 22,400mAh and has 3 USB ports able to yield 2.4A to each device. It also has a little LED flashlight on it. Nice. In case these numbers don't make sense to you, your phone has a battery about 2,000-3,000mAh inside of it. So this baby can charge your phone from totally dead about 8 times. Sweet. The fact that it's removable and can be charged inside the truck is a HUGE bonus. USB powered lights? Hell yeah. Charge your phone in the tent whilst you sleep? You know it. Here's a link to the power bank.
Amazon.com: EC Technology 22400mAh Power Bank Ultra High Capacity External Battery 3 USB Output External Battery Pack With LED Flashlight Portable Charger for iPhone, iPad, Samsung, Nexus, HTC and More- Black & Red: Cell Phones & Accessories
I found a LOT of LED light strips that will work out perfectly for what I need. I decided I needed light in two major areas. Inside the tent for getting shit ready for bed and also outside the entrance of the tent for exiting when having to piss in the middle of the night. The first link below shows a little 1.5ft LED strip. I just received it in the mail and it's VERY bright. It can be cut to length too. Super flexible almost like it's made of rubber. I also got the 6 foot version in the second link so I could wrap the exterior of the RTT base and project light onto the camp site. Nothing worse than walking face first into a spider web when you're dying to piss and totally sleep disoriented.
Amazon.com: ONEVER Flexible Led Strip Lights with USB Cable for TV Computer Desktop Laptop Background Home Kitchen Decorative Lighting, SMD 3528 50CM Cool White: Computers & Accessories
Amazon.com: Lemonbest 2m Resin Flexible USB LED Lights Strip Ribbon 3528smd 120leds 5V Waterproof Cool White: Home Improvement
They also sell USB switches that you can use to toggle a USB device on or off. I'm thinking those will be helpful as I get this project going. More to come. Very interested in ideas that people have! It would be cool to get a running list of neat shit we find that can be powered by USB.
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