Anker Astro3E 10000mAh Dual 5V 3A USB Output External Battery Pack Charger

Why we love it?

Some comments about this we saw on the web:

* /u/CBud on /r/BurningMan The strips will probably be the easiest way to light up the fur. If you’re looking for an easy plug-and-play solution, look at Cool Neon’s Total Control Lighting. It’s way more expensive then building it yourself (especially if you get parts from China), but it saves a TON of the headache of getting started.

If you want to go the hard route, you could always buy just the strips (either these or these Adafruit or these or these from Ray Wu’s LED store), and either buy a controller or program one yourself using an Arduino (basic tutorial here). I would actually suggest using the Arduino as I’ve heard mixed things about pretty much ever controller (other than the Total Control one). You will also need to buy a battery; I suggest using a USB battery - and that should last you a couple days of night-time use.

Or if you want to do something more embedded (and less “solder/electronics” heavy), Adafruit just came out with an Arduino platform specifically for wearable electronics. It’s called Flora, and not only do they have RGB LEDs that can be easily chained together using conductive thread, but they also have light sensors, motion sensors, GPS modules and YouTube tutorials for all of these.

So you could potentially make an outfit that interacts with your location, movement and even ambient light!

As a nice started kit, consider getting a Flora, a couple packs of the RGB LEDs, a LiPo Battery (and recharger), and some Conductive Thread. It’ll put you back about ~$70, but you’ll learn a TON.

Using an Arduino based solution is going to be more difficult, but if you search around Adafruit (and also /r/arduino) you’ll find plenty of help. Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions!

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