Camping solar panels are far more beneficial than camping with generators, using portable 12v solar panels and blankets allows you to camp in remote areas while still being able to bring along those necessities such as 12v fridges, LED camping lights, and phone tablets, mobile devices, chargers and much more.
Camping with 12v Solar Panels means you can get away without dragging along a heavy generator, not only that but you don’t have to buy petrol either!. This not only saves your back but saves your wallet and your space as well! Plus, they don’t make any noise so you can enjoy the peace and quiet the way the great outdoors is meant to be enjoyed.
As folding solar panels and solar blankets get lighter and more efficient, more and more people are camping with them instead of generators. It’s clean, quiet, cost-effective, and convenient. 12V Solar Panels convert sunlight into electricity, which then gets stored into a 12v deep cycle battery, which then can be used to plug 12v accessories into such as 12v fridge freezers, camping lights, and much more. It can even be used to supply 240v power if you connect it to an inverter, this can then be used to power 240v appliances like laptops and fans.
Solar for camping setups are easy to install and maintain, choosing the right one takes a little more consideration. We highly recommend going with a wattage a little higher or double what you think you might need, so if you think you might need a 200w solar panel, go with a 300w solar panel or even a 400w solar panel, this way you won’t get caught out with a flat battery especially if you get a cloudy day or two on your camping trip.
Before being connected to a 12v deep cycle battery, the power output cables on your camping solar panels will need to be run through a solar regulator, also known as a solar charge controller. 12v Solar panels can produce between 12V and 21V, and this fluctuation in power could cause damage to the battery if left unregulated. A regulator controls the voltage that is put into the deep cycle battery and will switch to a float charge once the batteries are charged. All of our solar panel kits and portable solar panels come with regulators. Saving you the hassle of shopping around for the right one.
There's a difference between fixed solar panels and portable ones. And that depends on what type of camping you do. For example, travellers tend to use solar panels mounted/fixed to their camper trailer, caravan, boat, or 4WD roof. This is ideal if you want to save setting up. However, the disadvantage is when it comes to staying for extended periods. The vehicle's roof is the only point of sunlight, and they are not always pointing directly at the sun. Making your solar cells not perform at their peak. While with portable solar panels for camping and solar blankets. You easily position them to where the sun is shining the most, giving you maximum power output to keep your deep cycle batteries fully charged.
Solar blankets have become popular in recent years mainly because they are ‘soft’ meaning they don’t have rigid glass panels or aluminium frames that could potentially break or bend if you haven’t packed them securely over rough 4x4 tracks. Some people like to put them over their windscreen which makes them double as a sun shelter keeping the car cool while also charging the deep cycle batteries. Solar blankets also fold up a little smaller. Meaning once they are folded up they can pretty much be ‘thrown’ into the back of the car and away you go, whereas glass folding solar panels need to be handled with a lot of care.