If you enjoyed this video, please consider buying me a coffee :) www.buymeacoffee.com/adventuresandreams If you want to buy this solar panel, you get it here (paid links): REI: bit.ly/3WzucUA Amazon: amzn.to/3BV2RCY
Hi guys, I just purchased this unit as "broken/returned" from REI for $18. When I first tested it out, it did absolutely nothing and didn't charge in sunlight, under a lamp, or through the micro USB cable. So, I popped the plastic thing that you were putting on the face of the panel off, revealing some screws. I then tried charging the battery 6 an external RC hobby charged once I got it out from the small compartment. Put it back in and it works like a charm as if nothing ever happened. So, THE PROBLEM IS THAT THESE UNITS SIT FOR TO LONG ON THE SHELF, THUS THE BATTERIES BECOME OVER-DISCHARGED, so then the charge circuit inside the solar panel doesn't allow the battery to charge. Hope this helps anyone with this issue who's willing to crack it open!
That’s super interesting. I’m glad you got it to work properly, and I hope that it will do well for many years :). Most people probably wouldn’t try to fix it this way. It really should work out of the box. I ended up really happy with my GoalZero, though.
Hey so basically I noticed you mentioned you have to pop open the plastic thing to do this, but then I did some thinking with mine as I had the same problem. As a result I think decided to plug it to mains power and charge it via the port and then discharge it by charging my phone 6 or 7 times. This fixed the issues completely without having to open the unit at all, I could still just use it like a "normal battery bank"
Hi, I've had two of these for a couple of years and use them frequently. Not one issue with either of them. My wife and I have just completed a 4 day hike of the Berwickshire Coastal Path and had them attached to our packs. Charged our phones all day and there was enough in the stored capacity to charge our apple watches overnight. Not sure if have received faulty items (both would be unlikely) I cannot praise Biolite products enough but then I've not had any issues.
Hi John, thanks for watching my video and for your comment. I’m glad that you have no problem with yours. I really wanted them to work out for me because I head good things about the company from friends who had other products. I don’t know what it was with these two. The fact that one of them was scratched up makes me think that they were used even though I bought them at a good store. Perhaps I was just super unlucky and ended up with GoalZero instead, which I love. Have some wonderful adventures out there, John, and thanks again for your time to write. It redeemed Biolite for me a bit. I rarely have such negative experiences that I want to warn my viewers about it, but I had to here.
I got one of these and they are really good for directly charging devices, better than all my other solar modules. The onboard battery sucks though but for me it doesn't matter cause I just hook it up to an external battery bank, or I just use it to directly charge my phone, its pretty good at that
I'm glad yours worked so well, and I had really hoped that mine did too, but I just had too many problems immediately and needed something 100% reliable. With the GoalZero that I ended up buying, I actually do it the same way you mention, I attach a powerbank directly to it and keep that charged. I was also considering a powerbank with a built-in solar charger and wonder how well they work. Thanks for watching! :)
Wow, I understand why you didn't go for Biolite! I have heard that goal zero is good quality, so glad you brought that panel along on your trip 😀 tschuß from Christin & Ørjan
Yup, GoalZero seems to be the way to go, and it was actually my first choice anyway. The only reason why I was excited about the BioLite solar panel was because of its weather resistance and neat little sun dial. Oh well, I'm happy with the Nomad 5 now :)
I’m glad it works for you and I hope it lasts for many years. I would definitely suggest testing it well before going on longer trips where you rely on it powering your devices. I had really hoped that mine worked as well, but I’m super happy with the Goal Zero now, and it has been through quite a bit of tough weather already.
You surly got unlucky if you received your product in that condition. I brought my Biolite 5+ from Anaconda in Australia and I’ve tested it out it seems to work all though I have noticed that the internal battery looses is charge if not used instantly and it struggles sometime to send enough charge to even start charging an iPhone SE. But it works well if you use it to charge another portable power bank.
