The backcountry is usually thought of as a place to disconnect and enjoy nature; a way to forget everything going on in our busy lives. However, some of us just can’t be without our gadgets. Phones, cameras, GPS units and all the other technological creature comforts we bring into the outdoors have one thing in common- they all need power. Traditional batteries have all but been phased out, and these devices need to be plugged in to charge up. Brunton knows you can’t miss the perfect mountain picture because you were out of juice, and their answer is simple: the Restore Portable Power unit.
Far from clunky, the Restore is a minimalist device that weighs in at just under 9 ounces and is similar in size to many smartphones on the market (okay, it’s a little chunkier, but you get the idea). Its ideal use is for backpacking, but during the five months of testing we discovered plenty of other places where it comes in handy. More on that in a moment, but first, how does it work?
The Restore comes with a car charger and mini USB plug attachment. Power the device up at home or on the way to your destination by plugging in to a computer or your vehicle’s adapter. A car charger should have it ready to rock and roll within 2 hours while a USB 2.0 connection can take up to 4 hours. There’s also a third option to charge it up- the sun! Open the Restore up to reveal the solar panels and place it in direct sunlight; within 4-5 hours you should have a fully charged unit ready to administer power to all your needy devices. Finding out how much power the Restore has to give is easy, simply check the blue LED display on the front and you’ll know if it’s time for a recharge.
We ran the Brunton Restore through a myriad of tests, from solar charging to in-car and at home via a computer. Brunton is accurate their estimated times for charging the device. When it came time to put the Restore into action it worked exactly as promised; cameras, phones and music players were all fully charged within two hours. We didn’t get to test it on a GPS unit, but Brunton says those too will be fully powered in the same timeframe. During camping trips to the Uintas we left the Restore charging via solar power while we day hiked, then returned and powered up all of our hungry electronics. As an infomercial once said, “you can set it and forget it.”
Ran out of juice halfway through your day of shredding? Don’t worry about it, if you have your Restore handy in your ride a half hour will give you enough battery life to get through the day. I kept mine in the truck and it bailed me out on several occasions (how is it that I can never manage to charge my phone before a road trip?). If you’re a tech geek it’s very nice to know you’ll always have a power source handy if you need it.
Alas, the Restore does have a couple of faults. First of all, it must be in direct sunlight for solar charging. Sometimes it’s tough to predict where the afternoon shadows will fall, and on more than one occasion I returned from a hike to find that the device hadn’t charged at all thanks to some badly timed cloud cover. The other issue was that my GoPro video camera didn’t charge with it. The Restore said it was charging, as did the GoPro, but when unplugged the camera was still dead. This isn’t an issue unless you are a GoPro junkie, and this could be an issue with my camera.
The Brunton Restore Portable Device delivers on its promise to keep you full of power in the backcountry. The small size and ease of use are the standout features of the device, and if it’s portable power you need, then look no further. Just watch those shadows, or you might have to (gasp) settle for listenening to the music of nature at night.
Hi, Did you ever get your GoPro to work with this or did you find another solution?
Thanks
Simon,
Sorry for the delayed response, but no, I still have not been able to get a charge for my GoPro from the Restore solar charger. I have not been able to figure out why, as the Restore charges everything from my iPhone to my Sony point and shoot camera without fail. It could be a GoPro-specific issue, or perhaps an issue with my individual camera. It is the GoPro HD Hero 2 model. I still use the Restore on all of my roadtrips and longer backpacking trips, and this is the only issue I’ve had with it. Thanks for reading!