The Jackery Explorer 1000 gives you on-the-go power anywhere

November 30, 2020
Technology

You can use multiple ports at once, which is awesome, however, there are some downsides, like the USB-PD maxing out at 18W —so you won’t be able to run most laptops for example. Not much of a hiccup though as you can just go straight to AC instead.

The one thing that did bug me a bit was the on-again, off-again fan. The unit is literally whisper quiet and then BOOM. The fan turns on, seemingly for a totally arbitrary amount of time, and then shuts off. Big deal? Probably not. But it did surprise me the first few times it happened. Obviously more of a problem indoors or in small spaces than it is outside camping.

The solar panels are a great add as well. They are definitely bigger than expected, but it makes sense given their rating. Again, you have to think of this as a car camping utility and not a day hiker carry. There’s no way you’d carry all 22+ lbs of the Explorer 1000 and one or two full-size 100w solar panels. Granted, they do fold up, have a convenient carry handle, and aren’t terribly heavy, but still. I do like how they fold down making them easy to store. There’s also a built-in pocket for cables so they don’t get lost elsewhere. It’s good to note too that not only can you charge the Explorer 1000 from the SolarSage panels, you can also directly charge your phone or other devices.