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Eco-friendly ware is big these days, with trends like organic cotton clothing and recycled shoes, but now it seems even solar is getting in the mix. The company Reware is taking “green” accessories and solar power to a whole new level with solar-powered bags.
Called “Juice Bags,” these designs all feature a flexible 7 watt solar panel, complete with 52 cells, fitted to the widest side of the bag. These cells captures light while you walk/jog/hike/run. There’s even a beach tote for lazier days in the outdoors.
What the bag is meant to do is power smaller 12 volt electronics, such as a cell phone or MP3 player, using a Car Light Adaptor (CLA), which comes built in to every bag. Other options for solar-energy capture include SolarReady Batteries, which can be purchased separately, plugged into the CLA, and used later on other electronics such as digital cameras.
The actual solar panels are highly flexible, about the thickness of a school folder, waterproof and removable for cleaning or storage.The rest of the bag is compromised of the usual pack features, with divided pockets and comfort straps, but as an added bonus of environmentalism, all Juice Bags are manufactured with plastic recycled from 2-liter soda bottles. Approximately 8 bottles go into the marking of every bag. In addition, each bag is also made to mach US military seaming and stitching regulations for added durability.
The real novelty of the Juice Bag comes in, not just when you realize that even on longer outdoor excursions you can keep GPS navigators or cell phones charged, but also when you factor in the knowledge that you’re using clean energy to do so. No more getting stuck with a dead battery.
You will be paying for the novelty though, with prices like $399.99 for the Juice Bag Portfolio. Other models include the Daypack, Backpack, Messenger, Beach Tote and Classic.
While there are other, cheaper and still friendly bags out there, the Juice Bag is still a smart idea, now given its time to shine. While for now the manufacturers are supporting Juice Bag use only with smaller devices, they still hold out hope with the promise that they “have a solution brewing for use with laptops and other larger devices!”