I sure was unlucky, but the problems you describe with yours don't sound too good either. It's really important that these work when out for several days. I was much happier with the GoalZero Nomad 5 in the end :)
Thank you so much. I learned about this product via a website that reviews items that of excellent quality; however that article is dated. So i searched some more, found your review and am surprised, shocked... but better informed. PS: when you are ready to take groups of wannabees like me on solo camping excursions say the word: I'll sign up to be thus schooled.
Hey Kristian, thank you so much for watching my videos and for your kind words :) I don't provide any camping tours or classes just yet, but I was actually thinking about creating a series of shorter videos that go over all aspects of camping, from planning to gear, packing, finding a good location, etc. If you are interested in that, I'd love to hear everything that would be helpful to you. No detail is too small. I really want to help people to enjoy nature while camping and exploring while being safe and respectful out there. So please let me know all the questions you might have. You can also find me on Facebook (see description of the video), and we can start a conversation there. I'm looking forward to hearing from you, honestly. I want to start filming for the series in the next few weeks.
I bought a 15W solar charger from ANKER, 2 PANEL version. Works slowly but it works. It weighs 13 ozs and folds up. I think any solar panel of less than 15W's isn't worth getting. I attach it to my pack every 2 to 3 days like you have yours attached to charge my battery bank. I live in desert country so sunlight isn't a problem to stay in. Good luck.
I looked up what you bought, the Anker solar panel, and it seems great too for sure. To be honest with you, I didn't pay that much attention to the watts when I chose mine. I wanted it to be able to take some rain showers without a problem and be pretty rugged. How well is yours holding up?
@@adventuresandreams I've had it for several years now and it's still working. I have a 13,000 miliamp battery bank and its all I need for my limited electronics, phone & flashlight. I can recharge several times before using the solar panel again.
@@rainbowhiker Ah yes, I have a couple of power banks that are 26800 mAH. I wouldn't go anywhere without them. I only need one for most trips, but when I went on my 5-day trip, the one I tested the GoalZero solar panel on, I needed to use some of my second as well. I tested charging one of these with my solar panel the other day, and I was able to charge a completely empty power bank 3/4 of the way in one day with it. Not bad. Of course, this is me working from home and setting this thing up in the sun. It would be a bit harder to achieve on a trip when you're out and about. Still, it was a great test. Btw, thanks for subscribing and checking other videos on my channel as well. I really appreciate your support. :)
For anyone watching this video because they have a non working Biolite 5+. I bought one broken and found that the neg battery terminal and corroded and broke. The circuit must see a constant voltage for it to work, that’s including the solar part of it. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the insight and for watching my video. Did you fix or return it? It's just weird that it doesn't work out of the box, both of them. I really wanted this one to work because it hit all the checkmarks that I wanted in a solar panel. I was happy with the GoalZero in the end, though, and it has been with me on several trips.
Great video edit with super intro. Not sure if you filmed or uploaded in 4k as my Mac doesn't give me the option of 4k quality when viewing your film! Great to see someone sharing a bad experience with a particular product. Even well known companies are VERY guilty of cost cutting and once this happens with a product then nothing will put it right for me as it can ruin a trip. Lets you see how important it is to test your gear before important trips as you recommend. ATB Tom
Thanks, Tom. :) Yes, I really wanted this solar panel to work out because it had so many great aspects that others did not have, but wow, what a disappointment. It is the first product that I bought from BioLite, and it will be the last. It was also unacceptable to receive a used product from the store. When I returned it, I mentioned that they need to make sure not to put it out on the shelf again. They assured me that they never do such a thing! ;)
i bought one of these last summer. then, it would charge my phone about half way. i didn't get to use it over the winter and now after having it out all day, it will only charge my phone for 5 minutes and then be completely drained. i also tried to charge via the wall. the panel will charge and show 4 lit up batteries, but as soon as i charge a device, it drains within 5 minutes. i will not be buying another one! i have a biolite solar light and have no issues with that. very disappointed with the panel.
Yeah, I was disappointed as well. The concept was great, but the quality is terrible, sadly. I hope you still have warranty on it or are able to return it for a refund.
