How to Charge a Phone with No Charger

This article gives several ideas on how to charge a phone with no charger.

Have you ever found yourself on a trip with your cell phone or MP3 player about to die and realized that you forgot the charger? Frustrating, isn’t it!? the good news is that there are several options for solving this problem.

First of all, this article focuses on modern cell phones and MP3 players which can be charged by a USB cable. if you have an older phone that requires a special connector in order to charge it, I’m sorry, you’re out of luck. the vast majority of cell phones built in the last two years use a USB connector for charging. It’s probably time to upgrade you phone if it doesn’t have one of these connectors.

If your phone is capable of charging from a USB connection, then you have several options. the fastest and easiest is to simply connect the phone to the nearest computer and let it charge. you can usually pick up a spare USB adapter cable from a RadioShack, Walgreens, or other store. They are a pretty common item to stock these days.

But what do you do if you’re on a camping trip with no access to an electrical outlet? the solution is a solar cell phone charger. this Ultra Thin Solar Powered Backup Battery and Charger comes in the same form factor as an iPhone or iPod. Just stick it on your dash and let the sunlight charge your phone! the great thing is that it has it’s own battery, so as long as you leave it in a sunny spot, it’s always ready to give your phone or MP3 player a boost of energy – even at night.

As cool as that device is, I personally prefer this Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger. I keep one in the back of my car and my wife’s car. in case of a dead cell phone, all I need to do is spin the crank for a few minutes and I can charge the phone. It also has a solar panel and all the extra features of being a flashlight and radio. the weather radio is especially attractive as I’m an active outdoors person.

These devices are inexpensive enough that you could buy one for each car and luggage bag you own. It might be too expensive to do this all at the same time, but not if you stagger your purchases over time. consider it cheap insurance against missing important business calls on the road or not being able to listen to your music.