Haiti Gadgets
Many aid organizations are bringing large-scale aid that can help many. It is not my role to duplicate their efforts; instead, I'm trying to bring self-contained technologies that can help small numbers of people, but in a way that could scale.
Among the items I'm bringing to Haiti are Steripen water purifying units and plans for CookIt solar ovens. I've used a Steripen for a few years during travels to countries where the water supply is not safe, and I have avoided sickness every time, even drinking water in Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Dominican Republic, etc. They are hand-held UV water purifiers that use 4 AA batteries and can purify 1 liter of water every 90 seconds, with 100 liters purified for each charge of rechargeable AA batteries. Unlike filters, they stop both viruses and bacteria, and unlike chemical solutions, they do not negatively affect water's flavor. Because there is not a reliable electrical grid in Haiti now, I am bringing a Brunton Solaris 52 foldable solar panel. When unfolded in good sun (which they have in abundance there), it generates 54 watts of power at 12 volts. Connected to a 12-volt 8-battery Charger, it will be able to keep the Steripens up and running regardless of the state of the grid/availability of generators and diesel. Of course, the power sometimes works, and rechargeable batteries require some maintenance, so I'm also taking the La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Battery Charger, known among battery geeks as the best charger for maintaining, charging, and refreshing battery capacity.
The CookIt ovens require a flexible reflective surface to be glued to cardboard, so I'm bringing a small number of mylar emergency blankets (cost: $2 each). They're an amazing invention, and have been used in the Darfur refugee camps to keep the women from having to forage for firewood (where they are frequently assaulted). The Darfur refugee camps are a good analogy to the Haitian camps, I think (hot, no shelter, no fuel, etc.).
For lighting, I am bringing a Coleman LED Rechargeable Lantern, also rechargeable with the 12V solar panel (or the 120V charging cable). It provides all the power you'd want in a night, with the charge of one day. With careful use (lead-acid batteries last the longest if they are never run down more than half, and if they are generally kept full), it could last a couple of years (they have, in countries where I've taken them, where the power fails frequently). At $41 these are spendy, so I also got a cheaper Chinese equivalent from Walmart for $16.
Among the items I'm bringing to Haiti are Steripen water purifying units and plans for CookIt solar ovens. I've used a Steripen for a few years during travels to countries where the water supply is not safe, and I have avoided sickness every time, even drinking water in Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Dominican Republic, etc. They are hand-held UV water purifiers that use 4 AA batteries and can purify 1 liter of water every 90 seconds, with 100 liters purified for each charge of rechargeable AA batteries. Unlike filters, they stop both viruses and bacteria, and unlike chemical solutions, they do not negatively affect water's flavor. Because there is not a reliable electrical grid in Haiti now, I am bringing a Brunton Solaris 52 foldable solar panel. When unfolded in good sun (which they have in abundance there), it generates 54 watts of power at 12 volts. Connected to a 12-volt 8-battery Charger, it will be able to keep the Steripens up and running regardless of the state of the grid/availability of generators and diesel. Of course, the power sometimes works, and rechargeable batteries require some maintenance, so I'm also taking the La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Battery Charger, known among battery geeks as the best charger for maintaining, charging, and refreshing battery capacity.
The CookIt ovens require a flexible reflective surface to be glued to cardboard, so I'm bringing a small number of mylar emergency blankets (cost: $2 each). They're an amazing invention, and have been used in the Darfur refugee camps to keep the women from having to forage for firewood (where they are frequently assaulted). The Darfur refugee camps are a good analogy to the Haitian camps, I think (hot, no shelter, no fuel, etc.).
For lighting, I am bringing a Coleman LED Rechargeable Lantern, also rechargeable with the 12V solar panel (or the 120V charging cable). It provides all the power you'd want in a night, with the charge of one day. With careful use (lead-acid batteries last the longest if they are never run down more than half, and if they are generally kept full), it could last a couple of years (they have, in countries where I've taken them, where the power fails frequently). At $41 these are spendy, so I also got a cheaper Chinese equivalent from Walmart for $16.
posted by Andy at 9:51 PM
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