Anker PowerPort Solar

Pros and Cons – PROS • When the sun is shining and there are no clouds it charges fast • Eyelet holes for tying to backpack or other surface is a good idea • Weight and flat shape are good for multi-day hiking • Has lasted several years without damage • Has two USB slots CONS • It stops charging every time the sun is not directly visible or clouds pass over - annoying • Isn't cheap • Couldn't figure out a way to tie it to the back of my 60l backpack because of the curve of the full pack.

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I used this one the Larapinta Trail where it did a great job on the sunny days I experienced there. I could recharge my iPhone in the hour or two after arriving at my next campground.

However during a four-day hike on the Sunshine Coast with frequent clouds and some rainy periods, it was basically useless. When we plugged in our phones and pointed it at the sun, every time a cloud passed over it would stop charging. On top of that, it seemed to charge very slowly in those conditions, to the point where we just put it away rather than listen to the annoying 'starting recharge' beep chime again every few minutes - for no result.

Based on this, next time I do a multi-day hike I'm tempted to try a power pack of some kind with a guaranteed number of recharges to rely on.

Anker PowerCore 20000 with Quick Charge 3.0 – Anker PowerCore 20000 with Quick Charge 3.0 - High in capacity and super-fast, for extended stays away from mains power the Anker Power Core 20000 power bank is an essential gadget for keeping your phones, tablets and other mobile devices powered up. we don't leave home without it and perfect when travelling on planes and long car trips.

Works well – Very pleased with the performance of this unit. It has 3x7w panels in a folding pouch. It is pretty rugged and has strong eyelets, so it can be secured to a backpack or bike without fear of pulling the whole thing apart. It worked extremely well in full sun and it worked ok in partial sun/shady conditions. It also worked reasonably well in overcast conditions. I would certainly recommend this unit if you need to keep up a charge to your mobile or tablet whilst you are on the move. It weighs 417g and has two usb outlets and a pocket for a battery pack.