Epic Adventurer? Get Free GearBy Admin
Are you about to take the trip of a lifetime? Do you need a portable power source to keep your electronics powered up? Then submit your trip in the comments below for a chance to win up to $250 in free solar charging gear. See past winners here“.
Here’s how it works: Each month we will select one person to provide with free gear from Voltaic Systems.
How to apply: Submit your adventure below in the comments.
- A brief description of your upcoming adventure
- Details on which devices you need to keep charged and why
(If you’re shy, you can email us your entry at adventure@voltaicsystems.com, but please don’t do both)
Selection criteria: If your description inspires us to jump from their keyboards, get outside and travel, then you have a good chance of winning. Extra points if you are doing something that will have a positive impact on the world. A few more points if you can deliver a really great picture of our solar chargers in the field. We encourage you to have your friends vote up your entries, but we won’t be judging solely on popularity.
Other rules: We’ll ship up to $250 of gear anywhere in the US. If you’re outside of the US, you’re responsible for shipping and duties. This needs to be a real, upcoming trip. We may ask for some sort of verification. By applying for the gear, you give us permission to share your story on our blog – but we would be more than happy to leave your name and any other detailed information confidential.
Karma points: If you’re done with using the charger. Send it back to us and we will get it back into action. Returning the gift keeps more people charged up!
Why we’re doing this: We have a lot of customers who are taking incredible trips to all parts of the world. We want to reward the most ambitious adventurers and share their stories. This is our way of coming along on your adventure!
I have two lifelong ambitions. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala 40 years ago(1971-1973), living in a remote mountain village. I plan on returning this April to begin an ongoing book project documenting how this Mayan farming community has changed over 40 years. I hope to share insights on how their farming economy has changed as well as how their traditional culture has been affected by development, tourism, civil war, and globalization. This project will involve several return trips, during different agricultural phases, to gain acceptability and trust. There is no electricity and the ability to charge my camera battery would be a necessity. I likely would have to walk 3 hours to the nearest town with electricity to keep multiple camera batteries charged.
My second ambition involves Veterinarians Beyond Borders. I am a recently retired Veterinarian and I have just been accepted to a project with this organization to work in Ladakh, India. I will be helping with the dog overpopulation problem that plagues the communities in Ladakh. There is electricity but it is unreliable. During my 10 week stay I will be doing a 14 day backpacking trek in the Himalayas and solar charging capability for my camera battery would be essential.
I will be using an Apply MacBook Pro and a Canon 5d Mk11 camera and Apply IPhone4S.
Voltaic,
We have been looking for and learning about solar charging for our
upcoming trip when I stumbled on your website tonight. Your products
look like they are just what our adventure needs so I figured I would
shoot you guys and email. As I scrolled to the bottom of the page I
saw “Free Gear for Adventure Travel” and got very excited about the
opportunity you present. But before I fatigue you with my narrative
let me tell you about our trip.
In early June 2012 twelve of us will depart Juneau, Alaska for Nanaimo,
B.C. in kayaks. We are all life-long Juneau residents who have recently
graduated college and would now like to take some time and explore the
world. Once we arrive in Canada, half the group will bid farewell and five
of us will trade our kayaks for bikes and as closely as we can, follow
the Pacific coast to Tierra Del Fuego.
We are not trying to break world records, accomplish the unheard-of, or prove
our epic strength. We are not trying to become professional adventurers,
sponsored athletes, or famous filmmakers. We simply want to see the world. We
want to explore places that we have never experienced before, and experiment
with new ways of living. Fresh out of graduation we are not ready to
submit to the perceived expectations of our American culture, instead we want to see who and what else is out there. However, this trip is not just for us. The hope is to experience traveling to
new places and then to share our journey in a way that inspires others to
have their own adventures. Our outreach will come in many forms including a
film, a website (http://www.atripsouth.com), Facebook, radio, and columns in our local
newspapers.
We plan to enter the film into international film festivals upon completion,
and we are highly confident that the creative and qualitative nature of the
film will be competitive amongst the best films in its field. The ultimate
appearance of the film will be shaped by our journey, but with that said, our
current thoughts are as follows. The film will not be about us. The focus
will instead be on the people and places that we find, rather than our own
personal struggles and self-discoveries. The film will be an audio visual
experience of our travels, described by segments dedicated to the places that
impacted us significantly. If you would like to know more about how we
envision the film we have a more articulated concept write-up that we would
be more than happy to provide.
The website includes all information pertaining to the trip. The goal,
route, and logistics of the trip are described and illustrated. Each
individual has a short blurb about them so readers can understand our
backgrounds and desires for the trip. We have a sponsorship page to
highlight everyone who is helping us. Periodic updates of our trip will also
be posted in order to show our progress, portray a beautiful place, or just
tell about the best tamale we had. We are documenting our preparation in order
to facilitate others adventures. This will include the gear we use, with
any necessary mid- and post-trip feedback, our reasoning for route selection,
and any tips we learned along the way.
As you can see filming, documenting, and just finding our way is going
to require the use of electricity. It seems that your products would
allow us to charge our video and still cameras, GPS, VHF, radios,
batteries, and whatever other devices someone decides to bring along.
I believe that using your products on our trip will provide your
company with significant, world-wide exposure. Any level of support
would be beneficial and we are willing to discuss all terms, compensation, and
requirements you may have.
Thank you,
Max Stanley
atripsouth2012@gmail.com
http://www.atripsouth.com
Hello Voltaic Crew!
I’ve been researching everything I can about solar panels, and all types of green energy. I’m 27 and I’m taking my life savings and buying a little studio off the grid in Hawaii, Big Island. We plan to take off in a few months (my wife and our dog, Marley). We will be starting small, and working our way up. Debt free eating from our vegetable garden. I have some mechanical knowledge and look forward to using old alternators for wind energy. We want to bring our laptop and our camera to record the growth and do so off the grid. This will be a transformation to total off grid living. We will have a water catchment tank on the property for water and solar/wind for electricity.
To start our journey we’ll need a good solar backpack to keep us connected to our friends and family from the beginning. We wont have any lights when we move in!
We would love to represent Voltaic through our transformation and check in with you as we progress.
Man + Woman + Dog + Voltaic = Freedom!