Dear Eco Channel Friends,

It’s Ginger here.  Burrrrr, it seems that almost overnight it turned really chilly in Tokyo with temperatures down to the teens last week and today the high was a mere 9 degrees Celsius! 

But the good news is that Tokyo, as cold as it can be in the winter, are filled with clear, blue skies, and sunny days.  So I’ve decided to take advantage of the sun and have been on the hunt for the perfect gadget to help recharge all my devices such as cell phone, computer, and video camera.  Maybe it seems weird that I wouldn’t opt for charging them via a simple electrical outlet, but these days I am on the go so much as a reporter and writer, having portable power is really necessary.

The solution, solar panels!  I have been researching online for the best solar chargers for the past 2 weeks and although yes, I should already know the best ones out there (considering I work for the Eco Channel) you’d be surprised how quickly new ones come out on the market.  As I don’t have a car, most of the time I am on planes, trains, taxis, and of course my favorite-bicycle, which got me thinking I need to choose a gadget that fits my lifestyle.  A few of my friends have backpacks that have a built-in notebook-size solar panel on the front, but after some thought, I don’t really like carrying backpacks all that much (ok, I think they look kind of lame) and I wanted something I could carry separately in my pocket.