Book-sized solar panel, plus battery pack, plus USB inlet, equals technology in the wild. The Guide 10 Solar Panel Charge pack from Goal Zero will allow business travelers, freelance creatives and intrepid explorers to keep electronic devices alive even when far from a socket.
The pack comes with a Nomad 7 Solar Panel, one of the ‘evolutions’ of the GoalZero solar panel range, and a Guide 10 Plus battery pack, to store the energy and charge devices that can’t go directly into the solar panel. The panel can directly charge most USB devices and 12V electronics, but not tablets.
Presented in black mesh and neoprene, the product is designed for the extreme sports market (super durable and portable), but will also appeal to any kind of traveler – it weighs just 360 grams and is about the size of a chunky magazine when folded up. The Guide 10 Plus can charge AA or AAA rechargeable batteries, giving enough juice for three MP3 charges, two smartphone charges or a 25% tablet boost, oh, and it also has an LED flashlight – perennially useful. From the Nomad 7 it will be 100% charged in 3-6 hours but has hundreds of life cycles, and you can also charge it from a laptop or USB charger as usual.
We are seriously tempted by this one, as when you begin to think, it opens up lots of possibilities – late night post picnic dancing (if you get the Rock Out portable speaker too), stress free traveling with the notoriously thirsty iPhone 5, extreme photography and of course, humanitarian projects (exemplified by the GoalZero Share the Sun project).
And before you ask, yes it works when cloudy!
Dimensions:
Nomad 7 Solar Panel: 360g, 22.8cm x 3.8cm x 16.5cm folded, works from 0-40 degrees Celsius, 5V USB port, 7W, Mono crystalline solar panel.
Guide 10 Plus Battery Pack: 180g, 6cm x 10cm x 2cm, works from 0-40 degrees Celsius, 5V USB port, 11Wh pack capacity.
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