Most kayakers have similar needs when it comes to portable power. The most common needs are AA battery charging for things like GPS receivers & radios, and proprietary camera/camcorder battery chargers. Some kayakers like to go to the extreme and pack along portable media storage devices & viewers (ie Epson P2000), and even their laptop.

First, let's look at the lightweight kayaker that just needs typical AA battery charging for their GPS, radios, & digital camera...

These systems are the simplest to configure & use a DC input battery charger connected directly to a solar panel. The most popular panels for kayaking are the PowerFilm rollable panels. They come in 5 Watt, 10 Watt, & 20 Watt sizes and offer better waterproof performance than other models. A 5 Watt panel will put out approximately 300mA of current in peak sun, which means that it will be able to charge four of today's high capacity NiMh batteries (2700mAh) in a single day from March through September in most North American locations (May-August in mid-north latitude Canada).

Want to be able to charge at full speed, even at night? Then you will need to look at the "Reservoir Battery" option in the next section.

Canon, Sony, Nikon, Olympus, Epson & others love to innovate and find ways to pack smaller batteries into their cameras while extending their operating time. Lithium Polymer & Lithium Ion batteries pack a lot of power into a small package, but they do have their drawbacks. Perhaps the most difficult is the lack of DC charging options. Each manufacturer provides a specific charger that only covers a certain number of their products, and are almost always designed for home use.

While it is possible to use an AC power inverter to get household AC in remote places, it is not always a good idea. An inverter can cost anywhere from $30 to $150, and introduces another level of complexity to your solar power system. Something that is not ideal when kayaking. It is also true that an inverter will burn-up about 10-15% of the power your panel generates in creating AC power. Not an ideal arrangement when travelling in the power wilderness.

Important Note: AC inverters will not run directly from a solar panel

What this means is that you cannot plug your 75W AC inverter into the cigarette outlet of your solar panel. The panel's power fluctuates throughout the day and cannot keep up with the demands of the inverter. Not to mention that you might be trying to get 75 Watts of power out of a 5W panel. In order to use an AC inverter, you must add a reservoir battery to your system that both stores the power from your panel, and allows your inverter to operate normally. We'll look at this system arrangement in the next section.

The Direct DC Option...
Modern Outpost has sourced a number of portable charging options for your camera and camcorder batteries. We currently have a universal DC charger for Canon & Sony that covers practically all of these manufacturers' models. We also have the Universal Battery Charger & Conditioner that can adapt to ANY battery pack while providing monitored charging functions. While all of these chargers may be connected directly to a solar panel, we recommend plugging the Universal Charger into a reservoir battery so that it may be able to complete its charging cycle functions without being interrupted by passing clouds.

The Reservoir Battery Option...
When you want your battery charger to operate at full speed regardless of the current weather conditions, and to perhaps operate at night after the solar panel has done its work for the day, using a reservoir battery is recommended. They are also the only way to go when an AC inverter is absolutely necessary.

A reservoir battery is simply a 12-volt capable battery pack that goes between your solar panel & your chargers & equipment. It stores all the power produced by your solar panel, and allows you to draw what you need when you need. It will permit your battery chargers to operate at full speed, thus often reducing your charging time.

12V Lithium batteries like the Power Bank are attractive options for this reservoir task due to their compact size & small weight. They are not much larger than a deck of cards, and offer 12V sockets for your DC battery chargers. Reducing the amount of equipment carried is essential when kayaking. But be warned that they have their limitations.

Important Note: A Lithium battery is not capable pf supporting an AC inverter

Due to the nature of the Lithium chemistry, these batteries limit the rate at which they can be charged & discharged. Unfortunately, the discharge rate is incapable of supporting the needs of an inverter. What this means is that if you plan to use an AC inverter, you will need to use the SLA type battery pack.

Power In, Power Out...
All reservoir batteries, like the Outpost Power 4, 7, 12, 18, & 26 are able to be charged at the same time as they are providing power to your charger. Leave them connected to your solar panel so that they can collect as much power as possible.

We have put together a number of different pre-engineered portable power kits to help make it easy to pack along the power you need. Most kayaking applications choose the PowerFilm 300 + Targus AA/AAA DC charger, but more demanding expeditions choose the Outpost Power 7 kit with a PowerFilm 600 replacing the SunLinq 6.5 for improved marine performance. We'll modify any kit to meet your specific needs.

Don't forget about the many compact all-in-one solar products designed to run your phones, PDAs, MP3 players, and just about any other small electronics that use USB or 12V car power sources. Products such as the Brunton SolarPort, Solar Uno, Solar Mio, & Solio. Most of these products have built-in batteries that will enable your electronics to operate as if they were plugged into a computer even when the sun isn't shining. Other products, such as the EverLite solar LED lamps provide USB outlet options plus the convenience of having a handy light source for the camp.

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