Goal Zero has come up with some great solutions to capture the sun and keep you powered up while on the go. I got a chance to use the Guardian 12 and Guide 10 Plus solar kits over the past year or so and found them both to be quite useful.
Guardian 12V Charge Controller w/Nomad 13 Solar Panel:
MSRP: $199.98 (Buy Now)
Included: Guardian 12V Charge Controller, Nomad 13 Solar Panel
Weight: 2 lbs
This kit is really quite simple and a must have for overland travelers. The Guardian charge controller is the interface between your solar panels and your vehicle’s 12V batteries. The Nomad 13 solar panel is a 13W solar panel that allows you to charge a pleathora of electronic devices/batteries. These two products together are a super compact and easy way to make sure you keep all your electronics charged in the field and your vehicle ready to take you home, or off on your next adventure.
The Guardian 12V Charge Controller supports up to 90W of solar power to trickle charge 12V batteries safely and efficiently. The unit’s easy 2 LED indicator shows that the solar panel is connected (left LED), when battery is hooked up (right LED) and when both are attached (right blinks). All you need to do is point the Nomad 13 solar panel at the sun, connect it to the Guardian and connect the alligator clips to the Guardian and your battery. Simple, easy and effective! 
The Nomad 13 Solar Panel is a compact durable 13W unit that integrates a folding solar panel and power port that allows you to charge a wide variety of products with ease. I found the USB connection on the power port to be especially useful to keep my cell phone and other small electronics, like my Braven & Goal Zero portable speakers, charged up. 
Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit:
MSRP: $129.98 (Buy Now)
Included: Guide 10 Plus Recharger, Nomad 7 Solar Panel
Weight: 1.2 lbs
The Guide 10 Plus is a little package that packs a big punch. The overall small form factor and feature rich unit allows you to capture the sun’s power and distribute it to a huge variety of small electronics. My guess is that this package is one of Goal Zero’s best sellers as it does so much, in such a small package and all for a relatively low price. The Guide 10 Plus is a great addition to any camp setup and can quickly introduce you to the advantages of capturing the sun’s power to keep all your electronics alive while on the go. 
The Guide 10 Plus Recharger is a compact handy little gadget that is a AA & AAA battery charger as well as a battery back that can be used to charge other small electronics. The unit comes with 4 rechargeable AA batteries and an adapter that allows you to charge rechargeable AAA batteries in the unit. It can be fully charged by the Nomad 7 Solar Panel in 3-6 hrs, the Nomad 13 Solar Panel in 2.5-5 hrs or any USB power source in 6-10 hrs. The unit even has a small LED flashlight on it. I found that it didn’t always play well with my iPhone 4, but if you just flipped the on/off switch a few times it would usually connect and charge. I didn’t have a problem charging any other devices. 
The Nomad 7 Solar Panel is extremely small and compact while providing 7W of solar charging power. The unit has a small power port on the back which allows it to daisy chain with other Nomad solar panels, connect to the Guide 10 and connect to any 12V or USB device. It is a quality little panel that is great for backpacking and camping.
For use in an overland vehicle while traveling I found the best combo to be the Guardian 12V with Nomad 13 and the Guide 10 Plus. While I did use the Nomad 7, the Nomad 13 isn’t that much bigger or heavier, when carrying it in a vehicle, and provides much more charging power. The Guide 10 Plus is a great little unit that I use all the time to keep my cell phone charged up while on the go. It easily slips in a pocket and has helped me keep up my live event coverage on numerous occasions. The Guardian 12V Charge Controller is a great way to ensure your vehicle batteries stay charged when setting up a base camp and not moving your vehicle for a period of time. Goal Zero offers a bunch of different solutions to keep you powered up while on the go, no matter how you travel or where you’re headed.
(Disclaimer: I was given these units by Goal Zero for possible review on Exploring Elements. I received no other compensation for this review consideration.)
