Does anyone know or had purchased these portable solar panels to charge cellphones in the wilds?

I will consider it only IF it is a viable product.

A friend of mine had kids in boy scout camp and they had some type of solar chargers that worked well. I will check with him to see if he remembered which brand.
Also I would check the reviews and if most of them are good, I would consider this product.

Remember if you get deep in the woods there maybe no cell towers, therefore no service. I’ve been three parks with no cell service after you drive into them. Two in Virginia and one in Arkansas !

@chyna Thanks would like to know if it IS worth it and wonder at the power capabilities.

@Tropical_Willie
I live in a National Park system with cell phone towers situated up top the mountain.
I wouldn’t let myself get to far in the woods , especially since this lockdown and NO boby on the trails.
i await the influx of tourists to pave the way..hahah

You’re probably better off with a portable battery with a lot of storage. You can get multiple charges on it and it’s lighter and more reliable than a solar panel.

@Caravanfan
A portable battery?
For a cellphone?
Where and how can I obtain one and will it be able to hold charge not to mention how to recharge it too?

There are a bunch of different makes of them. Here is one I picked at random.
https://www.zagg.com/en_us/universal-batteries?brand=164

You charge them in a wall and then take them with you and charge your phone from it. How many charges you get depends on the size of the battery and whatever your needs are.

@Caravanfan
Thanks will look into it now.

@Caravanfan
Looks like one has to have a Smartphone for these.
I have an android.
Otherwise a good product but only for those that can afford it.

@Inspired_2write All you need is a USB plug in. It will charge anything. My last backpacking trip I brought a 20,000 mA one and I used it to charge my phone, my ipod, and my fitbit watch. They’re lighter and cheaper than solar panels. Also solar panels only work if there is sun out. Years ago I bought a solar panel for a backpacking trip and we had no sun so it was useless.

I was on the same backpacking trip and had a bigger solar panel. It was cloudy most of the trip, so solar charging directly to the phone was a bust. There were bursts of sun when we were on the move, so if I had used a small power pack I would have collected some power. My opinion now is that if you are within a few days hike to civilization, use a power pack. If there is risk you might be impeded or lost longer than that, use a solar panel.

I just got a new 15W Anker panel and tested it at home. It really works as advertised, and is less than 1 lb: https://us.anker.com/collections/portable-power/products/a2422

This is more or less the power bank I have
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/anker-powercore-metro-20000mah-portable-charger-dark-gray/6375636.p?skuId=6375636

@Caravanfan
How does one plug in a usb drivetinto a cellphone?
Mine only has for the plug that came with to charge it?

iPhones come with a USB to Lightning cable for charging. Plug one end into the phone, the other end into the USB power bank*. Android phones need a microUSB to USB or USB-C to USB cable.
*not USB drive

https://www.amazon.com/Flashlight-Waterproof-Dustproof-Shockproof-Compatible/dp/B08B8Z663B/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=solar+charger+portable&qid=1621291146&sr=8-3

Thank You to all for the links and suggestions. I will look into getting one for myself .

@Inspired_2write Let us know how it works out for you.

@Caravanfan
Will check with my phone provider in Town to find out what device is more compatible to my cell phone.
I am very excited to know of this technology that I can feel safer knowing that my cellphone will still be charged even if an accident occurs or not.
I look forward to Hiking again , but I wait for more people on the trails too.

We use Gaia GPS to make sure we don’t get lost. Cell phone/data coverage is not needed during the trip. That’s where the extra battery comes in handy. If not for GPS, my iPhone charge would last almost a week – I put it on airplane mode and mostly use it as a camera.

@RocketGuy
Doesn’t putting it on airplane mode more costly ( data charges)?

@Inspired_2write No, the opposite. Airplane mode turns off cellular data.

@RocketGuy We still managed to get lost even with Gaia last time, remember? We had to climb all over those boulders with the packs on.

@Caravanfan – the maps lied about a trail existing in that area! But I’m glad your battery pack and my solar panel were able to recharge our phones when we found our way back to the tents.