LAS VEGAS -- Here's something that ought to come in handy for those of us in the outdoorsy Pacific Northwest: A recharger for your mobile devices that uses water.

PowerTrekk is a portable fuel cell charger specifically designed for outdoor enthusiasts away from the power grid.

Here's how it works. You pour water (or, in an emergency, any other liquid such as beer, Gatorade or, um, piss) into the water compartment. You insert the fuel pack (called a PowerPukk) into the fuel compartment. A hydrogen gas is released that interacts with oxygen in a membrane of the PowerTrekk, providing power instantly. A USB port in the PowerTrekk provides the connection to your mobile device.

It should take the same amount of time to charge your device with a PowerTrekk as it does to charge your device at home.

The PowerTrekk will be available in the U.S. starting in May. Its price is $229, with each PowerPukk an additional $4 or so. (Each PowerPukk is good for one-time use and is designed to fully charge a device such as an iPhone.)

PowerTrekk was designed by Swedish company myFC and is being distributed in the U.S. by Redmond-based Industrial Revolution.

Here's Ken Bathurst, sales manager with Industrial Revolution, showing how the PowerTrekk works: