There are many companies that are specializing in solar battery chargers and other green products. Most campers, hikers, and outdoor professional are purchasing the portable solar packs for their outdoor adventures. One of the favorite gadgets people are purchasing is the Sherpa 50 Adventure Kit.
The Sherpa 50 is a step down from the Sherpa 120. Many people who are out and about, camping or seeking other adventures are only interested in keeping their smaller electronic devices powered, like cell phones, iPods, and GPS. The Sherpa 50 still employs many of the same equipment as it's bigger sister, just in a smaller size. For example, the 50 still gives you a solar panel, but this one is only 13.5 watts. It can still charge the Sherpa 50 power pack in about 8 hours of full sunlight, is made from the same mono-crystalline solar cell technology, and gives you more light absorption than any other solar panel the same size. It is weather resistant, has solid steel grommets so that it can be mounted to just about any surface, whether it's a tent, your trailer, or hung up on a branch. It not only has a built in pocket for the cables and accessories, but folds up into lightweight portable pouch.
Just like its bigger sibling, this package also included a battery pack, the Sherpa 50. This battery pack can store up to fifty watt hours of power, is just over two pounds, and is just as rugged as many other solar battery chargers. It can be chained together with more packs for additional power storage, has a power monitor, as well as built in DC and USB ports. This unit also has Smart Technology, which protects it as well as any electronics plugged into it. It is rated up to 3,000 cycles, or more than five years of usage, and is the same as 30,000 AA batteries. It can be wall charged with the included adapter in less than three hours, or about 8 using the solar panel. While it can be used for AC applications, the Sherpa Universal Adapter is not included in the kit and has to be purchase separately.
The kit comes with just the basics, the Sherpa 50 Battery pack, the Nomad 13.5W solar array, the AC charger, and one 12V female adapter. The Estrella 3 watt light, and the Sherpa UI (Universal Inverter,) are sold separately. While these are a good addition, they are not always necessary. The Sherpa 50 Adventure Kit sells at most retailers for just under 0, not including shipping.
While this may sound expensive, you need to consider some things first. One is that this pack contains everything you need to keep all of your smaller electronics running, no matter where you are. If you were to buy just a portable solar panel separately, you would pay just as much if not more for a product that will never stand up to the elements as well as the Nomad. Then you have to consider the Sherpa 50. Considering it will replace 30,000 AA batteries, and is rechargeable, you are going to spend far more.