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Portable solar power chargers and their companion charger-packs continue to get less costly, more effective and easier to use. Not long ago, using solar power out in the wilds was an iffy proposition, and sometimes the gear had finicky cabling and poor charging power.

Now, it's easy to be power-independent with charging capability for your smartphone, camp LEDs, headlamps, GPS, and more for less than $100.

Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel

The Nomad 7 solar panel is popular with outdoors enthusiasts because of its light weight (0.8 pounds), flexibility and packability, and book-style folding cover. Also, you can drape the Nomad 7 over the top of a backpack, boat deck, or other surface as you travel in the wilds, so you can recharge on the move.

It outputs power in 12V via a USB port. A panel of this size (9 x 17 inches unfolded), is suitable for charging most handheld USB devices, including smartphones, GPS devices, cameras, and music players. If you want to charge a tablet or a laptop, you will need to step up to a more powerful unit. 

Like most solar panels in this category, the Nomad 7 does not have its own battery capacity. And that's a good thing, because it increases the flexibility of the unit while keeping weight down. For example, you may charge your device directly from this unit and therefore not carry the extra weight of a battery storage cell. Another good alternative is to pair the Nomad 7 with a state-of-the-art battery-charger unit such as the Goal Zero Flip20.

See below.

The Nomad 7 is rated as weather-resistant, and will not be harmed by rain or snow.

Check Goal Zero Nomad 7 prices on Amazon.

Goal Zero Flip20 Recharger

The Flip20 is one of Goal Zero's newest charger packs, and it matches up well with the Nomad 7 solar panel. It has the "20" designation because it is capable of two full charges of a typical smartphone. I like the compactness and simplicity of the Flip20 - it fits securely in various small backpack pockets. It also doubles as a recharger for your work life, and pops into a briefcase or purse easily. You may of course charge it directly from a USB outlet on your computer or from a wall outlet or car adapter in addition to the Nomad 7 solar panel.

The Flip20 measures 3.7 x 1.63 inches, and weighs 4.6 ounces. It has a female USB port on the top, and a flip-out male USB output on the side. It's easy to check the charge level on the Flip20, simply by pressing the side USB and then reading the tiny four-light display on the opposite side. 

It can be fully charged by the Nomad 7 solar panel within 5 - 10 hours, depending on sun intensity and the panel's angle to the sun. This means you can full-charge a handheld device plus a camp LED light every day if you just pair up the two in full sun daily.

Some charge-power-sensitive smartphones may not charge directly from a solar panel, but will charge readily from the smooth and constant power output of a charger such as the Flip20. That's one reason why it's best to pair up a solar panel and a charger.

Overall, I found the Goal Zero products easy to use, powerful, lightweight, and rugged. It's great to be power-independent away from the grid.

Check Goal Zero Flip20 charger prices on Amazon.