The HALO Fuel Cell - a packable charger for USB devices

Hello fellow climbers. I have been working on a new camping product that I would like to get some feedback on. The HALO Fuel Cell is an outdoor power station that fits standard fuel canisters. It can charge your iPad, iPhone, Android device, or other USB devices. Sized to be a portable, compact and a lightweight addition to your camping gear. I'm throwing it out to the Climbing community to get a feel if people are interested in this type of product?

Check out the Halo on Kickstarter!
Halo Kickstarter

i think the idea seams cool and i like how it has a fuel canister but it seams awfully similar to the bio lite wood burning campstove. the fact that yours runs off of cans of fuel is good for certain kinds of camping/travel/back country skiing but since wood is the other fuel option you may see more people going towards that bc of it being much more common, even if your kids want to play with the bio lite they could have a small camp fire ect. just saying,best of luck

rei.com/product/846334/biol…

If you can somehow integrate it with Jetboil so it becomes an add-on or replacement part for it, that would be awesome. Hell, if it can be a part for Coleman camp stoves, that would be even better. Really though, instead of making people buying more stoves, it would be great if it's just an add-on or replacement part so I can keep my existing stoves and whatever fuel sources that they use. I would definitely be more interested in that as a consumer.

In principle it seems more efficient than the biolite.
How long do you have to burn to charge a smartphone?

From their FAQ on the Kickstarter page:
Can the HALO Fuel Cell be used as a stove to cook on?
- Yes, the HALO can be used as a cook stove as well.

This seems cool, I would definitely use one if I can also cook on it.

Darn, I thought it was an actual fuel cell. That would be way cool,

This is still cool, though.

Yes, the intention is to have a combined cook stove and electric charger. We've looked into adapting it for other stove designs but the problem is that their flame size is specific to their burner (wish it was that simple!). We use a panel of solid oxide fuel cells that are a lot more efficient than any thermoelectric generator such as the Biolite. Also I believe it's an advantage to not have to continually feed the stove with a fuel such as wood which is not always available.

The charging times vary depending on the device being charged. The samples we have built produce the same power as a standard USB charger, the same rate as you would charge at home or in your car.

Cool product but I think you've got to sell it more. The answer to the cooking question is kind of a big deal in my eyes, unless it does so poorly. I've got a solar charger and all it does is charge electronic devices. But with this I can cook and charge a device at the same time. Campers, backpackers, climbers, we're all about tools that pull double duty.

Furthermore, there is a lack of info on how much this will cost when it's put into production. My stove was like $50 bucks, if this will cost me $50 bucks then my choice of replacement stove is obvious. If it's $150 bucks then I may pass.

I think overall I'd need more info before being inclined to buy. It sounds cool but how long does it take to charge a phone or ipad? How long does it take to boil water? Does it have broad compatibility to different canisters or only backpacking canisters? A lot of unanswered questions that, if the answers are favorable, may make people more inclined to donate or buy.

Cool product - how long will the single fuel cell last, or how many watt-hours can you get from one?

More info on thermoelectric power generation and MSOFC - ceramics.org/ceramictechtod…

Nick B wrote: The charging times vary depending on the device being charged. The samples we have built produce the same power as a standard USB charger, the same rate as you would charge at home or in your car.

Would this burn fuel at the same rate as when I'm cooking? It takes at least an hour to charge my cellphone or iPad, and a JetBoil gets through a 4oz propane/butane canister in about that time. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like I'd have to carry a lot more fuel and keep my stove going a lot longer than normal. If I'm just boiling water I only need to turn my stove on for a few minutes.

I can't see the advantage of something like this (or biolite) over a solar system which charges a reserve battery. Powering a stove just to charge a phone seems like a lot of extra weight and only charging a phone or gps while cooking doesn't seem worthwhile.

One option we are looking into would be to control the fuel flow rate for different functions. A low burn rate for charging only mode and then a higher flow rate needed for a combination of cooking and charging. This would save fuel when you only want to charge. It needs heat to generate electricity and like with everything else there are some limitations to the technology. It could be used just as a back-up emergency charger if fuel is an issue. Balancing the charge output, stove efficiency and fuel consumption is the difficult part. With a duel function unit we have the option of extending fuel canister life.

Solar is great but we can't all live in California! This technology (MSOFC) works great in the mountains or just on cloudy days.

I know this doesn't answer all your questions but your feedback so far has been most helpful. Thank you!

Nick,

Have you compared the halo to the power pot? Aside from cell location, is a difference in efficiency?

thepowerpot.com/

And I always thought going into the backcountry was about getting away from it all...