Originally Posted by
mijome07
Not sure about which panels you're referring to. I got a portable one that folds out to four panels, rated at 14W/2.5A. That's plenty for me. It's under 1.4 lbs. and was under $50 shipped. Dimensions (folded) are 6.69 × 9.25 × 1.57 inches. Not "large" by any means, even when unfolded (32.28 × 9.06 × 0.12 inches).
I guess that what is expensive, heavy, or large are all subjective. I consider 1.4 pounds to be quite heavy and over 32 inches long to be large given my particular use and preferences. I pack really light (9-14 pounds of bags, camping and cooking gear, and clothing) so 1.4 pounds is pretty heavy to me. I use very little power so carrying an ac charger and enough battery to make it from one outlet to the next typically is a good bit lighter than a solar panel.
I can see where a solar panel would work out well for some usage, but it certainly isn't a slam dunk for everyone myself included.
When I can rely on fairly frequent charging I only take a 1.8 oz. charger. If I need to be able to go a week without charging I add a 4.6 oz. 5200 mAh battery pack and/or a couple <2 oz. each phone batteries. Since most of my touring is road touring I can usually get by fine without the battery pack.