mellors Posted July 28, 2022 Report Share Posted July 28, 2022 Ok this sounds daft (possibly). I have some permanent hides going up on the rape before it's drilled. I'm thinking as you do would it be possible to put up a solar panel to charge batteries which would save carrying them across. I think there may be some kind of cut off to prevent over charging. Be gentle it's only an idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted July 28, 2022 Report Share Posted July 28, 2022 Buy a single Lithium battery its much lighter save buying a whole load of chinese tat that will not last a season. It will be good to go long after the hide wants moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellors Posted July 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2022 1 hour ago, oowee said: Buy a single Lithium battery its much lighter save buying a whole load of chinese tat that will not last a season. It will be good to go long after the hide wants moving. Its the amount of kit in the back pack I'd like to reduce as you have pigeons to carry back. Everything will be there except cartridges and snacks. Also I've a powered trolley but that's useless when it's wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonepark Posted July 28, 2022 Report Share Posted July 28, 2022 2 hours ago, mellors said: Ok this sounds daft (possibly). I have some permanent hides going up on the rape before it's drilled. I'm thinking as you do would it be possible to put up a solar panel to charge batteries which would save carrying them across. I think there may be some kind of cut off to prevent over charging. Be gentle it's only an idea. Most of the portable solar 12v trickle chargers are designed to sit behind windscreen or caravan window and don't come with a charge controller, as they are designed to trickle charge batteries with a constant draw (i.e. ECU's in car, etc). The one's that "may" be suitable are not inexpensive. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384786689363?hash=item599712ed53:g:22EAAOSwz1ZiM~pS Depending on model you will require an earth rod and cable in addition or more likely a resistive load to use the spare power. A lithium 12v 7ah battery weighs in at less than 1kg, rather than the 2.5kg of the lead acid equivalent and would be much easier..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted August 30, 2022 Report Share Posted August 30, 2022 You could use a folding wheelbarrow to move your gear ! Have a look in For Sales ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minky Posted November 4, 2022 Report Share Posted November 4, 2022 On 30/08/2022 at 08:44, Westley said: You could use a folding wheelbarrow to move your gear ! Have a look in For Sales ! Tried that .. It don't work. not unless you've got a trackway that goes from your vehicle to your hide. In the summer it is difficult to even walk along the tramlines with all the gear through the crop. Wheelbarrows and carts are very limited use. I even considered making a single wheel cart with stuff tied to a pole high mounted with a sort of handlebar to hold it upright that would be able to follow a tramline. BUT never got around to it and just limited the kit. I did also consider making sort of saddlebags for the dog to carry its water and bowl and a couple of boxes of cartridges etc.. didn't happen. The dog could have done it. The idea of the solar panel and battery is reasonable BUT. I've recently bought one off of flee bay and it has two sets of charge leads that plug into a small box on the back. One is 5V for charging backup phone type batteries and the other is a 12v supply for charging car type batteries. The panel is about a foot Sq and about 1.5 mm thick. it is rated about 30 watts I think. The 5v had a mini usb plug and the 12v has two crock clips. I've been using it to charge 8amp yuasa batteries which I use in the night light back pack. It seems to keep the battery up on a daily basis. ( generally weather permitting.) The big downside is that the unit isn't waterproof and if left outside the rain would get in the back and F the diode circuitry in the plug box at the back. Also it is super lightweight and would probably disappear across the field or snap itself in bits in a strong wind. It would have to be securely fitted to a board fixed to a meaty stake set to align with the rise and fall of the sun. Why is nothing simple. And that's if some rouge doesn't liberate it and the battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted November 4, 2022 Report Share Posted November 4, 2022 The folding wheelbarrow was a triangular shape with the front being narrower than the back as such it went down tramlines with relative ease. I used it for around 10 years to good effect. It carried nets, hide poles, deeks and rotary with battery. Admitted, if I shot a large bag of pigeon, I would have to make 2 trips to get them to the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minky Posted November 4, 2022 Report Share Posted November 4, 2022 I eventually ended up with a 5gallon plastic drum which doubled as hide seat and carried 2 6x4 nets. 2x6ft hazel sticks, 1x4ft stick for the middle of the nets. 1 string operated flapper, 12 shell decoys. On my back was a net bag with 12 full and semi decoys, a large piece of hessian random sprayed with black and green as backing. A couple of net carrot sacks for shot birds, which kept the fly off. A game bag which carried 3x25 boxes cartridges. My food, a large bottle of juice for me, a large bottle of water for the dog some dog biscuits, plastic milk bottle cut in half for the dog water/ food A sort of pakamac in case of rain, a first aid kit. A pair of rods and a brush, a small first aid kit and a roll of tape along with about 6 squares of kitchen roll paper. I carried a 25 cartridge belt on waist which I hooked up on the middle stick that acted as a ready source of cartridges. Across my shoulder I carried a gun slip but I carried the gun in the free hand ready to drop the drum and take any opportunity to shoot at anything flying over of flushing out of a hedge. I needed a fresh bird for the flapper. I always made my hide fairly small and shot from a seated position. This made my presence small and was quite relaxing not standing all day and being able to stand the gun down. The dog wasn't so keen having to sit there for periods of retrieving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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