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It's no secret that solar panels and portable batteries for camping are one of the best ways to power your outdoor adventures especially when put together. Bringing these or installing a solar power system in your RV allows you to camp wherever you want, instead of staying in crowded public areas where you can hook up to run your appliances. Switching to solar is also a cost-effective choice since you get a renewable energy source for free during the day, store it, and use it in the evening. For best results, choose the solar panel that best fits your needs in terms of type and size, then go for a lithium battery like a LiFePO4 to pair it with.
If you don't camp out often, going for portable solar panels and batteries would be better but for avid campers, it's best to set up a solar panel on the roof of your RV and connect it with a lithium RV battery instead. You'll need a bit of installation for this and some other solar panel accessories like a solar charge controller. To make it a little more convenient, you can try getting a solar panel kit or a solar panel and battery package so you won't have to buy everything separately.
Do You Need a Battery With Solar Panels For Camping?
While solar panels and battery packs are great for powering campsites, you won't always need to pair these two together especially if you don't really camp out that much. Occasional camping can usually be supported with just one power source and of course, there are other factors to consider if solar power packs would be the most efficient option for you. For instance, your location. If you're camping in an area that doesn't get much sunlight exposure, your solar power system may not be as efficient and a power source that is not reliant on the sun might be a better option, like an inverter generator. If you do opt for a solar panel setup hough, make sure to pick the best solar panel-a monocrystalline one preferably, a deep-cycle camping battery, solar regulator, and an inverter if you plan to run 240V appliances.
Are Solar Battery Packs Any Good?
If you're only going for a short day trip and don't want to bring a lithium battery pack with you, solar battery packs can be a good alternative. Now don't be confused-these ones are slimmer and are usually best suited for powering gadgets so they're great for quick outdoor trips only. These are cheaper as well, but they do need around a week in the sun to gain a full charge although you can plug them into an outlet for a faster recharge. Some of the most popular solar battery pack brands would be the Kiizon 25,000mAH Dual USB Solar Battery Pack, which retails for $40 and the Feelle 24,000mAh Dual USB Solar Battery Pack priced at $43.
How To Select the Best Solar Battery?
When choosing your solar battery, here are the main factors to consider in order to get maximum performance with every use.
Capacity: Lithium batteries win in this category as they are known for their increased capacity yet compact and lightweight form. They have a better ability to store electrical power, so you won't have to cart multiple battery packs with you unlike when you use lead-acid batteries.
Depth of Discharge: This pertains to your battery's usable capacity. A battery with at least 40% DoD is recommended for optimal usage, which is another advantage of lithium deep-cycle batteries as they usually have around 80% DoD.
Lifespan and warranty: Your battery's life is an indication of how well it preserves capacity. You want something that supports a good number of cycles and is further backed up with a warranty as this is a good sign of reliability in any brand or product, including batteries.
Efficiency: Particularly, a solar battery's efficiency refers to the difference between available energy and energy used for charging it. Lithium batteries have about 95% of round-trip efficiency because of their higher conversion rate, meaning you won't have to install that many solar panels or batteries to get a good efficiency rate.
More from Outbax
Convinced about going solar for your next outdoor trip? Visit Outbax now! You'll find the best essentials in setting up a solar system here like different types of panels including flexible solar panels and solar blankets. We also have lithium batteries of various capacities so whether you need a 100Ah battery or 200Ah battery, we got you covered. Outbax aims to provide affordable yet quality outdoor gear for all campers so if you want a good portable power source without breaking the bank, this is the right online shop for you. Happy shopping!
