Best Solar Blanket for Overlanding

[Swede71]

What would you say is the best solar blanket for overlanding.

Best wattage/amperage for charging 1-2 batteries for long trips
Most durable
Lightweight and takes up very little space when packed up
Best connectors
Best bang for the buck

Am leaning towards the Redarc 190Watt solar blanket, seems to offer the most at a reasonable price and I like the anderson connectors it offers, the Powerfilm 220 Watt solar blanket is great however very pricey. Lots of cheap alternatives out there that do not look like they would hold up.

What experience do others have.

 

[fourwd1]

Moving to OT

 

[Mgyver1]

I’ve been considering Flexopower. Here’s a biased yet convincing comparison between it & Powerfilm.

Flexopower and Powerfilm: 1 day in Johannesburg | Flexopower

What would you say is the best solar blanket for overlanding.

Best wattage/amperage for charging 1-2 batteries for long trips
Most durable
Lightweight and takes up very little space when packed up
Best connectors
Best bang for the buck

Am leaning towards the Redarc 190Watt solar blanket, seems to offer the most at a reasonable price and I like the anderson connectors it offers, the Powerfilm 220 Watt solar blanket is great however very pricey. Lots of cheap alternatives out there that do not look like they would hold up.

What experience do others have.

 

[Swede71]

I’ve been considering Flexopower. Here’s a biased yet convincing comparison between it & Powerfilm.

Flexopower and Powerfilm: 1 day in Johannesburg | Flexopower

Just looked at their site and the info is from 2 years ago and compares solar blankets below 100W and the site has dead links to the products page. Maybe internet issues or maybe they are not in business. Either way I am comparing solar blankets in the 200W range which would work best for charging 1-2 batteries, possibly up to 3 depending on amperage.

 

[Mgyver1]

Just looked at their site and the info is from 2 years ago and compares solar blankets below 100W and the site has dead links to the products page. Maybe internet issues or maybe they are not in business. Either way I am comparing solar blankets in the 200W range which would work best for charging 1-2 batteries, possibly up to 3 depending on amperage.

Hopefully it’s just an internet issue, all the links seemed to work for me. I didn’t see any solar panels available on Redarc’s US product page and I don’t know what the price is for it to be imported and the dollar converted from AUS to USD. Flexopower panels can be linked together and they have a 158w & 237w kit.
https://www.flexopowerusa.com/collections/camping-solar-kits

 

[Swede71]

Hopefully it’s just an internet issue, all the links seemed to work for me. I didn’t see any solar panels available on Redarc’s US product page and I don’t know what the price is for it to be imported and the dollar converted from AUS to USD. Flexopower panels can be linked together and they have a 158w & 237w kit.
https://www.flexopowerusa.com/collections/camping-solar-kits

Have been looking on the Redarc AU site, price converted to US$ is about $1,600.00 which is more reasonable than the power film ones at about $2400.00. The flexopower ones do not interest me being you have to daisy chain several panels together to get into the 200W range, definitely not what I am looking for and more bulky than these other 2.

 

[Swede71]

I like the idea of one solar panel that can be laid out taking a small footprint on the windshield that is 200W.

 

[greatape]

I've been using a P3 Solar 200W system for some time now and been very pleased with it as a portable solution. Of course, you'll get better longetivy and performance from good quality rigid panels ...trade offs with everything though...form vs function

 

[Swede71]

I've been using a P3 Solar 200W system for some time now and been very pleased with it as a portable solution. Of course, you'll get better longetivy and performance from good quality rigid panels ...trade offs with everything though...form vs function

I have looked at the roll up style as well and have been told by people that use them that after a while they get a bit of a memory so they don't fully role out as well over time and heavy items need to be place on them to keep them in place. This is can happen more where someone is in an area with more drastic temperature changes throughout the day/night. Have you experienced the same thing. Also I looked on their website, it does not state an efficiency rating or max amperage. I would assume these are sun power solar cells but it does not state the type. What are you able to charge on a daily basis and how many hours to do so.

 

[greatape]

I have looked at the roll up style as well and have been told by people that use them that after a while they get a bit of a memory so they don't fully role out as well over time and heavy items need to be place on them to keep them in place. This is can happen more where someone is in an area with more drastic temperature changes throughout the day/night. Have you experienced the same thing. Also I looked on their website, it does not state an efficiency rating or max amperage. I would assume these are sun power solar cells but it does not state the type. What are you able to charge on a daily basis and how many hours to do so.

Just experience on my particular setup mentioned, yes after a while, my panels did break-in and have memory to them thru roll-up and out. I just tether or stake depending on the situation. I can't speak on their current panel construction as I have the older ones. The newer panels are an upgraded cell construction and can't remember the details when I stopped by a while back.

At the moment, my setup has a fairly light draw at camp, I run a fridge constant and perhaps a couple camp lights. The biggest draw would be an aftermarket inverter/charging station when used.. On a good day, and full sun, off the top of my head calculation, I'd pull 17ish amps which is more than enough for me "season dependent" unless I'm running the invertor for any length of time which I try not to do.