Overcoming Cabin Fever with Solar

COVID-19 and the quarantine lockdowns have triggered stressamong millions, causing fear and anxiety among many in both adults and children. It has led to fear and worry about the health of those and others around them, difficulty in sleeping or concentrating, and worsening of chronic health problems. And those who respond more strongly tend to be older people and those at higher risk for severe illness, or those with mental health conditions, including problems with substance abuse.

Many countries are easing up on these restrictions, but many are still told to stay at home, deepening the pressures of cabin fever. There is a short-term solution, though. Many health professions saythat until society returns to a semblance of normalcy, the best course of action is to go outside. 

Many research studies say that simply going outside will make you feel better. Does it seem too simple to be true? If so, ask yourself this: when was the last time you really spent time outdoors for the sake of being outdoors?

Here are some of the benefits of going outdoors for the purposes of reducing stress:

• Ease depression. A walk in nature can reduce depression and anxiety.
• Increase your vitamin D levels. The simplest way to get more vitamin D is through sun exposure. There is little of this vitamin in the foods we eat; even a supplement doesn't pack the same punch as getting enough rays. Thankfully, the winter months are behind us, and getting sun is easier. So go enjoy it! 
• Power up your immune system. Illnesses don't come from cold weather exposure. They come from being exposed to the ill, which happens more quickly indoors than outdoors. When you are outdoors, you are exposed to allergens and dirt, which strengthens your immune system and makes it more able to combat real diseases later. 
• Increase endorphins. Being outdoors leads to vigorous activity. This could be as intense as sprinting or mountain biking, or as calm as a walk or kite flying. When you move your body, you increase your endorphin levels. These make you feel better and reduce stress levels. How? Many studies show that being in nature lowers your stress-hormone cortisol and also decreases your heart rate.

At GoSun, we love the outdoors and have created many products that make staying in nature as enjoyable as possible for as long as you want. Do you want to be able to cook and refrigerate your food for several days without having to go into civilization for batteries or ice? We have just what you need. Scroll down to check out our favorite remedies for cabin fever.  

Cabin-Fever Cure #1: The GoSun Chill

Another great way to get outside and enjoy it to the fullest is with the GoSun Chill, a solar-powered cooler that lets you take your food and drink anywhere you want to go, as long as you want to be there. 

A solar-powered cooler for camping has numerous advantages over a regular cooler. Here are three of them (although these advantages may not apply to all models of solar coolers). Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see how much more beer you can hold in your solar-powered cooler for camping.

First, there is no need for ice. Tired of having food turned into a soggy mush if it isn't protected by three layers of Ziploc bags? Tired of having to drive into town every 24 hours to replenish your supply of ice? Tired of being unable to completely disconnect from the grid? A solar-powered cooler for camping is the way to get out of the ice age. Plus you can now utilize 100 percent of the space within a cooler when ice isn't part of the equation. 

Second, solar-powered cooler for camping can ironically help you to stay more grid-connected by being able to recharge your electronic devices.  In the case of the GoSun Chill, it is powered by a portable lithium battery pack. The large 150 watt-hour solar power pack can also power laptops, cell phones, and many other portable accessories, making it the perfect outdoor product to be prepared for a power outage or emergency. The detachable power bank packs enough juice to charge your phone 20 times over.

Third, the highest-end models can be charged off the grid in only a few hours. In the case of the GoSun Chill, you can recharge the battery with the solar table, equipped with a 60w panel that delivers a full charge in just three hours and keeps the cooler shaded.

And lastly—and this is critically important—a solar cooler holds more beer. If you use the GoSun Chill, it holds 21 bottles of beer, or 51 cans of beer or soda. Based on the size of your ice cooler, this is is an increased capacity of 30 to 50% since you do not have to make any room for ice. That's a great reason for using a solar cooler if there ever was one. 

Cabin Fever Cure #2: A Solar Stove

Sure, gas-canister powered stoves are a great way to cook while camping, but they're bulky and heavy. Do you want to know why solar-powered stoves are so much better? Check out this episodeof the Solar Cooking Podcast, where GoSun CEO Patrick Sherwin discusses his experiences going to the backcountry with nothing but a solar cooker, his favorite camping recipes, and plans for a 7-day survival adventure with nothing but a solar cooker and his wits to survive.

Two stoves to check out from this episode are the GoSun Sport and GoSun Fusion.

Cabin Fever Cure #3: Solar Camping Lights

One of the biggest roadblocks to a good camping trip is sufficient lighting. Once the sun goes down, if you don't have enough headlamps or LED lights, then finding anything becomes nearly impossible. And if your batteries run out, then it's (literally) lights out. 

That's why solar camping lights are so great. They never run out of batteries and are built for portability. Below are listed some of the best solar camping lights. 

Sun King Pico

The Sun King Pico redefines portable light. With its built-in solar panel and 360-degree tilt, the Pico combines adaptability and reliability into a compact package. A perfect home or travel accessory, that provides up to 72 hours of light per day on a full charge.

• 5x brighter than kerosene
• Integrated solar design
• 72 hours of light on low mode
• Perfect for camping, RV, and emergency

Sun King Pro

The Sun King Pro defines the industry's gold standard in affordable solar-powered lanterns with a 360-degree tilt and mobile phone charging capability. A perfect emergency, home or travel accessory, that provides up to 45 hours of light per day on a full charge.

• 40x brighter than fire
• Separate 3Watt solar panel
• USB device & DC power
• 45 hours of light on low mode

Solar Flashlight 

This rechargeableflashlight packs 280 lumens of on-demand light. With an integrated solar cell, it has the ability to recharge using solar energy alone, but can also be recharged with the included USB cord. It has a lantern mode, spotlight ability, and a red strobe emergency setting. A magnetic back allows for hands-free use.

Uses: Camping, backpacking, and emergency

• Weight: 0.3 lbs
• Lumens: 280
• Charges USB devices
• Multiple modes: Lantern, Spotlight, and Emergency

Need to Recharge Your Solar Camping Light? Bring a Portable Solar Panel

Need to recharge your solar light? We recommend the Solar Panel 10. It charges your light (or phone, or any other USB-connected device) while traveling or camping. Connect any device via USB, place in the Sun, and SolarPanel 10 will charge about at fast as a typical wall outlet charger.

• Weight: 0.65 lb (0.3kg)
• Power output: 10 Watts
• Dimensions: 7" L x 10.5" W x .02" D
• Weather-resistant, collapsible desig