As an outdoor communicator — writer, photographer, video producer, podcaster, content creator or artist — you probably spend a fair amount of your time outside in the field reporting while experiencing and exploring the great outdoors first-hand. Solar lights are a great option when you’re camping, so you can see in the dark and don’t need to grab a flashlight, use a generator or start your vehicle to see your camp.
Whether your basecamp is an RV, van, tent, car or cabin, you can always use some extra light. That extra light can be beneficial when you’re journaling, sorting gear, organizing interview notes at the end of a long day, tidying up, cooking dinner, setting up a hammock, reading a book, relaxing under the stars and so much more.
The product engineers behind MPOWERD — a new Supporting Group of the Outdoor Writers Association of America — designed an inflatable solar light that also charges your phone. And it’s portable and easy to use.
MPOWERD solar lights
The Luci Pro Series comes in four colors, it’s inflatable with a short snap-together loop on top (ideal for hanging) and you can use it for up to 50 hours on a single charge as a light. With 135-150 lumens (depending on the model), this light also adds a nice ambiance to your space with three brightness settings. You can even get creative with the placement of this unique inflatable light and have fun with it for a behind-the-scenes shot of you “roughing” it in the backcountry.
For a full solar charge, you’ll need 14 hours of direct sunlight. For a quick charge (via USB) you can charge it in less than three hours. So, if you’re on a longer assignment, take two! You can charge one during the day and swap them out so you’ll always have a solar light ready to go.
And since the solar light’s casing isn’t made of hard plastic or glass, you won’t have to worry about this light breaking when packed in with your other gear. You can throw it on the ground, hang it in a tree, hang it in your tent or simply set it on a rock or boulder to light your area and charge your phone.
If you want to add even more personality to your basecamp, MPOWERD has a line of other solar-powered products like string lights with an 18 ft. cord that comes in a compact expandable unit. These string lights last up to 20 hours (on the low setting) on a full charge and charge both from the sun and from a USB charge like the Luci Pro light. I love these string lights and they’ve quickly become a basecamp staple.
More about MPOWERD
The name stands for Micro POWER Design as the lights are simple portable products that provide clean technology and have a nice balance of form and function. The team at MPOWERD is also on a mission to have an environmental and social impact. They believe that “everyone deserves access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy, no matter how or where they live.”
MPOWERED works with more than 700 NGOs and non-profits to provide clean energy to those in need. The social impact example: Provide lights for children to study at night or walk safely outside in areas without electricity where the sun goes down early. The environmental impact example: Help reduce the CO2 emissions by minimizing single-use products.
OWAA Supporting Group benefits
Corporations, agencies, brands, tourism boards and more join OWAA — the nation’s largest and oldest association of outdoor communicators — as a Supporting Group to enjoy access to OWAAs diverse network of America’s top outdoor communicators, promote their products and services with the outdoor press and receive exclusive exposure opportunities.
Learn more about all the benefits of becoming a Supporting Group on our website.
Main photo courtesy of MPOWERD. Evening photo by Suzanne Downing.