Sports, Living & Travel

Some of the more popular reasons people want a solar power generator include:

* running a laptop or gadgets while camping
* powering some lights in a workshop or garage
* having back-up power in case of a power outage
* running a few appliances at your off-grid cabin

The longest journey begins with a single step.

But it’s hard to take the first step on your boating journey when tour battery is dead. Many boats that sit idle during the week end up with a dead battery by the weekend. That’s no good.

Thankfully this unfortunate situation can be avoided with a small solar panel that will keep your battery charged.

You can save RV power and lighten the load on your solar power system by using a solar cooker instead of a stove and using fans instead of an air conditioner.

Overall solar power and Recreational Vehicles are a match made in heaven. See if it works for you.

Solar power can keep your cell phone ringing (is that a good thing?)

Portable solar power is also used by many people as a back-up solution. It could be a good way for you to keep your sump pump running during a power outage or maybe you just need to keep your computer powered up (you workaholic!).

So, whether you’re looking for backup power or you want to take the comforts of home wherever the sun shines

What most of these portable solar units have in common is:

* a trailer that a pick-up or SUV can easily tow
* a quick setup
* solar panels offering between 180 Watts and 1.6 kW of power
* battery storage
* an inverter

How much will one of these beauties set you back? Well, that all depends on the power you need, of course, but I was impressed by the affordable rental rates available.

More on the solar trailer

You can find these ovens in lower price ranges, but for about $250 you can get a high quality version that will cook almost anything. It’s even pretty easy to make one yourself.

With a sun powered oven you can use most crock pot recipes and experiment with positioning and cooking times for best results.

More on solar cookers

If you already have a suitable solar panel your best bet would probably be buying the battery charger with CLA. This also gives you more flexibility since you can put the panels in the sun and have the charger set somewhere else.

Otherwise there are a wide range of self-contained solar panel/charger units available. Many are “universal” chargers that allow you to charge AAA, AA, C, and D batteries.

More on solar chargers

At the upper end of the price range is the Generator by Voltaic Systems. This bruiser features a single solar panel that provides 14.7 watts of power and it’s the only bag around that can power up your laptop. And it’ll cost you.

Most of the backpacks and bags come with a variety of adapters to suit your needs.

Also, be ready for curious onlookers to ask some questions…

More on solar backpacks