Next time your iPod dies at the gym or your cell phone runs out of juice en route from one destination to the next, be prepared with this windup rechargeable battery. Convert kinetic energy to electrical energy by turning the crank to generate hours of power.

Whether you’re headed into the woods for a camping trip or hunkering down for a big storm, this crank LED flashlight is one handy gadget to have around.

Not impressed? Okay, then I dare you not to marvel at this crank radio flashlight iPod player. Yes, you can listen to music, get weather updates and light the way by winding up a single gadget small enough to fit in your backpack. Plus, it’s equipped with a solar panel for when your hand gets sore.

Your shaver keeps you on a tight leash, so trade it in for one that gives you room to roam. The Freedom shaver is a truly liberating device that makes it possible to groom on the go.

Bring picnics in the park to a whole new level by blending up some tasty shakes, smoothies or cocktails with the portable GSI Vortex hand crank blender.

I like to keep my morning coffee routine as peaceful as possible, and the obnoxious drone of an electric grinder just kills the mood. Instead, save the serenity of first light and some power with a hand crank coffee grinder.

Attention outdoorsmen and women: with this two-way crank radio, you can communicate with others on 22 different channels, listen to the radio, illuminate a dark path and blast an earsplitting emergency siren.

The concept of the hand powered portable washing machine is pure old-fashioned genius. Perfect for small loads, road trips and camping, this clever green device doesn’t require an iota of electricity.

Keep a can of gasoline and this hand crank fuel pump in your car, and you’ll never again have to call AAA in embarrassment when your car putters to a stop in between stations.

Aiming to bring affordable technology to the youth of developing countries, the XO laptop only costs $100 and can be powered by a hand crank.

The post Wind “˜Em Up: 10 Coolest Hand Crank Gadgets appeared first on EcoSalon.

Michael Jantzen takes my breath away. The 61-year-old sustainable designer visualizes structures like an uninhibited preschooler, then harnesses his nearly four decades of experience, allowing him to turn fantasy into function. His structures are the perfect place to do some work, read a book, practice yoga, have a dance party or meditate.

Jantzen’s latest creation is called The Revolutionarium, a space that he deems a new kind of solarium. The prefabricated modular, interactive, functional art structure, is designed to stimulate the creativity of its occupants, Jantzen says. It can also be used as a greenhouse.

At 26 feet in diameter, and 14 feet high, it will be constructed from sustainably-grown wood products, steel, and glass. Four wooden screens can be pulled around the cylinder in a myriad of combinations, allowing the user to control the amount of light and heat from the sun; screens can also be used to control privacy. Eleven windows around the top of the steel and glass cylinder can be opened for ventilation.

If you want to power up your computer, electrical power can be supplied by a small, vertical-axis wind turbine. Photovoltaic solar cells can also be added to supplement the turbine. Energy captured will be stored in a series of batteries housed beneath the floor.

The Revolutionarium shown here is fitted with a movable center desk and chair structure that supports several computers. There’s also a specially designed light and ceiling fan combination mounted above the desk.

Remember the tree house growing up? Well life’s just gotten a whole lot better.

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