Charge Your iPhone With a Campfire

Camping is a national pastime here in the states. Every summer, thousands of tourists flock to national parks and other campgrounds to take advantage of the beautiful summer weather.

For some folks, camping is a getaway from technology, so they’re not looking for a way to charge their iPhone out in the wilderness. But for iDevice users who insist that their gadgets must accompany them into the woods, here’s the Hatsuden-Nabe USB charger

ModMyi came across this interesting accessory that is more than likely the first of its kind. It’s essentially a pan that you can use to cook food in over a campfire.

The bottom of the pan is modified to convert excess heat from the flames into useable energy. The attached USB chord allows you to harness that power to charge your iPhone.

“They say that heat of bonfire could be over 900 degrees Fahrenheit, but energy over 212 Fahrenheit are not used for boiling water and wasted. This pan will convert the waste heat into cellphone charger. I can an charge up iPhone by 3-5 hours.”

In a time of high gas prices and other energy crises, it’s nice to see a company like TES NewEnergy innovating new ways to provide power. At $278 a pop though, I’m probably just going to be sticking with my portable charging pack.

Not to mention the fact that I wouldn’t really want my iPhone sitting this close to open flames.

What do you think? Would you buy it?