belfert wrote: What about something like the Ryobi battery powered fan that uses cordless tool batteries? It only makes a lot of sense if you already have Ryobi cordless batteries.
Got two of these, work great. Keep extra batteries as spares.
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Tyme4ToPlay wrote: Do the relatively inexpensive battery powered fans make it through a whole sleep night on one set of batteries? I'm talking about the ones that use D Cells.
I normally tent camp where there is electricity, but I have a two night one in July without electricity and was thinking of the battery fans. For two nights, I don't mind using a complete set of batteries each night, if they'll last a whole night.
In a word, yes.
I've a O2 stand fan w/ an optional hanger ....it's a lil wonky when it comes to opening..U MUST be careful or you can break a part.
Still I like the level of breeze it gives off.
I've also a Coleman fan with rubber/foam(?) blades and a 3 levels o'light function that hangs in the center of my tent for evening use. The nightlight is a boon for lil grrlies who wonder if Mr. Skunk has come back outside the tent to play....
I use my fans nightly; pretty sure they all run on "D"s and they last for 2-3 weeks of camping before I need new ones.
Prolly wouldn't camp w/o 'em. Heck, I can't live in the house w/o a fan at this stage of my life, LOL.
My wife used to take it to Bingo and set it across the table so it would blow the cigarette smoke away from her face, as well as keep her cooler. She found that if she ran it on low speed the batteries would last for many trips to the Elks lodge.
I would think, even on high, 4 hours per night for 2 nights on a set of batteries would be easily doable with no problem at all. But I am thinking a "set" was somewhere around 6 or 8 batteries, not just 2.
Tyme4ToPlay wrote: Do the relatively inexpensive battery powered fans make it through a whole sleep night on one set of batteries? I'm talking about the ones that use D Cells.
I normally tent camp where there is electricity, but I have a two night one in July without electricity and was thinking of the battery fans. For two nights, I don't mind using a complete set of batteries each night, if they'll last a whole night.
You might even be able to get 2 nights use.
Most D cell alkaline batteries provide 12 amp hours. If the fan draws .6 amp, you should be able to get 20 hours of run time (12 divided by 0.6 = 20).
In reality you won't have 100% efficiency, so don't be disappointed if you don't quite get 20 hours of run time.
I routinely use a rechargeable battery for my 02 cool fan. The battery I use is "borrowed" from my kid's power wheels car. I also acquired a rechargeable 12 volt battery from the cable TV company that was used for the battery backup for our internet modem. Any amateur McGyver wannabe can hook up 2 wires We're talking very simple stuff here.
And of course, you can always use a wall-wart power adapter to run the fan. You might already have one of these. My kids' portable DVD players each came with two (AC & DC).
* This post was
edited 06/28/12 01:02pm by TN_CAMPER *
I have three battery powered fans for camping, a Texsport (Texsport on Amazon)), a 6" O2Cool fan, and a 10" O2Cool.
Battery life:
The Texsport is good for the weekend (about 2 1/2 nights) before it starts to noticeably slow. The 6" O2Cool lasts significantly longer, though I couldn't say how many nights since I didn't count (I ended up also using it at home as a supplemental fan, and I used it often before it needed new batteries). I have no idea how long the 10" O2Cool would last only on batteries since I usually used it at campsites with an electric hookup and plugged it in instead of burning batteries, but it certainly lasts longer than the Texsport.
General thoughts on these fans:
The Texsport wasn't that effective, though in the hot MD summers, it is better than nothing. The 6" O2Cool is much better, but still not up to the task of alleviating MD summer heat and humidity. The 10" O2Cool works pretty well. It is also a lot lighter and smaller than most bedroom fans so even if you plug it in, it is better suited to bringing camping than a standard fan. However, both O2Cool fans seem cheap and flimsy and I do wonder how long they will last (no problems yet, after about a year) and I doubt they would handle much of a bump if they were dropped. None are overly expensive, and if they help you get out there in the hotter months I can't recommend them enough. I know my camping season would be much shorter without them.
Vehicles: 2011 Ford Fusion (for car camping), 2009 Suzuki Boulevard C50 (motorcycle camping) Tents: Boulder Creek Hunter Ridge 4 (cheap 4-season tent from Bass Pro Shops), Alps Mountaineering Vertex 4, Kelty Grand Mesa 6, Big Agnes Fairview 4
I just purchased a Coleman Zephyr that has a light on it. According to Coleman it will run continuosly on high for 24 hours and on low for 48 hours if you don't use the light. I bought one to give it a try. Gotta get some batteries first. If it works pretty good, then I may purchase another one or two and some rechargeable batteries.
IMO, once you reach a point in tent camping where you are bringing more and more creature comforts from home, it makes sense to bring a good power source. A $60 marine/RV battery and $30 inverter from Walmart solve a lot of problems. When not in use the battery sits on my workbench on a trickle charger.
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I'm with VT on this one, there's nothing like a proper power supply in-camp. We prefer converters to inverters, yes they cost a bit more, but they don't use 5-20W of power when they're plugged in - even when they're not running an appliance, they're sucking down power. A converter only draws power when an appliance is hooked up to it. An inverter is handy when we need power supply outside of the 5-12V range of our converter, such as 19V to power a laptop for example. We've never used it, so we leave it at home. The converter will power the stereo, dvd player, fans and such and was purchased with adapter jacks from Radio Shack for about $36.00. That said, I'd rather have the battery and the inverter rather than going back to the bad old days of going through two or more sets of expensive alkaline batteries in a 3-day weekend. That got very expensive and the savings have more than paid for our Optima battery, converters, and 12v plugs. Vapor Trails, I never tire of that shot of your canvas on the desert, it screams "GOOD TIMES"!
It's the only picture I have of that tent setup with power and heat. And, ya that particular trip was a good one. It was our annual guys trip in the desert with lots of target practice and a properly administered flag retirement ceremony. And of course there is no shortage of adult beverages and fine cigars.
I also suffer in problems with battery-powered fan and I think these are some good information for me. I have not Ryobi battery-powered fan but thinking to buy it.
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We're talking very simple stuff here.
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