Knowing we’d be far from the power lines this past semester, and knowing I’d want something to use as a generator to charge camera/camcorder/cell phone batteries, I bought a Freeplay Weza before the start of the course. I’ve had great luck with one of their other products, a hand-cranked LED lantern, and the way the Weza worked really appealed to me.

It’s a treadle-powered generator with an internal battery for storing power. You can plug it into a standard wall socket, automobile cigarette lighter, generator or solar panel to charge the battery before a trip, then maintain the charge while in the bush by using the foot pedal. And the whole thing is small and light enough to be easily carried in a dry box while canoeing. I know this because I carried it in a dry box on an 11-day Allagash canoe trip in order to charge camcorder batteries.

I have a strong interest in human-powered and sustainably-generated electricity, and this piece of kit meshes well with that philosophy.

And just to be clear, I receive nothing from them for writing this – I’m just a consumer happy with their products.

You can read more about the Weza on their site.