Goal Zero Nomad 28 Plus Solar Panel

I brought this on a jungle trek in Peru. I used the two provided caribiners as well as looped some 550cord through the slots along the panel edges to attach this to my hiking bag. It worked so well! Though the sunlight was inconsistent due to my continuous movement, it adequately charged my portable power stick. It was success! The bend in the panels that make it easy to fold actually worked in my favor to capture more light while hiking. I had one panel facing upward on the top of my bag and the second half was secured to the front of my bag. It made it possible to capture uv light from multiple directions since I was consistently on the move. I would spend twice the amount I did now that I know just how excellent this product it!!

I love spending time outdoors, and this product caught my attention. Whether hiking, fishing, camping, or just walking around town, this item attaches to my backpack and delivers exactly as expected. It does require Sun Light, but I did expect that; cloudy, overcast days will not create a charge. I have had no issues using this product, easy to understand instructions. I can plug it directly into my iPhone or iPad or anything that needs a charge. I purchased this product along with the 2 GOAL ZERO VENTURE 70 power charger. I typically use this to charge one of the power chargers while using the other power charger. Excellent Product

The media could not be loaded. I compared the Goal Zero 7+, 14+, with the Suntactics S14 and S5. The Suntactics consistently put out more power than the goal zero. Even though the S5 is smaller than the Nomad 7+, it put out more power. I used a DROK Digital Multimeter to do my testing. It was a clear sunny day in Denver around noon.

I purchased this alternatively to a 14W or 21W version of the competition for one reason only: Efficiency. After doing some research Goal Zero and Suntactics seem to be the only camping panels that clarify what type of cells they use. Which are Microcrystalline Silicone, the highest efficiency cells on the market. So when you see a YouTube video of a 7W Goal Zero panel out performing a 14W competitor, you now know why.Small test of this in morning sunlight. 4 LEDs glowing. My iPhone 6S charged 3% in 5 minutes! An observation....if you walk in front of this panel while charging your phone, it will automatically stop charging, then restart at some point. So ideally, having a small power bank permanently plugged in is the best route to take, then charge off the bank, not the panel.This might just be the coolest thing Ive purchased off amazon.

I bought this and a Guide 10 AA battery pak. Both seem well made. It was cloudy/overcast yesterday when I wanted to test it under those conditions. It was also 37 degrees F outside I did have one of the 4 charging power lights indicate that it was indeed charging the battery pac, but cloudy/overcast is far from what it is rated at.I am satisfied with this product and the Guide 10. They seem well made and actually DO work. I'll update this review when I test it some more in bright sun and partial sun.

Edit: broke after second day of testing.—-Getting ready for a 16 day hiking trip, so tested it today and it was able to charge the venture 30 fully after being in the sun all day. The manual says 5 hours, but it took about double that for a full charge from nearly zero. With plans to help charge friends’ devices as well, the venture 30 might be a little shy. I am now thinking of bringing the venture 70. Might not fully charge but it will maximize whatever energy it can pull from the sun on the chance it pulls in more than a venture 30’s worth on any given day.Compared to the nomad 13 it is a little lighter when the kickstand is removed. And the design is much simpler with only one real cable that i can run through my backpack to the side pocket where the battery will be stored.The nomad 13 also has an extra flap that is unnecessary.Also, the nomad 13 is made of nylon, which soaks up water and adds weight.The nomad 14 has no fabric and is easy to wipe clean.All in all, a big improvement in simplicity over the nomad 13

Jury is still out, but as of today a three. I have used the panel a few times to recharge various Goal Zero products, (Yeti 400, F30, Lighthouse 400 and Lighthouse 250) and personal devices (iPad and cellphone). The highest reading on the Yeti 400 has been 14 watts on a bright sunny day in the mountains with direct sun. I have reached 4 of 4 blue lights while using the USB charging adapter. So not sure if it is the Yeti or the Nomad that is incorrect in the reading, even after resetting the Yeti 14 of 28 watts and 4 of 4 lights doesn't add it up. I would think the Yeti would be the most accurate, where it is an actual readout.The kickstand will not support the full panel after it has been in the sun for a while, the panel becomes flimsy. Also, the kickstand fell off of the panel while being used in the sun when the temperature of the day was about 100 degrees. Not only had the kickstand fallen off, but the glue bond had broken on a magnet that holds the kickstand in place. You would think this would be normal usage, in the sun on a hot day.In Goal Zero's defense I have not taken the Yeti or Panel back to see if there is a problem with either or both of the devices. Only about a two to three hour inconvenience to take the devices in for diagnostics.Not sure the panel is worth the extra $200 over another non-Goal Zero panel.

Finally, the second version worked. But it only delivers 4W at full sun. I only use it for my kindle so I’m ok with it. good design, light weight, the magnetic detachable bag is great. Not recommended for charging tablets, or large smartphones.