Bill, here is a quote to follow up that
In no other pursuit is the best or the worst in a man brought out as in mountaineering. An old friend of civilisation may be a useless companion on a mountain.
Frank Smythe, The Kanchenjunga Adventure, page 165
Sierra, I am not a gadget guy, but I did rent a sat phone a few times when up high. They have flexible solar recharger panels, about maybe 6 X8 inches, that you can strap on the top of your pack. Don't know the charge rate, esp if one has a high capacity lithium, but surely they must have those for all the other devices people "must have". As an aside, in the scout troop we confiscated devices kids brought. They knew the risk up front. Never got them back. Tough love.
