Easy, portable solar kits from Goal Zero

Portable solar power kits provide a easy way to get off the grid with a minimum of effort, and there are now a large number of portable solar solutions for mobile phones, GPS devices, computers, and even medical devices. These are a boon to today’s plugged-in travelers as well as the more rugged, off-the-grid types – and of course, we love how these products push green thinking further into the mainstream.

Some of the smaller products are simply panels you plug your phone into, but the more advanced (and better, in our opinion) contain two basic parts: a solar panel to capture the energy, and a unit to store the electricity. Simple. When you begin to browse the available portable solar power product solutions on the market, you quickly find that one business shows up again and again: the humanitarian company Goal Zero.

Goal Zero’s solar kits come in three sizes: compact, mid-size, and heavy duty. We’re going to look at our favorite product from each of these categories. The prices link to their respective pages on Amazon where you can find good deals on Goal Zero equipment.

Compact: Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit

Price: $111.06

(There’s also an older version of the Guide 10 Plus available on Amazon for $80.59)

Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit

This kit comes in two parts, the Nomad 7 Solar Panel and the Guide 10 Plus Recharger. Unlike other solar panels, which usually have only one loop for securing the panel, the Nomad 7 Solar Panel has several loops to help secure and position the panel.

Included in the kit:

Guide 10 Battery Pack
Nomad 7 Solar Panel
12V cigarette adapter
AA rechargeable batteries (4 pack)
AAA Adapter

Like all Goal Zero products we’ve seen, the Guide 10 Plus features long-lasting, durable construction. It’s a beautifully crafted, well-made kit, simple to set up and reliable to use.

The Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit powers AA/AAA Batteries as well as smaller USB-powered devices such as phones, GPS devices and tablets. The Nomad 7 panel itself can directly charge most devices (except for tablets), or you can plug into the recharger and use the stored energy. The USB and 12V ports can be used simultaneously, although some devices may not be compatible.

There’s a lighter version called the Switch 8 Solar Kit, but we like the extra power you get with the Guide 10 Plus. The batteries in the Guide 10 Plus hold enough power to fully charge a headlamp or smartphone twice, a DSLR camera once, and give a tablet a partial boost.

Total weight of the Guide 10 Plus is 540 g (1.2 lbs).

Mid-size: Yeti 150 Solar Generator Kit

Price: $369.99

Goal Zero Yeti 150 Solar Generator Kit

This was a tough choice, because all three products in this category are winners. In the end we chose the Yeti 150 Solar Generator partly because of its versatility, and partly for its history – this product has its origins in the company’s prototype portable solar power pack (used in Democratic Republic of the Congo – more information below.)

Included in the kit:

Goal Zero Yeti 150 Power Pack
Nomad 20 Solar Panel
Wall Charger
12V Adapter
4.7mm to 8.0mm Legacy Nomad Panel Adapter

The Yeti 150 Solar Generator Kit has a USB port for medium size USB powered devices, a 12V port for medium size 12V powered devices, and an AC Inverter, where you simply plug your device in the same as if it were a wall outlet. The Yeti 150 can also power a laptop 1–2 times.

The Yeti 150 Solar Generator Kit can fully charge a headlamp 37 times, a smartphone 15 times, a DSLR camera 12 times, and a tablet 6 times. Total weight is around 7.9 kg (14.5 lbs) (5.4 kg/12 lbs for the power pack, 1.1 kg/2.5 lbs for the panel), and the system is relatively compact – the folded panel is only 33 x 21.6 x 2.5 cm (13 x 8.5 x 1 inches).

The Yeti 150 is terrific for camping in addition to being an excellent little piece of emergency equipment.

Heavy-duty: Yeti 400 Solar Generator Kit

Price: $659.98

Goal Zero Yeti 400 Solar Generator Kit

The heavy duty category contain two models: the Yeti 400 Solar Generator Kit and the Yeti 1250 Solar Generator Kit.

The Yeti 1250 is a powerful thing, big enough to run a small refrigerator. I recently stayed in a home that used one large, temperamental solar panel to power 3 LED lights, a radio, and a couple devices, and they could easily power their system with this device. But they could just as well use the Yeti 400 Solar Generator Kit, which is our favorite.

Included in the kit:

Yeti 400 Power Pack
Nomad 20 Solar Panel
Wall Charger
4.7mm to 8.0mm Legacy Nomad Panel Adapter
12V Adapter

Depending on your habits, this product can bring absolute luxury. It’s more than enough for many cabins, camping, or anywhere else you need remote, portable power.

For backup or emergency use, the Yeti 400 Power Pack can be charged from a wall outlet or a car (5 hour charge time from the wall, 13 hours from a car). When fully charged, it can recharge a laptop 5 times – or recharge a headlamp 100 times.

Total weight of the Yeti 400 is 14.3 kg (31.5 lbs).

Goal Zero’s story

Goal Zero was launched in 2009, two years after founder Robert Workman had visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo and taught people there the fundamentals of running a sustainable business. He tested his first portable solar power pack there – a combined battery, solar panel and LED light – and with this brought economic empowerment to the impoverished community he worked with. This prototype later became the Yeti 150 model.

Goal Zero has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of solar kits to areas struck by earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and general poverty. How does Robert Workman describe his work?