For those who consider themselves true adventurists and love spending time in the remote outdoors, the idea of being able to create hot water no matter where you are, certainly has appeal. Perhaps even more appealing would be the ability to heat water for food or hygenic reasons using nothing more than the energy from the sun.
Recently I was contacted by a representative from an Australian company who wanted to let me know about a new product they had invented that is lightweight, portable and will heat water using nothing but the sun’s energy. The product is called The Sun Rocket, and after looking into the product and it’s claims, I agreed to accept one and test it out as part of another Enviro Dad Review.
The Sun Rocket is a portable unit, which houses a vycor glass vacuum tube that holds about 500 ml of water inside a unit that fols out and opens to expose reflective panels which direct the suns energy and heats the water. According to their website, the Sun Rocket can heat water in as little as 30 minutes (weather conditions permitting) and can generate water hot enough to use for things such as water purification in around 90 minutes.
I decided to video record the review process and chose a mid August day with mostly clear skies and a temperature of about 27 degrees celcius (80 degrees farenheit). To see the process and the results of my review, please watch the following video.
Despite the mixed results observed during my own personal testing, I can see how the unit would be beneficial to some. It would be hard to make a case that this is a better option for family camping or for general use around the home. However for true adventurists who enjoy things such as wilderness camping or back country skiing, the general portability of the unit, and the fact that it does indeed heat water, the Sun Rocket is worthy of consideration.
The Sun Rocket can be purchased online throughout North America, Europe and Australia through the Sun Kettle website and retails for $59.95 (CDN).
Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10 and based upon my own personal experience as part of this Enviro Dad Review, I’m giving the Sun Rocket Portable Solar Water Heater a 6.
DISCLAIMER: Products submitted for Enviro Dad reviews are provided by the manufacturer or representatives free of charge. No further compensation has been provided or requested, and all thoughts or opinions relating to this particular review are offered without reservation or influence.
Intriguing, but looks like it’s not ready for prime time yet. I like my coffee hot!
Weight is <1 kg, according to their website http://www.sunkettle.com/about
I assume that means darn close to 1 kg. Heavier than an MSR stove, but not if you include a litre of fuel.
I am intrigued by this idea! What’s the weight of the Sun Rocket? One consideration when backpacking is the weight of the pack–every ounce counts. I could see this being a solution while backpacking (put it on your pack, let the sun heat it while you hike), but only if it’s relatively lightweight.
Hi Gretchen,
The Sun Rocket weighs about 1 KG or just over 2 lbs. Portability is certainly one of the key features of this unit, so in that respect it’s pretty useful. Thanks for the question!