Summer months mean summer break for the kids in schools, vacations, long summer nights, and for many families, camping trips! At the Solar Showroom, one of the questions that our customers ask us is if we “go solar” when it comes to solar power for camping. And although Amazon and other resellers have some great solar solutions for camping trips, recreational solar is not something that we specialize in. However, to get into the summer spirit, we thought it would be fun to review a few solar power for camping solutions that could make the family camping trip, or weekend fishing trip, solar-powered.
Foldable Solar Panels
One of our favorite solar power for camping panels that are portable, and foldable (meaning, they travel well) is the Zamp Portable Solar Power Suitcase. The benefits of Zamp are that the panels are built in America, have water proof solar controllers, have a wide variety of wattage choices (from an 80 watt system up to 200 watt system) and had the highest rating of construction quality.
The benefit of a portable solar panel is that a solar power system allows you to charge your RV when it is not plugged into shore power and allows people to not have to run a generator, which can be loud and often against campground rules. Plus, you are depending on clean, renewable energy – and for outdoorsmen, anything that preserves the environment is a good thing.
Solar Monkey Charger
Most people want to escape for a bit on a camping trip, but still want to be able to depend on our phones for pictures, videos and perhaps GPS. Yet, not having a charging station can be a problem. The Solar Money Charger is a rough and touch solar phone charger that allos you to charge all your phones when you are camping. The phone charger is water resistant, extra durable, and shock resistant. It takes approximately 8 hours to charge it fully and can then charge 2-3 Smartphones off the charge. This charger comes with five adapters and can charge anything from an iPhone, iPhad to a Samsung device. Retail is approximately $129.00.
PC: Solarmonkey Adventurer
Eton Scorpion
The Scorpion by Eton is a compact, multi-purpose ration with a built in LED light. The device is powered by solar power – but, in the case of extreme darkness, can be powered by a hand-crank as well. On a full charge, the device can charge your phone with a USC cable. Another benefit to the camper is that it can provide detailed weather reports, news reports and even provide music for hanging out on the beach, during a hike or around a campfire. The retail price average $45.00.
PC: thegrommet.com
The Companion Deluxe Portable Solar Shower
Camping means roughing it – but even the most refined campers can find a shower refreshing and rejuvenating after several days in the heart of the forest or spending the days lounging at a beach side campsite. The Copmanion Deluxe Portable Shower allows you to warm up water and enjoy a hot shower at your campside, make-shift shower. Campers simply fill the bag with water (which is approximately 20L, for an 8 minute shower) and set it in the sun to absorb the heat. When you are ready to shower, hang it up and wash the dirt of the day away. The best part is the price at an average retail of $24.50.
Energizer Solar 4LED Rechargeable Spotlight
If camping with your family is anything like camping with our family at Del Sol Energy, lots of kids and campers often means a need for lots of lights traversing the campground late at night. This sportlight takes away the demand for batteries because it is powered by sun-light! After a day of being placed in the sun, this spotlight will run fo4 3.5 hours. Plus, this light is waterproof, so any water accidents aren’t a problem for this light either. It also comes with a car adapter to get the light charged up before you even arrive to the campground, giving you lots of light to get camp set up in the case you arrive late at night.
Lumos Solar Backpack
Another favorite for camping is the Lumos Solar Backpack. This backpack is roomy and allows you to bring along all the hiking, or day trip, necessities – snacks, extra change of clothes and of course, lots of water. The benefit of this lightweight backpack is you can charge your Smartphone or other devices as you hike, taking away the risk of having a dead phone and loss of GPS. Or, the inability to take pictures and videos, which help keep the memories of the day alive. The Lumos backpack as a 3 watt solar panel built into the back, wich will charge the 2200 mAh battery, and allow you to charge any USB device. The added perk of it being water resistant with reflective logos for safety adds to its convenience.
Solar Car Battery Charger
Nothing dampens the end of a camping trip more than a dead car battery. After going through the hassle and hard work of breaking down camp and getting everything packed away in the car, nothing is more frustrating than attempting to turn on the ignition in the car and having a dead battery. Being off the beaten-track of off the gird might make getting help exceptionally difficult. A solar car battery charger allows you to be confident that your car battery stays charged and ready to start whenever you need it. Simple to use, campers just need to hook up the cool camping solar device to get their car up and running again. With a 1.5-watt panel, the Super Cheap Auto solar charger provides energy to your car so you do not need to worry about returning to your car without any charge. The solar charger can be clipped directly in to the battery, or plugged into the cigarette lighter plug and place the solar panel on the dash board. Plus, retail sets in under $25. A great price for a camper’s peace of mind.
Solar Powered Camping
If you like to camp, solar powered camping is for you! We are not camping experts by any means, but as a team of people who do love to camp, we know there are solar powered tools that make camping a bit easier, a bit more fun, and makes camping with the family a bit less challenging. We are experts in residential and commercial solar installation and design. If you are interested in learning a bit more about how solar can answer to the energy demands in your home or business, please take the time to reach out to one of our highly trained and knowledgeable Energy Advisers today.
Our Solar Showroom and Design Center are open daily if you prefer to stop by!
If you are interested in learning more about solar and who we are as a company, check out our media page.
Leave a Reply