Ibiza. Island of sun and endless parties... and often forgotten mobile phones and camera’s that go despairingly flat right when you need them. Solution? The Freeloader Pro Solar Charger, perhaps.

I’ve had this gadget for a while now and I think it’s fair to say that I’ve gained a good sense of its capabilities. Firstly, I received it in winter so I left it boxed for a while but the very first day of sunshine found me diving in to try it out ... only to find that it required charging from the mains for 8hrs first. This is to ensure the battery is correctly set up. Right oh. Damn it. One day of sunshine wasted. It was a disheartening length of time before the next one came along.

However, as I fluffed about in the box of goodies, I realised it was probably worth writing home about. Firstly, this Solar Charger comes with TWO solar panels for extra ‘sun capture’ opportunities. There’s also a comprehensive bag of connectors for most recent devices from your Mini USB gadgetry to iPhones, iPods etc although surprisingly not one for Blackberries! (that said, apparently the Freeloader will accept the standard cable you get with your BB...)

There’s another bag too – one to keep the Freeloader & Connectors, cable and comprehensive but slim-line instructions in. Kudo’s. I like to be able to keep my gadgets tidy.

However, what really caught my eye as I waited for a day of sunshine was the CamCaddy. This incredibly lightweight panel allows you to charge most camera batteries. Very cool!

So, here’s the theory ... I pack the lightweight Freeloader and take it to Ibiza. I remember eventually to chuck it into the jeep and whilst I’m chillin’ at the beach etc, it can charge up. Whilst on the beach, I can play with my mobile phone & camera until my heart’s content. Then when I re-route to a mates place instead of getting home with a view to going out, I simply charge up my device en route and can continue using my mobile / camera throughout evening – all the while not having to worry about carrying my chargers, European Adaptors or wrecking the environment.

Frankly, the theory works very well in practice too. I was actually surprised at how fast the Freeloader system re-charged my HTC Touch HD – whilst I was playing music through the phone!
Further, the fact that this system allows for 5.5v and 9.5volt appliances is fabulous, not to mention the dual solar panels for faster more effective charging.

The LED display – Blue LEDS allowing you to see how much power the Solar Charger has left and red LEDS when it has connected is simple to understand, if perhaps a little overwhelming at first (Er, what do I press where? What do I need to connect?)

In essence, whilst travelling, I don’t need to worry about separate chargers for my camera & mobile phone – merely one for my laptop which the Freeloader can’t help with. Of course, if there’s no sun, I can just charge the Freeloader up via my laptop! This makes up somewhat for the size of the FreeLoader which really isn’t ‘pocket sized’ unless you wear combats 24/7

At £70.00 RRP, this system isn’t cheap but it works very well.

Available from www.cotswoldoutdoor.com and other retailers.