which foldable solar panel for canoeing and canoe camping

Hello folks,

I've been hit after all and I'm now owner of a SmartPhone ... Hmmmm

These things always need a power connection to be charged ...
It's just that not every tree trunk or under every second stone has a charging option ...
So an solution has to be found. Powebank!
Yes, but it's empty after three to four days ...
A solar panel!
That's right. But which one?

Now I'm searching for it ...
It should be small enough so that it doesn't weigh too much. Powerful enough to charge a power bank and a smartphone ...
water resistant / waterproof and then also affordable in terms of price.

Which one do you use? Why and wherefore?
What are the advantages / disadvantages of your solar panel?

regards
Michael

I've thought about going solar since I'm planning a 3 week trip but, so far, I haven't come close to draining the power banks that I carry. I take two 26,800 mAh banks, I charge a smart phone, an inReach, a 4K video camera & up to 3 goPro cameras. The one I use for the inReach & smart phone has solar capabilities. I looked on Amazon & it's no longer available but there's a 42K+ mAh one. (like everywhere else, it seems there's always an upgrade that's just begging me to open my wallet)

Good luck in your search & I'll be interested in what others carry.

I just bought this and can report on it once received. Here’s the link: https://bigblue-tech.com/products/28w-sunpower-solar-charger

BigBlue SolarPowa 28 (with no ammeter) × 1

I did a pretty deep dive on solar versus power banks, the short story is for most trips/uses/needs (say 7 days or less) you just can't beat power banks.
With the solar panels, charge controller etc, the weight builds up fast and solar panels don't yield that much power ... you will require much larger than you initially think. Add to that the dependence of sun being available, and you needing to expose that panel for a good chunk of the day to get amount of usable power .... carry a couple power banks, put the phone on airplane mode and charge as required from a couple of power banks.

Brian

Worth it to me, but maybe not others. It's been pretty bomb proof, solid construction. I'm on my forth year and it's been beat around tripping and traveling.


I definitely wouldn't want less than the ten-watt, and would probably go with the Nomad 20 if I were going to do it again. The Nomad 5 is about useless, IMO.

The Nomad 10 and a 20k milliamp-hour MyCharge waterproof power bank have ensured that I've had practically perpetual power for the devices I carry.

Kahel –
I also have the Big Blue Solar Powa 28 with the ammeter. https://bigblue-tech.com/products/28w-sunpower-solar-charger-with-ammeter. I have used this for two years now and has worked okay. I to have used just two power banks with great results on 7 day and shorter trips. But for a week or more this has helped. I still bring the battery packs as it has not become a 100% dependable system. (Obviously sun helps) I‘ve had the best results using this while paddling with it spread out between the yoke and thwart over the top of the gear load.

It does seem pretty water resistant – mine has gotten wet during use from the paddle drips from the stroke switch and I did leave it out tied to a tree once in the rain (oh and it fell in the bilge water one time) with no ill effects. But I have not dumped or submerged it completely.

Takes about one hour to charge my phone (Android Galaxy S10) with direct sunlight. Takes about three hours on a dark overcast day. I have not used it to charge a battery bank. Battery banks at home can take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours to get a full charge - so I haven’t tried to use the solar power for that as I couldn’t imagine how long it would take (days). When plugged into my phone I can say my phone is not happy with how slow it charges. The phone will beep and display a message that my phone is charging to slowly and to check the charging cable.

Mine has the Amp meter which I wasn’t thrilled on getting that option (just another thing to break) but it is interesting to watch the output if it actually means anything. I got the amp meter model cause it was on sale.

Overall, for the price it has worked pretty well with some patience.



Good luck on your search. As soon as you choose one a better one will come out. Got to love chasing the latest tech.
– keep us posted.

Thank you very much for the amount of good information you have given me ...

I will take a closer look at this “Big Blue Solar Powa 28”. It seems to work quite well for me

Today I spent the whole day looking for a solar panel and ended up with the BigBlue 28w.

This seems to make the most sense for my purposes, especially as some tests have shown that it produces electricity with a very low light output. It is quite small, relatively light and reasonably water-repellent.

I was able to buy a used one for a very good price at a local auction and with the two power packs I already have, I'm well equipped to power up all my rechargeable batteries from lamps, flashlights, camera and smartphone.

Thank you for your help
Greetings
Michael

I’d like to pile on with another question! Looking online, the BigBlue 28 certainly looks like the best option, except for IP rating. It’s only an IPX4 (vertical spray up to 60°), while Sunjack is IP67 (6 for being dust tight, and 7 for water immersion). So, if I might go for a swim with all my gear, would I be in trouble with the BB? Has anyone here tested this, voluntarily or involuntarily?

Thanks!