Do you need a portable camping solar panel, or does it just add bulk to your backpack? Let's take a look at the pros and cons of these chargers.

Our increasing reliance on technology is a bit of a double-edged sword, isn't it? On the one hand, if it has no effect on mental health, spending time staring at screens is certainly bad for your eyes, and hiding in the woods for a few days away from the green movement of technology seems like a good cure. But on the other hand, advances in technology mean that even with a fire ban, you can go into the wilderness and still enjoy a GPS location, make a nice cup of coffee to start your day, and enjoy plenty of lighting at night. That may sound great to you, but of course, the more camping technology you bring with you, the more you need a sustainable way to keep all those devices charged. So, do you need a portable solar panel when camping? Let's take a look at this increasingly popular (and cheap) piece of camping technology to help you decide if it's worth it.

Portable solar chargers are like the solar panels you might put on the roof of your home to make your house more sustainable, but smaller and usually encased in protective plastic or mesh panels or boxes.

What is a portable solar panel for camping?
If you've been camping or hiking lately, you've probably seen people plugging their phones into small folding panels that look a bit like tablets from a distance. Portable solar chargers are like the solar panels you might put on the roof of your home to make your house more sustainable, but smaller and usually encased in protective plastic or mesh panels or boxes. Some smaller panels are single cells, while larger ones may have two or three pieces folded into a slim package. While some so-called portable camping solar panels are larger and can be placed on the roof of your van or car, a true portable camping solar panel can easily be slipped into your backpack for long hikes.

Portable solar panels will have a variety of jacks to provide power for different devices, such as USB for charging your cell phone, GPS watch, headlamp and camera, and even a DC outlet for charging camping coffee makers, camping lights, and even electric camping coolers.

Portable solar panels are usually powered by lithium batteries that you can charge at home from a power source, and then when you're in the wilderness, you can put it next to your tent in the sun and keep it fully charged when your devices start to run low. Some portable solar panels are even designed to be attached to your hiking backpack so they can absorb sunlight as you walk.