Industry tries "large and small" portable solar equipment

As we search high and low for new solar equipment and innovations for RVers, we're sometimes surprised by what else pops up on the market. Take GOAL ZERO for instance, an outfit that calls itself, "an innovator of portable solar power systems." (Italics ours). The company is trumpeting two entries to the portable power market, but we're wondering who their target customer base is. Perhaps Iron Man has come to life and gone green on us.

The first release seems like a modest, and interesting product for those who not only RV off the grid, but take their tech stuff out on long hikes. Says a company news release, "The new Sherpa 50 portable recharger, which was recently recognized by the CEA as CES Innovation Honoree for Portable Power, will change how consumers power vital devices like phones and laptops. Weighing only 14 oz. (0.9 lbs.), this latest, award-winning addition to the mid-size Sherpa line is less than half the load of its predecessor, yet it harnesses the same 50 watt hour power capacity. The most compact of the Sherpa line, the new Sherpa 50 truly represents on-the-go power, as it measures less than 5 inches on each side and is only 1 ½ inches thick, allowing it to easily fit in any bag or briefcase."

We don't take our briefcases out for a hike, but OK, maybe the businessman on the run would like to charge his iPod or iPod or whatever it is while running down Wall Street. It's the second, "portable" power system that has us head scratching: Dubbed the Yeti 1250 Solar Generator, we were immediately struck by the name. Yeti? Isn't that another name for the mysterious and vanishing beast AKA, Sasquatch?

The sasquatch, by all accounts, is a pretty good sized fellow, not somebody you'd invite to a Mexican Train game without second thoughts. Sure enough, the news release tells us that Yeti is as we thought: "The Yeti 1250 Solar Generator is Goal Zero’s highest capacity portable recharger to date and is the most easy to use, affordable, dependable and complete solution available for those looking to “trade-up” from their conventional gas-powered back-ups. The Yeti 1250 is a generating beast, standing 16 inches tall, 11.6 inches wide and 14.5 inches deep and weighing 103 lbs., and much like its namesake, the Yeti 1250 is extremely powerful, but rarely seen or heard."

A 103 pound generating beast? Are we ready to take this one backpacking. May we say, "Not yeti!" Perhaps you could hitch this rig on to the back bumper of your motorhome and use it for charging up the toys, and the house battery system as well. For our money, I think we'll stick with four solar panels on the roof and a tiny (in comparison) regulator on the bathroom wall.

Still, if you're interested, the Sherpa 50 Portable Recharger will be available in June 2012 as a part of a number of full system kits or separately for $249.99. The Yeti 1250 Solar Generator will be available in May 2012, both as a single unit ($1499.99) and as part of Yeti 1250 Solar Generator Kit ($1999.99) which also includes two Boulder 30 solar panels and a carrying cart for the kit. Visit www.goalzero.com or call 888-794-6250.