Texenergy – China Factory Visit March 2016

I’m writing this from the Texenergy factory in Shenzhen, China.  I have been here for the past few days working with the Texenergy team.

Texenergy design, develop and manufacture infinite portable power solutions.

The company is new but the team behind the brand are not. They have been in the industry for over 25years and I have worked with them for over 5years.

Reliable power when I’m off grid is a serious matter. My power needs range from items that I want to charge (my GoPro camera, my Suunto watch, my laptop) to items that I need to charge (my Sat phone, my GPS).   Until now I have used power banks and solar panels.

These have been reliable and worked well but I have also known there is still a risk – if there is no sun, there is no power.

Texenergy are at the forefront of innovation and design and for over 2yrs they have been working on an amazing range of infinite power solutions that include solar, wind and hand crank.

The hand crank – Infinte Orbit – is already made and available.

The wind turbine – Infinte Air – is in the final stages of development and will be in production by July.

The solar panel – Infinite Solar – is in R&D and will in production by 2017.

I have been with the engineers and professors in the factory who have been working through the final stages and testing of the infinite air.

The project that I have been more involved with is the evolution of the power pack. I have used power packs on many of my expeditions and there is always a compromise between weight and performance and also toughness, durability and water resistance of the unit.

Last year we worked with the Red Bull X-Alp athletes. The X-Alps is known as the toughest adventure race in the world, that sees world-class athletes and paraglider pilots cover a straight-line distance of over 1000km, from Salzburg to Monaco, by foot or by paraglider. These people are super human!

Our work with the athletes before the race, during it and afterwards meant that we were able to gain a clear understanding of their power needs and from that develop a brief for a brand new power pack.

This is what we concluded the new power pack must be –

• Lightweight, Robust & Reliable
• Totally waterproof
• Resistant to extremes of temperature
• Easy to use
• Flexible
• Have enough capacity to charge a device to last 24hrs
  With all this in mind Texenergy’s Flexible Power Pack was born and yesterday we saw the first prototype. I would love to share a photo but I can’t just yet. The Power Pack is amazing; it has accomplished the brief and still managed to be small, lightweight, waterproof and flexible!!

  Being involved in the design and manufacture process is really exciting; it’s hard to image the time and effort that goes into making a product. Coming to the factory in China has given me an appreciation and good understanding of how products evolve and are produced. There is no substitute for being face to face with the people who are making the product.  It has been so valuable to have face-time; to explain, discuss, brain storm and work together with the engineers and team at the factory.  It means they fully understand what the product must do and be and also importantly why it must do it.

  The production for the Texenergy’s Flexible Power Pack is planned for July.

….Meanwhile upstairs in the assembly lab the power packs for the new Arcteryx Voltair Avalanch Airbag– ISPO Gold award winner – were being put together….