I did not. I bought them just before I was going on a week-long kano-camping trip and needed to resolve it quickly. I had no choice but to go with a different brand, a GoalZero, but I ended up loving that solar panel a lot.
Yeah, I took two big power banks with me as well. I completely drained one, which has not happened on previous trips, and went through half of the other one. It's just always a good feeling have something that works in most situations to get a bit of charge for emergencies. Hopefully I will never need it for that reason. :)
Я живу в Перми. Я купил панель биолайт двойную она тупила страшно. Заменил акум и все стало норм. Зато купил за 5 а не 17тысяч рублей.купил басекамп пица дом расплавленную с Москвы за 15тысяч рублей.и починил спаял за неделю. Жарит че надо. Купил электронику с майкопа от такой-же басекамп. И зделал копию из чайников.жарит нехуже оригинала. Зато вес 5кг а не 9 как в оригинале. Потом убрал электронику заглушили и гоняю кулер через регулятор от повербанка. Зато стала самодельная весить 4кг.покупал бу фонарик наногрид с двумя сателитами. Заменил акумы и все норм. Потом большей с железными ножками фонарь брал с блютузом. Тоже поменял акумы и все прекрасно работает. У биолайт косяки от старых акумов их пока везут хз кто знает где их делают и какие роботы их делают. Но у них с контактами на проводах тоже бывают проблемы например обжато на изоляцию то и включилась и расплавилась пица дом басекамп. Всем удачи в покупке
I hope it's ok to answer in English. If not, let me know :) Thank you so much for watching my video and for your comment. You must be really good at fixing electronics and making them even better. I've never been good at that. But yes, the BioLite solar panel was disappointing, sadly. I love the one that I bought after these two, from GoalZero. That one has never failed me.
Да совсем забыл теперь я играюсь биолайт походный чайником. Снятый с производства. Купил бу на авито он как новый но толком незаряжал. Тупо добавил термопасты и все заработало. Одно кипячение чайника это один диод загорает на батарейки. Акум там литий ферум полимерный 3,2 вольта ёмкость небольшая. Но по заявленному он выдаёт 2ампера на зарядку и робит как повербанк. Конечно вспотееш воду кипятить но интересно. Как внутри зделан было интересно. Так что биолайт удивляет😂
Wow, that's crazy that the same thing happened to you as well. I guess Biolite is not as great as it seems. I do like their product ideas, but perhaps the execution is not well done. Thank you for watching my video, Pablo. :)
Она прекрасно заряжает. Теперь не выключается. 11ват 3000батарейка.в Перми солнца мало и у меня теневая сторона. Вобщем 3600мач с обеда до вечера набирает. Если снимать наверно сможет больше. В пасмурную с редким солнцем 2000мач прокачал на повербанк.
That's pretty good. I have to shop for a new solar panel. My GoalZero got lost in my move from Canada to the US. Thanks again for your responses and happy adventures to you :) @@ЯковДубаков
Не бойтесь покупайте биолайт. Главное научитесь её разбирать. Вообще все биолайт требует доработок но оно того стоит. BaseCamp, campstove . NanoGrid, kettler charge,BaseLantern. Я все покупаю бу на авито люди чинить неумею или не хотят. Но подругому я бы это не купил в Перми на Урале. BaseCamp дак у меня две оригинал и третья самодельная нехуже с оригинальной электроникой
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If you enjoyed this video, please consider buying me a coffee :) www.buymeacoffee.com/adventuresandreams
If you want to buy this solar panel, you get it here (paid links):
REI: bit.ly/3WzucUA Amazon: amzn.to/3BV2RCY
Hi guys, I just purchased this unit as "broken/returned" from REI for $18. When I first tested it out, it did absolutely nothing and didn't charge in sunlight, under a lamp, or through the micro USB cable. So, I popped the plastic thing that you were putting on the face of the panel off, revealing some screws. I then tried charging the battery 6 an external RC hobby charged once I got it out from the small compartment. Put it back in and it works like a charm as if nothing ever happened. So, THE PROBLEM IS THAT THESE UNITS SIT FOR TO LONG ON THE SHELF, THUS THE BATTERIES BECOME OVER-DISCHARGED, so then the charge circuit inside the solar panel doesn't allow the battery to charge. Hope this helps anyone with this issue who's willing to crack it open!
