Gear Review: Sunferno Flintstone Solar Charger

by Todd Walker

Offers to review products come across my desk (a.k.a. ~ email inbox) a lot. I rarely agree to try products because, quite frankly, half the gear I see in the prepper, survival, and outdoor adventure community fits into my “Shiny Object Survival” category… flashy but not practical.

Then the CEO of Sunferno sends me this 6 ounce, pocket-size solar charger to review in exchange for an honest review. I was reluctant at first due to my very low geek quotient. Tech stuff needs to be very simple for us to get along.

Sunferno Flintstone Solar Charger

I know many of you see the benefit of owning a simple, affordable source of renewable solar energy for outdoor adventures and emergency preparedness. Here’s a two-word game-changer: cell phone. The main reason I carry my phone to the woods is to snap photos of nature. It’s also a handy tool in case you ever need to call for help… if cell service is available.

I recently attended a stalking/tracking class led by Mark Warren at his primitive school of earthlore in Dahlonega, Georgia called Medicine Bow. (I’ll share details of my experience in a later post.) I arrived late Friday, set up camp, and realized my iPhone was only half charged. I had forgotten my car charger.

I know. I was unprepared with my gadgets.

Dirt Road Girl knew there would be no cell service in the remote mountains of the Chattahoochee National Forest . She knew not to expect a call or text. But I needed my phone camera for the weekend class. I took lots of pics during Saturday’s stalking class and ran the phone battery into the red zone. No way would 18% get me through Sunday’s tracking school.

After the first day of class, I connected my phone to the Sunferno charger at 7:00 p.m. and practiced my new obsession – hand drill fire craft – and cleaned up for a relaxing evening in my hammock watching nature’s TV. An hour and a half later, my phone was almost fully charged.

Here’s my video review of the Sunferno solar charger…

The Flintstone comes with a USB cord for charging the battery pack initially from a computer port or a wall outlet adapter. A green LED light shines in the left top corner indicating the battery pack is charging. Once all four blue LED bars glow, the lithium battery is fully charged. Toss it in your pack for your next outdoor adventure. It weighs only 6 ounces and is only slightly larger than my iPhone. Be sure to bring a compatible charging cord for your device(s).

By the way, the two USB ports allows you to charge two external electrical devices at the same time.

It’s best to fully charge the battery pack beforehand. The solar panel is meant to be used as an emergency backup charging method. You may not have a sunny day.

Water-Shock-Dust Proof and Smart

While the charger isn’t bomb proof, the rugged design protects from shock, water, and dust. I tested the charger by dropping it from waist height in the creek near camp. It was submerged for 5 minutes while I attended to personal hygiene tasks. After wiping off the moisture, I opened one of the two side USB port flaps and resumed charging my phone with no ill effects.

Smart technology is buried in this solar batter pack. It recognizes your particular device and sends the appropriate amount of current for charging as quickly as possible. Pretty smart!

There is also a small LED flashlight on the Sunferno Flintstone. I didn’t test to see how long it would burn on a fully charged battery pack. I’m guessing a very long time with LED’s energy efficiency. Hold the power button down for 2 seconds to turn on the light. Repeat to turn it off.

Having an off-grid source of emergency power and lighting has earned this smart, lightweight battery pack a spot in my Get Home Bag. It’ll be a perfect charging device for all my extended outdoor activities in the woods and on the water.

Honestly, I really like this charger! It’s lightweight, compact, durable, simple, and provides me with off-grid power when needed.

Price and Ordering

If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can pick this solar powerhouse up for under $40.00 with free shipping. Hard to believe solar technology is so affordable now!

Will you do me a favor?

Since I’ve never monetized my blog, I won’t receive the small commission if you order from the link below. However, my buddy, Patrick Blair from Survival at Home, has been a faithful friend to me and helps with technical issues on this blog without ever asking for any thing in return.

By ordering from the Amazon link below, you’ll be getting the Sunferno charger and a small commission goes to my friend who could use the extra income for Maggie, his special needs daughter. Thanks in advance!

Click on this link to order and help out ~>> Sunferno Flintstone Smart Solar Charger

Keep Doing the Stuff of Self-Reliance,

Todd

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