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The 8 best portable solar panels for camping, hiking and other outdoor activities.
SunJack 20W
SunJack 20W Portable Solar Charger will assist you in any situation when you don’t have an access to a wall outlet nearby. The strongest portable power from SunJack will fully charge your devices no matter where you are. SunJack 20W weather-resistant solar charger is designed in California, USA and is backed by one year warranty. SunJack 20W Portable Solar Charger is equipped with two battery banks to keep your electric devices juiced up at all times even when the sun isn't shining. You can charge your phone, tablet, lights, camera, music player, or any other USB device.
Pro: Weighs less than a pound
Con: Requires direct sunlight for results
Apt Attachment: While it seems a little awkward when spread out like a windshield sun blocker, the series of eyeholes around the body allow for this to be attached to backpacks, hung from branches, or dangled from your suspended tree tent. The small quadruple panels give it a unique flexibility while still also capable of pushing out 16 Watts at 2 amps when placed in direct sunlight. With a monocrystalline PET body, the entire device resists scratches and abuse for years of full-powered output.
INSTAPARK MERCURY 10
Pro: Fast charging
Con: Does not have a battery
Blessed Balance: When folded up for stowing, the Mercury 10 is just about the size of a tablet with all the wires stowed, making it compact but not too small or underpowered. As the name implies, it pumps out 10 Watts worth of energy via the dual USB ports which work for most modern electronics. The feathery feel comes at the expense of a rechargeable battery, but get an external one and you’ll be ready to go. Three panels catch lots of light for quick power output.
ANKER DUAL-PORT SOLAR CHARGER
Pro: Incorporated metal eyeholes
Con: Testing shows some units fall below benchmarks (made in China)
Auto-Detector: Portable solar chargers can be tricky when it comes to which devices they will recognize and which they will charge properly. Not so with the hyper-intelligent PowerIQ built right into this accordion-style folder from Anker. It automatically detects the right output to give your equipment enough juice and minimize charge time. The 4 panels combine to create a 14 watt monocrystalline solar array that gives you 2 amps when laid in direct sunlight. Wrapped up, it has a polyester canvas shell for fighting off weather or sharing a pack with a busted water bottle. Unfortunately, no battery backup (cue sad trombone).
ENERPLEX KICKR II
Pro: Hooks and buckles for multiple carrying options
Con: 0.6 amp output
Solar Flex: Rigidity is overrated. Go ahead and buy one of those stiff upper lip solar panels if you like, but the Kickr line is better for bending across your hiking backpack like a yoga instructor. You can literally drop it on the ground and stomp it or fold it completely in half without it breaking to pieces and destroying your chance of survival. Patented CIGS tech offers premium power density to weight ratio, making this a weather-resistant generator weighing only a pound. 3 watts of solar power is cranked out over the 5V micro and mini USB interface, or via the 30-pin Apple connector.
GOAL ZERO 11800 NOMAD
Pro: Weather resistant notebook casing
Con: Will not charge larger devices (tablets)
Slim Pickin’s: Ounces and girth count when you’re filling up your backpacking bag, and some chunky roll-up array or a hefty hunk of thick panels just won’t do. That’s when you snap up the ultra-rugged, one pound Nomad. It’s a self-contained system with storage space for all the cords that works with any USB device. If you need to, you can also snap on the cigarette lighter adapter for use with a second device, a 12V item, or a non-USB-compatible piece of hardware. It only grabs about 7 watts worth of sunshine, so the output isn’t astounding. You’ll need a battery if you pack around an iPad or similar bigger items.
POWERADD 40W FOLDABLE SOLAR PANEL
Pro: Plastic-faced solar panels
Con: Difficult to hang or mount anywhere
Computer Conduit: This might push the boundaries of what some would consider a truly portable solar panel, but we can pick it up, which means portable to us. You’re not going to want to try to carry this around with you, but rather load it up with your basecamp gear for working on your screenplay while everyone else pitches their little camping tents. It has a 5V port for charging up your typical gadgets via USB, but also offers an 18V 2+ amp DC power option for bigger products that chug power. Though it has 40 watts worth of energy, it is specifically designed to keep whatever you plug into it safe throughout the process, so no fried drives or boards.
SunJack 14W Portable Solar Charger
SunJack 14W Portable Solar Charger gives your devices right amount of energy. With this product you can charge your mobile phone, tablet or other electric devices when you are camping or traveling. You can charge your smartphone three times and an iPad twice over. SunJack helps smartphone users stay charged anywhere where the sun is shining. It can even absorb some energy even when the sun is not shining during heavily clouded days. SunJack 14W Portable Solar Charger can fully charge its battery in about five hours of sunlight, but can also be charged with USB. But if sun is not shining or there is a cloudy day, users can power their devices with SunJack battery.
