Solar Cell Phone Chager

Does your emergency kit have a cell phone?

(CNN) -- September is National Preparedness Month -- do you know where your cell phone is, and how to use it during an emergency?

According to The New York Times , U.S. wireless networks proved fairly resilient when Hurricane Irene recently swept the eastern seaboard. Many people who lost power or landlines were still able to communicate via cell phones using voice calls, text or multimedia messaging, e-mail, and social media.

Of course, in this case wireless network operators had days to prepare for the storm. As CNET reported , they were able to get generators and backup equipment in place to keep their cell towers functioning. This would not be possible for sudden kinds of emergencies, such as tornadoes or earthquakes.

So in those emergencies, expect that you might not have cell service immediately -- and be prepared with information, supplies, and skills to get you through that crucial time.

Soon after an emergency strikes (within hours or days), carriers usually bring in extra cell phone towers on wheels -- and generators or solar cells -- to compensate for damaged towers or to supplement coverage in areas where evacuees or emergency responders are located. So after an emergency cell networks are among the first pieces of infrastructure to come back online -- often before power, landlines, and drinking-water systems.

The Federal Emergency Management Administration's Get Tech Ready page offers some handy tips for getting your phone ready to use during an emergency. Here are some of the basics:

"Keep your contacts updated across all of your channels, including phone, e-mail and social media. This will make it easy to reach out to the right people quickly to get information and supply updates. Consider creating a group list serve of your top contacts."

"Learn how to send updates via text and Internet from your mobile phone to your contacts and social channels in case voice communications are not available. Text messages and the Internet often have the ability to work in the event of a phone service disruption.

Tips On Picking The Right Solar Cell Phone Charger ...

Solar Cell Phone Chargers

Why get one?

I was camping in the Ozark Mountains in the Southern part of Missouri this past weekend. We were half a days hike from the nearest human, but luckily, most of us had some sort of limited cell phone signal.  Enough signal that we could call our wives and text photos of our exploits.

As it turns out, cell phone signal is one thing, battery life is another.

Anyone with experience with a smart phone knows that limited battery life is just part of the package. Gone are the times when we charged out phones just once every three days. The phones most people carry today are, essentially, mini-computers, with energy needs to match.

So with all of the chargers on the market, why look at a Solar Cell Phone Charger?

Solar cell phone chargers do not dawdle. Most advertise that you can make a 10 minute call after about 20 minutes of charging. So you are looking at requiring about the same amount of charging time as plugging your cell phone directly into the wall.

Nighttime charging? No problem. Most of cell phone chargers come with a built-in battery that can be charged by the sun during the day. At night or on cloudy days you can plug your phone into the charger and take advantage of this reserve power.

These chargers can be used anywhere there is direct sunlight. The only caveat with a portable solar cell phone charger is that you do need direct sun in order to generate a timely charge. From mountaintop to parking lot, you should be able to generate a charge anywhere on this planet.

Japan was hit by a major earthquake, followed by a Tsunami. Alabama just went through a devastating tornado. Those are just recent natural disasters. Most people would have a day, at most of talk time.

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