Brunton Explorer

Not ready for prime time. This is coming from a guy who makes silicon for a living.

If anyone would be an advocate of this panel it would be me. I work at a plant that makes the very same silicon that these panels are made from. I like solar energy and have a vested interest in seeing solar work and thrive. 

At the same time I have a problem, I have this honest streak in me that I can't shake no matter how I try and I must say that this panel disappoints me. 

I had high hopes that this panel would make my longer trips more fun by keeping my phone, GPS and MP3 player charged, reducing my reliance on disposable or finicky batteries. 

I live in a very sunny area with 300 or so sunny days a year.  I have no problem getting direct sunlight to fall on these panels.  Even on a sunny day, in direct light, I can't get this panel to add one bar to the battery on my Galaxy phone. It will, after an hour or so, add one bar to the charge on my Camelback All Clear UV purifier and it eventually adds a bar to an iPod. I have owned this device for two years and used, or attempted to use, it on several very sunny days.

Let me give you a little background in solar: The panels on this unit are made from polycrystalline silicon; the highest output type of silicon panels made today.  Thin film, flexible and mono-crystalline panels do not give the output of poly panels and poly-panels have a longer lifespan.   You can ID a poly panel b/c it looks like pieces of blue flakes pressed together, they are beautiful.  Mono- panels, which appear as one solid color, work well in filtered light or on cloudy days but don't equal the output of poly nor do they last as long.  Unfortunately, poly is also heavier.

So, you can see why I hoped for more from this unit. 

If you need to charge a modern smartphone, forget it.  An MP3 player or UV purifier, yes, but it's slow.  I'm going to wait a few years for this technology to improve.