Highest Rated Portable Solar Chargers 2017
Improving technology and manufacturing processes have made more gear available to outdoors travelers than ever. One of the challenges in bringing modern luxuries to supplement your trip is that they become dead weight if they don’t have sufficient charge to operate.
While solar technology is still in its infancy, products exist that can convert sufficient energy to power your devices. During local trips you’ll be able to keep your smartphone charged and available in case of emergency. Similarly for longer or more remote treks: a solar panel can charge your GPS or satellite devices.
As with all outdoors gear size, weight, and overall build quality are key to picking the right solar charger. There are a few specific factors to keep in mind when choosing a solar panel: wattage & amps, form factor, and water resistance. Wattage will dictate how fast the charger collects power, while amps will impact how fast your devices can charge. Form factor changes the size/weight considerations, as well as any charge storage capacity. Finally, water resistance is always useful for unpredictable weather.
The majority of solar chargers charge over typical 5V USB, however some of the larger units also support 18V DC charging.