That’s super interesting. I’m glad you got it to work properly, and I hope that it will do well for many years :). Most people probably wouldn’t try to fix it this way. It really should work out of the box. I ended up really happy with my GoalZero, though.
Hey so basically I noticed you mentioned you have to pop open the plastic thing to do this, but then I did some thinking with mine as I had the same problem. As a result I think decided to plug it to mains power and charge it via the port and then discharge it by charging my phone 6 or 7 times. This fixed the issues completely without having to open the unit at all, I could still just use it like a "normal battery bank"
Hi, I've had two of these for a couple of years and use them frequently. Not one issue with either of them. My wife and I have just completed a 4 day hike of the Berwickshire Coastal Path and had them attached to our packs. Charged our phones all day and there was enough in the stored capacity to charge our apple watches overnight. Not sure if have received faulty items (both would be unlikely)
I cannot praise Biolite products enough but then I've not had any issues.
Hi John, thanks for watching my video and for your comment. I’m glad that you have no problem with yours. I really wanted them to work out for me because I head good things about the company from friends who had other products. I don’t know what it was with these two. The fact that one of them was scratched up makes me think that they were used even though I bought them at a good store. Perhaps I was just super unlucky and ended up with GoalZero instead, which I love. Have some wonderful adventures out there, John, and thanks again for your time to write. It redeemed Biolite for me a bit. I rarely have such negative experiences that I want to warn my viewers about it, but I had to here.
Interesting to hear about your experience with solar. I've been trying a variety of solar panels as well. Thanks for sharing!
Great honest and reliable video. Thank you for your channel and safe journeys!!!
Thank you so much, Joe. I’m glad my video helped you a bit. :)
I got one of these and they are really good for directly charging devices, better than all my other solar modules. The onboard battery sucks though but for me it doesn't matter cause I just hook it up to an external battery bank, or I just use it to directly charge my phone, its pretty good at that
I'm glad yours worked so well, and I had really hoped that mine did too, but I just had too many problems immediately and needed something 100% reliable. With the GoalZero that I ended up buying, I actually do it the same way you mention, I attach a powerbank directly to it and keep that charged. I was also considering a powerbank with a built-in solar charger and wonder how well they work. Thanks for watching! :)
Wow, I understand why you didn't go for Biolite! I have heard that goal zero is good quality, so glad you brought that panel along on your trip 😀 tschuß from Christin & Ørjan
Yup, GoalZero seems to be the way to go, and it was actually my first choice anyway. The only reason why I was excited about the BioLite solar panel was because of its weather resistance and neat little sun dial. Oh well, I'm happy with the Nomad 5 now :)
I just bought one of these and unboxed it, seems to work fine for me. Charges fine with the cable, built right. Hope it stays that way
I’m glad it works for you and I hope it lasts for many years. I would definitely suggest testing it well before going on longer trips where you rely on it powering your devices. I had really hoped that mine worked as well, but I’m super happy with the Goal Zero now, and it has been through quite a bit of tough weather already.
@@adventuresandreams Thank you kindly. Have a blessed day!
Coucou , quel plaisir de vous revoir , merci pour ces conseils 🇨🇵💗🦖
You surly got unlucky if you received your product in that condition. I brought my Biolite 5+ from Anaconda in Australia and I’ve tested it out it seems to work all though I have noticed that the internal battery looses is charge if not used instantly and it struggles sometime to send enough charge to even start charging an iPhone SE. But it works well if you use it to charge another portable power bank.
I sure was unlucky, but the problems you describe with yours don't sound too good either. It's really important that these work when out for several days. I was much happier with the GoalZero Nomad 5 in the end :)
Thank you so much. I learned about this product via a website that reviews items that of excellent quality; however that article is dated. So i searched some more, found your review and am surprised, shocked... but better informed.
PS: when you are ready to take groups of wannabees like me on solo camping excursions say the word: I'll sign up to be thus schooled.
