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Goal Zero Solar Charger

Anybody using these for re-charging phones, GPS, etc? I read some threads about guys bringing battery packs, but think the solar charger might be a better option or bring both. Looking at the Nomad 7, any thoughts or experiences?

Started using the Goal Zero Nomad 7 last year - works well - and also have the Goal Zero Venture 30. If I'm just going out for a day or two, just charge the Venture 30 in advance (it takes a few hours to fully charge). I use the Nomad 7 for longer backcountry. Strap the Nomad 7 to the back of your back and hook it to your Venture 30 (or iPhone/iPad/whatever) so you are charging your phone and Venture 30 when you are hiking and glassing during the day. I'm in Colorado, so have mostly sunny days. Also, I did have a connection piece break on the Nomad 7 when my wife used it on a trip. GZ was great - replaced the entire unit, so a plus for their customer service.

I have the Nomad 7 with the Guide 10 power pack. For me, you have to use the solar panel to charge the power pack up during the day. Then use the power pack to charge the phone at night. Rinse, repeat. I have run into issues with weather. Obviously, cloudy conditions reduce the effectiveness. But leaving the panel out in the rain can ruin it as well. Since most of my hunting is from a base camp, I bought a much larger solar panel and ran it through a solar charge controller to my truck battery. This keeps the truck battery topped off and I can charge my devices from the truck power port. But if you are hunting from a spike camp away from a vehicle, then the portable panel can get by. Just make sure to use the set up before heading out to make sure you understand its limitations.

Thanks for the input!!

I also use the Nomad 7 in tandem with two (Venture 30) power packs. When I leave my spike camp during the day, I take the charged battery pack with me and I leave the other battery pack at camp, hooked up to the solar panel. When I get back to camp at night, I swap them out. I go through camera and phone batteries (I use my phone for OnX and GPS) so I like having two battery packs in rotation.

I will also say that I've had awesome customer service experience with Goal Zero! I busted a USB piece on one of my Venture 30 packs. When I sent Goal Zero an email, I had a response within minutes and a replacement part was in the mail that same day!

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