Bluetti’s Handsfree 1 is a solar generator for truly remote work

is a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He’s been a tech journalist for almost 20 years. Can you love and hate something equally? That’s the relationship I have with Bluetti’s Handsfree 1 Backpack. For $349 you get a large 42L backpack and a skinny 268.8Wh solar generator built around long-lasting LFP battery cells that can be recharged by up to 200W of connected solar panels. It features two USB-A and two 100W USB-C ports with a single 300W AC jack to power modest devices like a Starlink terminal for a full work day. I’ve been traveling around Europe with it in my van for several weeks. On one hand, I love that I can store all my gear inside a single giant bag, including my DSLR, lenses, Starlink Mini, a drone and controller, action camera and accessories, laptop, a 45W EcoFlow solar panel AND that relatively giant power station capable of recharging my MacBook Pro about three times. On the other hand, i ... Read full article.