Hey Kristian, thank you so much for watching my videos and for your kind words :) I don't provide any camping tours or classes just yet, but I was actually thinking about creating a series of shorter videos that go over all aspects of camping, from planning to gear, packing, finding a good location, etc. If you are interested in that, I'd love to hear everything that would be helpful to you. No detail is too small. I really want to help people to enjoy nature while camping and exploring while being safe and respectful out there. So please let me know all the questions you might have. You can also find me on Facebook (see description of the video), and we can start a conversation there. I'm looking forward to hearing from you, honestly. I want to start filming for the series in the next few weeks.
I bought a 15W solar charger from ANKER, 2 PANEL version. Works slowly but it works. It weighs 13 ozs and folds up. I think any solar panel of less than 15W's isn't worth getting. I attach it to my pack every 2 to 3 days like you have yours attached to charge my battery bank. I live in desert country so sunlight isn't a problem to stay in. Good luck.
I looked up what you bought, the Anker solar panel, and it seems great too for sure. To be honest with you, I didn't pay that much attention to the watts when I chose mine. I wanted it to be able to take some rain showers without a problem and be pretty rugged. How well is yours holding up?
@@adventuresandreams I've had it for several years now and it's still working. I have a 13,000 miliamp battery bank and its all I need for my limited electronics, phone & flashlight. I can recharge several times before using the solar panel again.
@@rainbowhiker Ah yes, I have a couple of power banks that are 26800 mAH. I wouldn't go anywhere without them. I only need one for most trips, but when I went on my 5-day trip, the one I tested the GoalZero solar panel on, I needed to use some of my second as well. I tested charging one of these with my solar panel the other day, and I was able to charge a completely empty power bank 3/4 of the way in one day with it. Not bad. Of course, this is me working from home and setting this thing up in the sun. It would be a bit harder to achieve on a trip when you're out and about. Still, it was a great test. Btw, thanks for subscribing and checking other videos on my channel as well. I really appreciate your support. :)
For anyone watching this video because they have a non working Biolite 5+. I bought one broken and found that the neg battery terminal and corroded and broke. The circuit must see a constant voltage for it to work, that’s including the solar part of it. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the insight and for watching my video. Did you fix or return it? It's just weird that it doesn't work out of the box, both of them. I really wanted this one to work because it hit all the checkmarks that I wanted in a solar panel. I was happy with the GoalZero in the end, though, and it has been with me on several trips.
Great video edit with super intro. Not sure if you filmed or uploaded in 4k as my Mac doesn't give me the option of 4k quality when viewing your film! Great to see someone sharing a bad experience with a particular product. Even well known companies are VERY guilty of cost cutting and once this happens with a product then nothing will put it right for me as it can ruin a trip. Lets you see how important it is to test your gear before important trips as you recommend. ATB Tom
Thanks, Tom. :) Yes, I really wanted this solar panel to work out because it had so many great aspects that others did not have, but wow, what a disappointment. It is the first product that I bought from BioLite, and it will be the last.
It was also unacceptable to receive a used product from the store. When I returned it, I mentioned that they need to make sure not to put it out on the shelf again. They assured me that they never do such a thing! ;)
I have four of them goal zero and they work fantastic
I only got to use my GoalZero on one trip so far, but I was happy with it. :)
You need a power bank to be charged constantly
i bought one of these last summer. then, it would charge my phone about half way. i didn't get to use it over the winter and now after having it out all day, it will only charge my phone for 5 minutes and then be completely drained. i also tried to charge via the wall. the panel will charge and show 4 lit up batteries, but as soon as i charge a device, it drains within 5 minutes. i will not be buying another one!
i have a biolite solar light and have no issues with that. very disappointed with the panel.
Yeah, I was disappointed as well. The concept was great, but the quality is terrible, sadly. I hope you still have warranty on it or are able to return it for a refund.
Did you call or email Biolite explain to them what happen . I brought many products from biolite never had any issues.
