The Ultimate Solar-Powered Equipment Checklist for Camping Enthusiasts
No doubt you’ve watched youtube videos of popular travel vloggers who travel in some of the most distant areas of the planet and still manage to post updates, cook their meals, shower, and so on. If you are interested in doing some of these activities yourself you’ll probably get a bit more curious and start to wonder how on earth they manage to do all these activities.
Well, fortunately, the advancement of solar-powered technology has made it possible for many of these things to happen as many powerful gadgets were introduced on the marketplace. This enabled people to utilize solar energy as a source of power for charging their phones, cooking their meals on specially designed solar-powered stoves, or make use of their camping lanterns at night, etc.
How is Solar a Good Source of Energy?
As solar power is an unlimited source of power, it turns out it’s best for people who decide to travel alone or do some camping regularly in the wilderness. If you are a camping enthusiast and adventurist by nature you may be interested in learning more in detail about each one of these camping powered gear so you can choose the right ones for your needs, and make your camping trip more convenient and enjoyable.
Solar Camping Mat
When you are traveling off the beaten track you shouldn’t forget to bring with you one important item that can help you make your camping experience more convenient, and this is the solar mat. Solar mats are considered the newest form of portable power as they combine the benefits of both hard frame panels and solar blankets. A solar panel mat for camping generally consists of 3 to 4 banks of solar cells, with a semi-flexible baseboard. These mats have their cells coated in a material such as PET or ETFE which makes them more hardwearing by allowing the cells to flex slightly without damage. The cells are also stitched into a canvas outer. These mats are waterproof, corrosion-resistant, and high-temperature resistant which makes them suitable for camping, picnics, and other outdoor activities. They are compatible with all types of lithium batteries including LiFePO4, Li4Ti5O12, and Li-ion, as well as AGM, Gel, Calcium, and Wet cell batteries.
Most types of portable solar mats are designed for camping use, not for off-grid living. For instance, the 200w Heavy Duty Portable Solar Panel mat for camping is perfect to power a 2-4 person camping setup, run LED lighting, a medium to large fridge, shower, and other small electronic devices. Moreover, solar mats generally have inbuilt legs to allow you to get that optimal angle for maximum sun absorption. They retain the lightweight characteristics of solar blankets, however, they are a little bit bulkier to store.
Solar Blanket
Solar blankets are constructed of smaller banks of cells, usually, in a 2×5 or 3×4 configuration set up. Just like on the solar mats, their cells are coated in durable materials such as PET (cheaper models) or ETFE (higher quality models) rather than glass. The banks of the solar cells are stitched into a canvas outer. Their innovative design made portable solar accessible to a much wider range of campers, and they are considered the most popular options available today. The main difference between solar mats and solar power blankets is in the number of folds. Whereas solar blankets are usually set up in a 2×5 or 3×4 configuration, solar mats only fold in one direction, which makes them more suitable for free-standing.
The main disadvantage of solar blankets is that it is hard to get them to sit at an optimum angle to catch maximum solar radiation. They are generally placed on top of a windscreen or bonnet, roof rack, or on the ground, and rotated during the day to ensure the cells are always facing into the sun. Being significantly smaller in size when folded, they are easier to transport, set up and are more convenient for long-distance travelers for whom storage space is of major concern.
Solar-Powered Cooker
Solar ovens, also called solar-powered cookers are devices that harness that sunlight as a source of heat for cooking and preparing meals. They are most often utilized by campers and other outdoor enthusiasts as they are simple to use, easy to transport, economical, and efficient tools. This simple but useful equipment can be used to cook food or pasteurize water when other power sources aren’t available. They work simply by converting the sunlight into heat energy and are typically designed to achieve temperatures of 65 °C (150 °F) (baking temperature). They are also considered a sustainable source of heating as they don’t produce any smoke by using only the sun to produce energy.
Solar-Powered Showers
Taking a shower while in nature can be pretty challenging for many campers. However, with the introduction of solar-powered showers, many people can enjoy nice outdoor moments while being able to have a warm and pleasant showering experience in nature. Perhaps you are wondering how does a solar-powered shower works?
These shower bags have been designed with a durable 4-ply construction that includes a reflector panel, insulator panel, solar panel, water reservoir, and a clear window. You simply need to add water inside the bag and leave it between two and three hours exposed to sunlight to make it achieve a temperature between 100°F and 190°F. For heating your bag correctly and in a shorter amount of time it’s best to place it over a rock. Some advanced designs also feature a water temperature gauge that will show you the exact temperature of the water. These solar-heated camping showers are easy to fill, carry, which makes them incredibly easy to use for any outdoor situation. They also feature a handy on/off valve that is connected to the showerhead and allows you to regulate the water pressure to suit your needs.