We’ve all been there: three days into a five day camping trip, and already 36 hours without power. Sometimes it’s nice–being totally disconnected from the grid and from the normalities of day-to-day life. In such a hyperconnected world, unplugging gives us a chance to breathe and focus more on ourselves, and less on the 1080p versions of everyone else’s lives.

However, in order to capture the moment, we need juice for our devices, and maybe it’s not so bad to have your phone in airplane mode while you do your best to capture the moment. Maybe you need to recharge batteries for your walkie-talkie, or plug-in your weather radio to check last minute conditions for trails and mountain ranges. Whatever you need power for, portable solar panels are the way to obtain it.

Portable solar panels are helpful because they take up little space and have a powerful output. Even a small panel can charge an iPhone in two hours or less, especially in direct sunlight. And when you partner a portable solar panel suitcase with a battery bank, you can save your power for later, so you never have to worry if the sun goes down or the clouds come in.

Types of Portable Solar Panels

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Eflex panels are great for backpacking trips when you have limited space, but still wish to charge your phone, and the folding suitcases shine for car-campers, RVers, and camp enthusiasts alike.

E.Flex Portable Solar Panels for Backpacking

E.Flex panels are bi- or tri-fold and slip easily into the front or back of your back. These panels come with a small carabiner to easily attach to your pack as your trek throughout the day. Lay them in direct sunlight during lunch, and you’ll have powered devices in no time.

Bring them to the campground with a portable power pack and you’ll probably be the most popular person at camp. Use them to power USB string lights, even mini-fans when it’s hot enough.

E.Flex5

Folding Suitcases for RVs

For RVers, we recommend folding suitcases that can easily open to capture the sun’s rays, or be stowed away when you’re moving from one place to another. Place them in direct sunlight, and use a 10a charge controller to power loads under the recommended rating of your controller.

With how portable the foldable suitcase is, you can also haul it out for backyard BBQ’s if you need to charge speakers (or you could just buy the E.Tunes), or even a bank of phones. 

100w Solar Suitcase

Conclusion

Whether you end up traveling 1,000 miles away from home, or hanging out in the backyard, portable solar panels are the easy and clean solution to bringing power with you wherever you go. Check out our line of folding suitcases and more. They also make great gifts!