The Mighty Minty Boost power pack is one of the innovative ways Altoid tins are being reused rather than thrown away. The Altoid tin power pack is basically a kit-driven battery booster using rechargeable batteries to recharge or power pocket devices.

Now, with the advent of affordable solar cells, Altoid tins can be converted to solar cell battery boosters and chargers. The basic Mighty Minty Booster kit costs around $25 USD and can be easily built at home by anyone with modest creative ability. The tin is carefully cut to accept the USB connector, the enclosed electronics and the rechargeable batteries. The batteries are charged from a standard outlet and the booster is used when the internal batteries of your electronic devices run out of power.

The Altoid tin solar cell adds a small solar cell to the basic booster kit to recharge the enclosed batteries using only solar power. The solar cell is attached to the outside of the Altoid tin using Velcro. The solar cell can also be attached to the outside of a backpack and wired to the Altoid tin booster being carried inside of the backpack.

Compared to the many commercially available solar electronic device chargers and boosters, the Altoid tin solar cell is surprisingly affordable and easy to make at home. The device is capable of powering any small electronic device, such as iPod, Zune, mp3’s, cell phones, PDA’s, and more. With millions of such devices in use every day, the switch to solar power makes great sense.

When the Altoid tin solar cell battery booster is left in the sun while you are at work, the rechargeable batteries inside will gather enough power to recharge your pocket electronic device for the evening. By keeping the solar charger in the sun whenever possible, the use of commercial electricity for these types of devices can be eliminated.

Portable electronic devices may also be operated using solar power in real-time. If you are working or relaxing in the sun, your devices can be connected to the Altoid tin solar cell and operated on free solar energy.

With a little creative thought, these tiny yet powerful Altoid tin solar cells can serve many uses. Every battery-powered device imaginable can be operated using rechargeable batteries. A rechargeable battery charging station can be built and connected to solar cells that would keep a large arsenal of batteries ready for use at any time.