The benefits of Solar Panels whist at camp:

Camping is a fun and exciting experience. However, it can be frustrating when you have to deal with low battery life and no electricity available. This is where solar panels come in handy.

A solar panel will provide you with the electricity that you need to charge or power your devices and enjoy your camping experience. A solar panel is an easy way to charge or power your devices while camping without having to rely on a powered camp site or a noisy generator.

Unlike a generator solar panels will silently provide you with power, not to mention they give off no smelly and dangerous fumes. Due to the fact solar panels rely on the sun for power they therefore cost zero dollars to run. Not to mention because solar power is a renewable energy source, you are also doing our precious planet a huge favour.

Portable Solar panels come in many shapes and sizes, with each design featuring different pros and cons. So, the intention of this article is to provide a helpful guide to choosing the right portable solar panel for your needs. 

Portable Solar Panels:

Rather than a traditional mounted solar panel a portable solar panel has the ability to be stored in the back of your vehicle and only taken out when you need it most. That means you don’t have to drive around town Monday to Friday with a bulky solar panel on your vehicles roof. So, for those who aren’t regular campers this is a huge plus.

Portable solar panels come in two main styles, a hard panel folding solar panel and also a semi soft solar blanket.

A hard panel folding solar panel offers high amounts of efficient power. Some models can be capable of boasting a massive 250 Watts. They can also come with a high-level efficiency MPPT regulator. This will help turn your massive 250 Watts folding solar panel into a highly efficient powerhouse. Providing a massive 20 amps of power into your battery for every hour of full sunlight.

If you want to take the portability up a notch then a semi soft solar blanket is certainly the way to go. A solar blanket is constructed from multiple sections of a semi flexible material. This allows a solar blanket to be folded into a compact size making transport a breeze. A solar blanket is super easy to keep in the back of your rig. Not only that but there also incredibly simple to setup, most use the natural angle of their windscreen to lay out their solar blanket.  Although not as efficient as a hard folding solar panel, solar blankets can still come in a massive 200 Watts. Plus, solar blankets can also feature highly efficient MPPT regulators, to calculate and output the maximum amount of power that your solar blanket can provide

Another benefit of portable solar panels is that you can position them so they always receive direct sunlight. To truly get the most from your portable solar panel pair it with a Solar Extension Lead.

A Solar Extension Lead is the perfect combo for your portable solar. Whether that be an easily transportable solar blanket or an extremely powerful folding solar panel. By drastically extending your solar panels reach a Solar Extension Lead allows you to easily park in the shade but place your portable solar in the sun. This certainly comes in handy at busy camp sites when you don’t quite get the spot you want. Plus, with the extra reach from your Solar Extension Lead you can also effortlessly reposition your portable solar throughout the day as the sun moves ensuring its always getting direct sun and thus producing the most power possible.  To assure you get a quality product look for a Solar Extension Lead that has been specifically designed for solar. That way it will be heat resistant to handle the large amounts of power, plus UV resistant to handle the harsh sun, water resistance to combat the morning due and also abrasion resistant to handle the harsh conditions of the rough grounds at camp. For the best conduction properties look for a Solar Extension Lead that features quality copper wiring.  To truly reap all the power of your solar panel, find a Solar Extension Lead that’s at least 5mm2 in thickness, that way you’ll have extra length of quality power. Another great feature to look for is Anderson-compatible quick connect plugs featured at both ends. Due to the fact most, portable solar panels also feature an Anderson-compatible quick connect plug, you’ll be able to easily and quickly connect your Solar Extension Lead straight in. Another benefit of Anderson compatible quick connect plugs is they offer a stronger and more solid electrical connection. Not only that but they can be plugged straight into most battery boxes that also feature Anderson compatible quick connect plugs.

Thanks to a Solar Extension Lead your solar panel or blanket, can sweat it out in the hot Aussie sun, while you reap the rewards by drinking a cold beer in shade, straight from your 12-volt fridge.

Summary:

Solar power is thankfully becoming a more and more popular power source all around the world. With the way climate change is heading, its important that we all try and do our part.

As you can see there are various benefits to choosing a portable Solar panel for your camping needs. I hope this article has helped highlight the pros and cons of the different styles of portable Solar panels available on the market today. Use this article as a guide so you can go out and get yourself a portable solar panel that best suits your personal needs, so you can truly improve your time at camp.