Adventurer's Best Friend, Solar Panel Battery Chargers

Some people are serious adventurers are going for solar panel battery chargers. Whether it is camping in the outback for weeks at a time, hiking some of the roughest terrains in the world, or just getting up in the high country to get in touch with nature, they take everything they can pack in a backpack, and rely on their skills to get them through weeks or more in the wilderness.

However, these people still enjoy their electronic devices, whether it is an I-Pod to listen to their music, a lap top to do some writing, or a cell phone for emergencies. The problem is that these devices all have batteries, and need to either be recharged, or they don't last very long. There is hope though for the serious adventurer.

These panels aren't your regular run of the mill solar chargers either. They are extremely rugged, and can hold up to the harshest of conditions. They use the latest in mono-crystalline technology, and are efficient even in cloudy conditions. Each set of eight panels can provide 27 watts of solar power, yet fold up into a small compact size that can fit just about anywhere. They are water resistant, come with a variety of adapter cords, and include rod supports to keep them rigid while charging, and grommets for many hanging options.

Now you can buy there solar products separately, the panels, the power packs, lights and convertor, but if you want to save money, there are also combination kits for the serious explorer, the 120, and the 50. Both of these combination kits are good, and which one you purchase depends on your individual needs.

The Sherpa 120 Adventure kit is the power house kit. It comes with the Nomad 27 solar panel, as described earlier. It also comes with the Sherpa 120 power pack, which stores 120 watt hours of energy, weighs just 3.8 pounds, and has built in USB and DC ports for charging a variety of hand held devices. It is equivalent to 70,000 AA batteries. This power pack can be charged in 2.5 hours with a standard household outlet, or in just 8 hours with the Nomad panel. This kit also comes with the Sherpa universal inverter, wall plug, female as well as male DC plugs, and the carrying case.

The Sherpa 50 includes a 13.5 watt Nomad solar panel, the Sherpa Fifty power pack with 50 watt hours of continuous power that can be charged either with a wall socket, or the solar panel. It doesn't include the universal adapter. The Sherpa fifty can replace 30,000 AA batteries. You can also get many more combinations, depending on your needs, from the Base Camp kit, the Ranger kit, and many others.

These are just a few of the solar panel battery chargers and kits on the market, you can find more at many retailers. But one thing to keep in mind is that when you choose any solar battery pack for a camping or hiking trip, be sure it can withstand harsh conditions. You do not want to buy something that will burn out in a couple days when you plan to be gone for a couple weeks.