I did not. I bought them just before I was going on a week-long kano-camping trip and needed to resolve it quickly. I had no choice but to go with a different brand, a GoalZero, but I ended up loving that solar panel a lot.
@@adventuresandreams Love GoalZero products also
Thanks for the info
🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃 0:21
Power Banks are the answer with charging stations
Yeah, I took two big power banks with me as well. I completely drained one, which has not happened on previous trips, and went through half of the other one. It's just always a good feeling have something that works in most situations to get a bit of charge for emergencies. Hopefully I will never need it for that reason. :)
Я живу в Перми. Я купил панель биолайт двойную она тупила страшно. Заменил акум и все стало норм. Зато купил за 5 а не 17тысяч рублей.купил басекамп пица дом расплавленную с Москвы за 15тысяч рублей.и починил спаял за неделю. Жарит че надо. Купил электронику с майкопа от такой-же басекамп. И зделал копию из чайников.жарит нехуже оригинала. Зато вес 5кг а не 9 как в оригинале. Потом убрал электронику заглушили и гоняю кулер через регулятор от повербанка. Зато стала самодельная весить 4кг.покупал бу фонарик наногрид с двумя сателитами. Заменил акумы и все норм. Потом большей с железными ножками фонарь брал с блютузом. Тоже поменял акумы и все прекрасно работает. У биолайт косяки от старых акумов их пока везут хз кто знает где их делают и какие роботы их делают. Но у них с контактами на проводах тоже бывают проблемы например обжато на изоляцию то и включилась и расплавилась пица дом басекамп. Всем удачи в покупке
I hope it's ok to answer in English. If not, let me know :) Thank you so much for watching my video and for your comment. You must be really good at fixing electronics and making them even better. I've never been good at that. But yes, the BioLite solar panel was disappointing, sadly. I love the one that I bought after these two, from GoalZero. That one has never failed me.
Да совсем забыл теперь я играюсь биолайт походный чайником. Снятый с производства. Купил бу на авито он как новый но толком незаряжал. Тупо добавил термопасты и все заработало. Одно кипячение чайника это один диод загорает на батарейки. Акум там литий ферум полимерный 3,2 вольта ёмкость небольшая. Но по заявленному он выдаёт 2ампера на зарядку и робит как повербанк. Конечно вспотееш воду кипятить но интересно. Как внутри зделан было интересно. Так что биолайт удивляет😂
Я тоже плаваю только на пакрафт печинег black pike. Наши пермские делают из тпу. Самая лютая геометрия по стране 2,2кг
A friend of mine used one of these as well. They seemed really cool, although a bit heavy for backpacking, for instance :D @@ЯковДубаков
Да они для длительного похода с проживанием или кемпинг
excelente información, es exactamente lo que me sucedió, con un distribuidor en chile de biolite.
Wow, that's crazy that the same thing happened to you as well. I guess Biolite is not as great as it seems. I do like their product ideas, but perhaps the execution is not well done. Thank you for watching my video, Pablo. :)
@@adventuresandreams I agree with you. By the way, the channel is great.
@@pablobeltran413 Thank you! :D
Я починил свою биолайт двойную. Тупо пропадал контакт в штеккере
Wow, nice. How do you like it? Thanks for watching :)
Она прекрасно заряжает. Теперь не выключается. 11ват 3000батарейка.в Перми солнца мало и у меня теневая сторона. Вобщем 3600мач с обеда до вечера набирает. Если снимать наверно сможет больше. В пасмурную с редким солнцем 2000мач прокачал на повербанк.
That's pretty good. I have to shop for a new solar panel. My GoalZero got lost in my move from Canada to the US. Thanks again for your responses and happy adventures to you :) @@ЯковДубаков
Не бойтесь покупайте биолайт. Главное научитесь её разбирать. Вообще все биолайт требует доработок но оно того стоит. BaseCamp, campstove
. NanoGrid, kettler charge,BaseLantern. Я все покупаю бу на авито люди чинить неумею или не хотят. Но подругому я бы это не купил в Перми на Урале. BaseCamp дак у меня две оригинал и третья самодельная нехуже с оригинальной электроникой