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Solar Panels for Hikers

BlitzWolf BW-L1 20W/3A Portable Solar Charger

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The BlitzWolf BW-L1 is a foldable, portable solar charger which is able to charge all phone models and portable lithium ion battery packs with 21.5% – 23.5% efficiency (as compared with the ~15% most portable solar panels offer). It’s a quality mobile phone solar charger with SunPower panels at a very reasonable price. Let’s take a look at some more specs and information about the charger!

BlitzWolf BW-L1 Solar Charger Battery Charger
BlitzWolf BW-L1 Solar Charger Battery Charger (source: supplied)

BlitzWolf BW-L1 Portable Solar Battery Charger

The charger comes with three solar panels which hold 20W of power at a total maximum output of 5 volts / 3 amps (via two USB 2.0 connectors – so you don’t have to fight with your friend over who gets the charge). Give its foldability, low weight, and the eye holes installed in the corner, it’s perfect for attaching to your backpack as you’re out camping or hiking – usually the problem with something like this is the charger doesn’t automatically restart charging when the sun fades – requiring you to pull the cords out to reboot it. Very frustrating if you’re hiking through trees or on a cloudy day!

Model BW-L1
Total maximum Output                    5V /3A                           
Power 20W
Panel Type SunPower
Opened Size 270*675*4 mm
Closed Size 270*150*28 mm
Weight 550g

Buy BlitzWolf BW-L1 in Australia

The BlitzWolf 20W portable, foldable outdoor solar charger with fast charge Power3s Technology (click here to learn about BlitzWolf’s Power3S – not quite QC but it does the trick) is available quite cheaply online. It won’t run a fridge or power a campsite but it’ll certainly help a phone/tablet/laptop (depending on whether it has USB charging or not) get a charge back. The product is rugged, well made, and performs impressively given its price point (not to mention the 18 month warranty!). 

As of today, there are a few good deals on this product around the internet:

  • It’s $63.34 AUD + free shipping at Banggood.
  • It’s $~54.10 AUD shipped at Amazon US (as per Ozbargain). 
  • It’s $89 on eBay (local shipping). 

More Information

If you’re interested in other solar camping products please follow the link to read some more reviews from Saving With Solar. 

If you’re interested in an unboxing / video review of the Blitzwolf solar charger please click the video below which explains it in further detail!

UPDATE: We’ve added a second and third video in case you want to learn more about the product before pulling the trigger. 



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Solar Camping Roundup – Products for Camping/Hiking

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If you’re an avid camper or hiker, I’m sure you’ve already seen some of your fellow outdoor lovers using portable solar to charge their electronics while on the trail or at the campsite. Gone are the days when using a heavy (and expensive!) generator, wasting your car battery, or, even worse, using traditional non-rechargeable batteries were the only ways to charge electronics or run lights at the campsite. Solar camping is the way of the future! 

The rapid proliferation of advancements in solar panel technology has led to some exciting new ideas in the world of portable solar panels. So if you enjoy hiking, camping, (or you do and your family can’t live without their phones!) have a look at some of the options which are available to people who want to use recharge with renewable energy when they’re out in the wild. 

Buy Camping Solar Products in Australia

There a number of retailers in Australia offering a huge range of great products, from portable solar panels, foldable solar panels, solar torches, power banks to store the energy in, and much more. Quality can vary quite considerably so make sure you do your due diligence before purchasing anything too expensive. 

Kathmandu have a small range of products for campers and hiker such as the Goal Zero range of panels and some Kathmandu branded Power Banks and Hand Torches. 

Solar Camping – Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus Panel and GoalZero Solar Battery (source: kathmandu.com.au)
Solar Camping – Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus Panel and GoalZero Solar Battery (source: kathmandu.com.au)

 

Tentworld offers a range of foldable and rollable solar panels from brands such as Goal Zero, PowerFilm, Engel, and OZtrail. 

Some other amazing products we’re interested in (let us know if you’d like us to do a full review on any of these so I have an excuse to buy them!)

  • Eton Scorpion – A radio with 3.5mm input, a solar panel, and a hand crank which powers the device and even external USB devices. Don’t expect massive power, but very hand to have in a pinch. 
  • Earl Tablet – A camping gadget with a GPS chipset, connects to a VHF and UHF transceiver, can connect to analog and digital frequencies, and can provide up to 20 hours of battery life after five hours of sunlight charging. 
  • Lumos Solar Backpack – A solar camping backpack with a 3 watt solar panel and a 2200 mAh battery built in. Very reasonably priced, too! 
  • Companion Deluxe Portable Solar Shower – A 20L bag you fill up and leave out in the sun during the day. Built in water temperature gauge. 
  • Energizer Solar 4LED Rechargeable Spotlight – A simple rechargeable solar flashlight. Runs for 3.5 hours after 5 hours of charge and is totally waterproof.
  • Rock Out 2 Solar Rechargeable Speaker – A waterproof solar powered Bluetooth speaker which provides 10 hours of surprisingly quality sound on an 8 hour charge. 
  • Solar Car Battery Charger – An inexpensive 1.5 watt panel which can help ensure your battery stays charged when you’re away from your vehicle. Clip it onto your battery or plug it into the cigarette lighter. 
  • Solarmonkey Charger – A lightweight, waterproof and shock resistant portable solar panel. Will charge in around 8 hours and has an internal lithium-ion battery which stores a respectable 3500mAh.

Solar Powered Tents

Cinch Pop Up Tents offer an addon called the Cinch! Solar Power Pack which connects to the top of their extensive range of tents. The power pack includes a flexible silicon panel and a power bank so you can use the energy generated at night. They even have LED tent pegs so you won’t lose your tent or knock into one in the dark! 

Have a look at their promotional video for the Cinch solar tents below:

Solar Camping Panel Product Reviews

Is there a product you’re interested in buying and would like a review on? Leave your request in the comments and we’ll take a look for you! 

Alternatively, have you tried one of the products mentioned here and have an opinion? What did you like and what don’t you like about it? Please let us know, we’d love to hear about how you went. 

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