SunJack – 40 Watt Foldable Solar Panel, ETFE Waterproof Portable Solar Panel with Kickstands, USB-C PD30W, USB-A QC3.0, DC Output, Solar Panels for Camping, Hiking, Emergency Power

I recently purchased the SunJack 40 Watt Folding Portable Solar Panel for a week-long camping trip, and it turned out to be a solid investment. Here’s what I found after using it on the go:Pros:1. Impressive Charging Power: For its size, this thing delivers serious power. On sunny days, I could fully charge my smartphone in under two hours, and it handled my tablet and small power bank without breaking a sweat. The 40 watts really do make a difference for larger or multiple devices.2. Compact and Portable: I love how it folds up. When folded, it’s about the size of a laptop, so it was easy to slip into my backpack. It’s a bit heavier than I expected, but not so much that it’s a hassle to carry around.3. Rugged Build: This panel feels like it was made for the outdoors. The outer material is durable and held up well to dirt, light rain, and being tossed around. It seems like it’ll last for quite a few more trips.4. When paired with a battery pack or solar generator, we had ample charge to power our electronics throughout the night until we could charge again the following day.Cons:1. Weight: While it’s not unbearable, it’s definitely not ultra-light either. For short trips, it’s fine, but if you’re an ultralight backpacker, you might find it a bit heavy for what it provides.2. Requires Direct Sun: Like most solar panels, this one needs strong sunlight to work at its best. Partly cloudy days still work but noticeably reduce charging speed. It struggles indoors or in shaded areas, so you’re out of luck in forests or overcast conditions.3. Efficiency: As with all solar panels, there is some wattage loss by the time it makes it to the device. In my limited testing so far, with direct sunlight and overall optimal conditions, I was seeing around a 33W input into my solar generator.Overall Impression:If you’re looking for a reliable, portable power solution for camping, emergencies, or outdoor work, the SunJack 40 Watt Folding Portable Solar Panel is a fantastic option. It’s powerful, durable, and convenient to carry if you don’t mind a bit of extra weight. Yes, it’s a bit of an investment, but the quality feels worth it. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who spends a lot of time off-grid!

I purchased this along with a SunJack battery and took it on a week long trip into the Boundary Waters. There is no cell service where I was so the phones were kept on Airplane mode most of the time. But with people taking pictures/video, and watching some movies, a new iPhone and Samsung were kept at full charge for the trip.I pre-charged the battery before leaving. While you can charge a phone directly off the SunJack, you're best off charging a dedicated battery through the day, and then re-charging devices in the evening off the battery.The solar panels are quite rugged which attributes to some of the weight of the unit. I essentially left it outside for our 7 day trip, never taking it inside the tent. So it went through sun, rain, cool nights, and morning fog (so much dampness in the air, all our phones were reporting moisture in the USB ports), It was also left perched up on a rock in the sand. No issues whatsoever. It is somewhat larger than I expected, but I wanted to be sure I had enough wattage to keep everyone topped off. The small battery packs with a solar panel built-in would take days to re-charge the attached battery, so that was not going to be acceptable.I was also able to charge my drone battery and controller.I especially like the attached nylon zipper pouch to keep cables and the battery with the panel. It came with some USB cables, but we had a few different devices with us so I needed a bunch of charging cables. The pouch really helped keep the "charging station" organized. Almost zero weight added to the overall system, and really worth it.Setup is super simple, just attach a dedicated battery or phone (whatever you wish to charge) and your off and running. I didn't have a volt meter to measure actual output, and most days were sunny, but even in the early morning, I'd attach the battery and see the light blinking on the battery so it was charging if even a little. I could probably have kept 4-5 phones topped off, but for our system, I'd just set it and forget it. Then remove the dedicated battery in the evening to recharge a phone overnight. Then, just re-attach the battery in the morning. The battery would be fully charged by mid-afternoon (on a full-sun day) so people would top off periodically.Essentially it worked as expected, is light enough to backpack, very durable, and worked like a charm. So if you can spare a little room in your backpack (I never traveled with it hanging out of the backpack) you'll be quite happy with your investment.