Bushnell SolarWrap Mini

"Outdoor gear lab has a review that states it is 4 watts but based on its size compared to other powerfilm panels I could guess that its closer to 2 watts.."

These ratings get confusing because sometimes the wattage is based just on the solar panel and then sometimes on the solar panel plus the battery. Lots of people reading the Outdoor Gear Lab review wouldn't know the difference, even if you gave them a handful of multimeters on a bright sunny day.

–B.G.–

There's at least two reviews on backpackgeartest.org:

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Electronic%20Devices/Solar%20Chargers/Bushnell%20SolarWrap%20Mini/Test%20Report%20by%20Curt%20Peterson/

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Electronic%20Devices/Solar%20Chargers/Bushnell%20SolarWrap%20Mini/Test%20Report%20by%20Dawn%20Larsen/

There's also reviews of it on Amazon.com

I think you should wait for the next generation of the product.

Paul, it is interesting to note that in those two reviews, nobody bothered to test any of the electrical specifications. In the second review, they managed to ruin one by running it through the washing machine!

–B.G.–

I just picked this up for $37. I'll let you know how it turns out. I'm trading this setup for a 2600mah power cell I have weighing in at 3.7oz with 3" iPhone cable. The new Bushnell setup should weigh in at 3.4oz or less with a 2200mah Li battery. Hoping for the best…as I don't need a recharge generally for at least 3 days….which should be plenty of time to get that built-in cell charged up.

KJ

I agree… based on the size, and apparent use of Powerfilm cells, this would likely be in the 1.5-2 Watt solar range.
The battery, at 2200mAHr, is only about the same size as a smartphone battery.
In real terms, by the math…
10 hours of FULL sunshine to full charge the SolarWrap battery from dead = 2 full days in summer sun.
75% of a smartphone stored in the battery (once charging losses are taken into account).

I am a big fan of Powerfilm, but this product doesn't use enough & is grossly underpowered for most trekkers with a phone & camera.

Please consider the following when choosing a solar charger for your outdoor activities…
1. Balance the solar against what you intend to charge
ie 1 smartphone per day will require a solar panel of at least 3 watts (summer, lower Canadian latitudes & continental US)

2. Balance a storage battery against your weather forecast, location, and critical equipment needs
ie If you really need that smartphone, you'll make sure that the solar storage battery is at least double the phone's (and the solar generation has room to spare).

In my experience, there are very few consumer-level products that provide the power to NOT make people disappointed. Those solar phone cases are mostly for emergency 10% solar boosts & double-talk-time, not for serious trekking.

Please take the time to do a power budget, and compare against product specs.
If the product specs are hidden by the manufacturer, like in this Bushnell case, then leave it on the shelf.

This summer on the JMT i hiked with two people who carried these – and I carried at Suntastics-5 panel. Mine didn't store any juice – it could only power things when it was exposed to full sun.

My friends had their bushnell's strapped to their packs all day, wearing them around their necks when the sun was in front, leaving them out at breaks, etc all in a desperate attempt to collect sunlight for their chargers.

I rarely thought about it – when something ran low, I plugged it into the suntastics, set the panel out in the sun plugged into my phone/nook/camera/delorme (whichever was getting close to 50%), and by the time I was done with breakfast or lunch the darned thing was powered up.

My friends, on the other hand, were constantly borrowing my panel to fill up completely empty devices.

We did not have a single cloudy or rainy day, and were out for 25 days. Full GLARING sun all day, every day.

Jen is referencing me. :OP"

This SolarWrap actually worked great. My issue was that I was constantly filming with a Canon S120 (not the best battery life), listening to music and having my iPhone magically loose 20-40% over night, every night. If I was just taking pictures and my phone wasn't acting weird, it was more than adequate.

Carried it on top of my pack when the sun was straight up and more toward the back of my pack in the mornings and later in the way. Set it out during meals which was no issue, because it had to come off the pack to get out my cook pot anyway. This also made for a good way to never end up leaving it behind, as it was always the last thing to go back in/on the pack. If I was to be filming again with the Canon S120, I'd combo it with the Suntactics Jen is referencing, as it's filming battery life is sub-par….great film quality though.

HTH

KJ