If you are going off the grid for a weekend, you can use small solar chargers to power up phones, MP3 players and other devices – so which is the best?
Portable solar chargers have come on in recent years, but still have a way to go – they mainly require strong, direct sunlight to work reliably. At the bottom end of the market, you can easily get a 5 Watt, 12 Volt Solar Power Portable Panel
Solio is one of the biggest names and one of the worst. It has spent a lot on PR – but the product sucks. Its three-panel designs, such as the Solio Classic (around $120, prices vary locally), simply don’t work very well. If you must buy a Solio because your Mum asked for it and she doesn’t know any better, get the Solio Hybrid 1000
For better performance (although bulkier), try bags with built-in panels – the higher surface area of the panels translates direfctly into greaster power and reliability — like the Voltaic backpack ($190) or Reware Juice Bag (around $200). Both have built-in solar panels, which are useful if you’re out walking, and offer higher output.
Another alternative is the P-300 Soldius 1
One Response
In searching for comparisons of portable solar chargers, this post popped up. But there was barely any comparison offered, no real alternative to the solio was presented. And it in fact seems to be the best option for backpackers because of it’s ability to effectively store a charge.
Also, despite the at length bashing of solios, they come highly recommended from the travellers I know who have them.