When expanding their bush crafting or survival skills, many people turn to specialized military veterans for direction because they have been trained to use time tested methods of survival and all the best gear.
When it comes to powering equipment in the field, the most traditionally effective electrical generator used by the U.S. military is the hand cranked unit.
These crank generators are light enough to be man-packed in a carrying bag or strapped on a pack board.
The hand operated generator provides enough power for a small radio set, crypto gear, rechargeable batteries, and other electronic equipment in the field by using a soldier’s own muscles to rotate the generator.
This technology powered field radios in WWI and these versatile hand cranked generators continue to be useful during field operations in the 21st century.
The military may have used the technology since the early 1900’s, but over the past 25 years, manufacturers have dramatically refined the concept — turning minutes of hand cranking into hours of power.
Most civilians’ only access to hand-powered technology has been locked inside emergency radios and flashlights for decades, but as prepping and off grid living has become more mainstream, so have these this endlessly renewable sources of power.
Crank power converters are showing up in all sorts of household products from hand-crank cell-phone chargers, to backup generators, and even a blender.
When it comes to ingenuity, our military has proven time and time again why America is the gold standard among its global peers.
We have always lead the way technologically and over time the rest of us have inadvertently benefitted from these advancements as consumers gain access to the same gear with a new twist…from military to mainstream.
