Thread: so.. solar charging.

Can anyone with first hand experience recommend any of these? Somthing to charge your devices if your in the bush for several days?

How many watt? Anything to avoid. Anything to lookout for? Prefer a waterlily 12v turbine generator?

Please, tell me your thoughts... I'm looking at a projecta 5x panel solar charger, with 18000mahbattery bank built I.

Originally Posted by Larskramer

Can anyone with first hand experience recommend any of these? Somthing to charge your devices if your in the bush for several days?

How many watt? Anything to avoid. Anything to lookout for? Prefer a waterlily 12v turbine generator?

Please, tell me your thoughts... I'm looking at a projecta 5x panel solar charger, with 18000mahbattery bank built I.

I have a couple Goal zeros. One I use most is in pics. 20watt 3 panels iirc.
More than enough grunt for any electronics you would carry into hills.
I take it everywhere. I have an Anker 280000 power bank and this unit can charge that from half full and my phone from empty in a day of good sun during winter months.
It will charge my phone or inreach in a say 3 hours by themselves.
About the size of an A4 book but a bit heavier.
I carry the power bank as well as you cant always rely on the sun. But in saying that it will charge on an overcast day but not as fast.


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The Anker solar panels are very good and the best power output to weight I know of

Originally Posted by Larskramer

Can anyone with first hand experience recommend any of these? Somthing to charge your devices if your in the bush for several days?

How many watt? Anything to avoid. Anything to lookout for? Prefer a waterlily 12v turbine generator?

Please, tell me your thoughts... I'm looking at a projecta 5x panel solar charger, with 18000mahbattery bank built I.

I went down the solar road a few years ago.
I didn't have anything with as good performance as the one R93 has.
But tried a few models a eton and a roman both from H&F, then found these battery packs that where way smaller and lasted a week easily
I now carry 2 depending on how long we are going in for.

https://www.mightyape.co.nz/product/...black/24343297

Originally Posted by BRADS

I went down the solar road a few years ago.
I didn't have anything with as good performance as the one R93 has.
But tried a few models a eton and a roman both from H&F, then found these battery packs that where way smaller and lasted a week easily
I now carry 2 depending on how long we are going in for.

https://www.mightyape.co.nz/product/...black/24343297

Will they be for sale soon?

firstly: what are you going to run off it?
secondly remember that panel outputs are rated at full sunlight so if its cloudy you arent going to get as much charge
and most importantly get a decent battery pack from a name brand supplier. i have sen 18650 batteries rated at 10,000mAh which is bullshit as even the best ones are 3500 tops. i have even dismantled "power banks" with 4 battery cells in them and found 2 of them were fake and were filled with sand to increase the weight

I've also used the Goal Zero brand but I only had 2 panels. They work good. Kept my camera and cell phone going while I was in Canada. Bare in mind we were out for 14 days at a time and taking a heap of pictures. If you're out for less than a week it would be much more sensible to just take a decent size powerbank and forget the solar charger.

Also, be aware if you're flying you have to take the powerbank in your carry on. They'll open your check in bag and throw it in the bin like mine....

I got this epak solaroll a few years ago. Team it with a portable battery pack or direct into device. Came with a couple of led usb lights that run on nothing and can light a hut up for hours.

I haven't used it for a while so you are welcome to borrow.




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Originally Posted by R93

I have a couple Goal zeros. One I use most is in pics. 20watt 3 panels iirc.
More than enough grunt for any electronics you would carry into hills.
I take it everywhere. I have an Anker 280000 power bank and this unit can charge that from half full and my phone from empty in a day of good sun during winter months.
It will charge my phone or inreach in a say 3 hours by themselves.
About the size of an A4 book but a bit heavier.
I carry the power bank as well as you cant always rely on the sun. But in saying that it will charge on an overcast day but not as fast.


Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk

I have an Aliexpress 20W copy that folds up. Took it on a roar fly in on west coast with a 20,000mA USB power pack and a USB battery charger. Could use my phone as ebook and charge it when I slept via the USB power pack. Charged GPS batteries and power pack by the panel. And left the panel setup on the side of tent on a sunny day, did 4 AAs and the USB pack no problem. Also recharged my Inreach at night by the USB pack.

From WISH

https://www.wish.com/product/5d5d0bf...ebd?&share=web

I have one and @Frodo got one too and he has trialed his way more than me and really happy
Strong built
and there is a bigger size too (and smaller one)

@Frodo
Can you give stats on this
Think you said you being doing trials ??

Yeah, so Sarvo kindly gave me one of the solar panels he bought off 'Wish' to have a play with.

I haven't tried any of the more expensive 'name brand' ones, but the Wish panel has been super reliable and it's built very well. Seems like great value for $50 NZD.

I'll try and record how long it takes for it to charge various devices.