Touring on a bicycle is growing in popularity as people look for alternative ways to travel while reducing their carbon footprint. In addition, it allows you to explore the world at a slower pace and disappear off the beaten track.
When out on your bike, you’ll have limited access to electricity especially during long riding days. If you’re like me, you rely on gadgets like smartphones to run mapping apps like Komoot. With a portable solar panel, you can keep your electronics topped up anywhere there is sunshine. You can even hook them to a bag or pannier to charge while you ride.
Below we will discuss what to look for in a bikepacking solar panel, the best products available, and how to use them efficiently.
What Makes a Good Solar Panel for Bikepacking?
You can’t use any old solar panel for cycle touring adventures. There are a few key factors and features you need to consider for optimal performance.
Power Requirements
This is always a key consideration for a solar powered product. It’s a fine balance between the wattage output and weight. For bikepacking, I recommend a panel with a power rating of between 10W to 40W. 15W will give you enough capacity to charge a phone at decent speed. Adding a little more oomph to 30W or more will give you the ability to charge multiple or large devices too.
Size and Portability
Many solar panels are bigger than they look so check the dimensions and weight before you purchase. Ideally, you want a product you can unfold and hang from your backpack or panniers. This will give you the ability to charge on the go. In addition, you need to ensure it folds down small enough to fit inside a bag when not in use.
Remember, it’s important to save weight when bike touring so don’t get too greedy with the size of your panel. When there’s no sun, it will become a deadweight!
Weatherproofing and Durability
You must ensure you choose a robust and well-built product. The equipment will be put to the test out on your travels and it needs to stand up to the task. Take the time to ensure what you buy is waterproof and dustproof. In addition, strong protective materials will help to reduce potential damage from falls, drops, and bumps.
Ease of Use
This is an often forgotten point, and solar panels arrive in all shapes and sizes. It’s best to pick a ‘plug-and-play’ product that doesn’t require any faff or setup. Ensure there are the correct USB ports and DC outlets for your devices. Avoid kits that need solar charge controllers or extra cables and adaptors.
How Do You Attach a Solar Panel to a Bike or Backpack?
Small portable solar panels will have an easy attachment system that allows you to quickly hook it onto a bag, rack, or tent. Most bikepackers will either clip it to a backpack, handlebars or pannier while riding. The easiest way is to use a carabiner which some products have included.
You can see an example of sizes and how you might attach them in this video:
What Can You Charge with a Bikepacking Solar Panel?
These solar panels will be quite small and low-powered. This will restrict what you can charge when cycle touring. Of course, you’ll be traveling light with small portable devices that include batteries. These are perfect to use with your solar panel including smartphones, tablets, GPS, cameras, and LED lighting.
Can You Charge an Electric Bike with a Solar Panel?
Yes, you can charge an electric bike with a solar panel. You will require a large or multiple solar panels to generate enough electricity. This isn’t going to be achievable if you are bikepacking on an electric bike. Plus you won’t be able to travel during the middle of the day during peak sun hours when you need to charge your bike.
In general terms, you could use a larger 100W+ solar panel to keep your e-bike battery topped up and charged without connecting to the mains.
Solar Panel for Bikepacking Summary
I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to backpacking solar panels.
You should have a clear idea of what you need and the top products on the market today. In my experience, you’ll need between 10W and 40W of power. The lower end is ideal for a single smartphone while 30W+ will run multiple or larger devices.
Finally, don’t forget to pick up something highly durable and robust to keep out the water and dust you encounter on your journey.
