Wissblue Solar Charger
Are you looking for a compact solar charger to keep you gadgets powered up while out in nature? This charger from WISSBLUE is certainly worth a look.
Solar Charger Opening
Much of the camping my wife and I do is dry camping so having a source of power for our electronic gadgets besides the RV’s onboard generator is important.
My goal for this lightweight foldable solar panel charger is to have something I can lay out on a picnic table or on the ground and plug in one of my small ham or GMRS radios, my phone, a power block or my tablet.
Solar Charger Features
This Wissblue panel has two 2.4 amp USB chargers that output 5 volts. I got the 21 watt version so max power generation is 21 watts. If you remember Ohms law from a long ago science class you might remember that watts equals current times voltage. You may also remember that you divide watts by either current or voltage to find the missing variable. So with 4.2 amps max, you can expect 2.1 amps each when using both ports at the same time. When using just one, the available amperage is higher.
Here are a couple of quick features.
First, as I just mentioned, it has two USB charging ports. It does not have an output to charge a 12 volt battery. Chose another product if that’s what you need.
Next, it has a built in pouch that allows you to pack along the various cables your devices might need. Plan on a USB mini, micro and USB C cable if you are an Android person and a USB C and lightening cable if you’re an IOS user. Having the cables with the charger means you’ll always have what you need. The charger doesn’t come with cables.
Last, the panel’s fairly small size and light weight makes this a solid choice for backpackers and tent campers. As shown in the panel’s marketing photos, grommets on the panel’s corners makes connecting this to your back pack for charging while hiking or to the walls of your tent while at camp is really easy with a couple of light weight carabineers.
As you can see, the panel is small and with 21 watts of output power, it will easily charge your devices. Just keep in mind that you’ll need sunlight. When the panels are shaded or not pointed at the sun, the output falls off dramatically.
Another good charging option is to carry a couple of power banks with you and use the solar panel to charge those instead of your devices directly. That way you use the power banks to recharge devices overnight and recharge the blocks while hiking or at camp.
Regardless, keep in mind that a nearly discharged device will take a while to recharge.
Closing
So far, I’m pretty impressed with this small panel and I’m looking forward to putting it to use on my upcoming camping trips.