Just realized I spent $300 on a solar phone charger that barely works

I bought this portable solar panel last summer for camping, thinking it would cut my battery pack use. It takes over 8 hours of direct sun to get a half charge, so it's basically useless for anything but a long, sunny hike. Has anyone else had good luck with a different brand, or are small solar chargers just not worth it yet?

2 comments

2 Comments

butler.shane1mo ago

My buddy Mark bought one of those fold-out solar blankets for a week-long kayak trip. He strapped it to his pack, thinking he'd power his GPS and camera. After three days of perfect weather, it had only charged his phone about 20 percent. He ended up rationing his phone use and said the whole thing was just dead weight.

janaf911mo ago

Solar chargers are basically a scam for anything but emergencies.