Customer Reviews for Goal Zero Sherpa 100 Solar Recharging Kit with Nomad 20 Solar Panel

Our team used a Sherpa 50 system during a 30-day paddling drip for a documentary film last year and it was great. On a recent 8-day kayak trip for a magazine shoot, I decided to buy my own Sherpa 100 system (so I could power my Macbook Pro Retina 15") and it worked brilliantly, in the rain, mud and sand. The whole team was psyched to have reliable power. I'd like to see a simple case/bag setup for the battery to use while charging in adverse weather or, say on top of a kayak where splashing could occur.

I bought this product for off grid kayak/camping trip. The Sherpa 100 was delivered fully charged. I did some test charges at the house with 3x cell phones, some rechargeable Ni-cad batteries 4x ea AAA and AA for my cameras, a Go-Pro and rechargeable video camera. It could charge the lot which seemed very rapidly but actual time was normal charge time. I tested the Solar Panels to ensure they were charging the power pack and then topped off the unit via the wall socket. The primary key is charge the unit to max via the wall socket then use the solar panels as needed to top off the unit. The trip was 6 days kayaking/camping off grid in Quebec's Sagueney Fjord from Sagueney to Toudassac. The weather was not the most desirable - 4 days of mostly cloudy, rain and the occasional heavy to torrential passing thunderstorm. Not the best weather for the use of a solar power recharging device. I normally was still able to get 1-3hrs of late afternoon to evening sun. I was able to keep 10 cell phones, 6x Ni-cad batteries (4x AA and 2x AAA), a Mofi charger, a sony camera battery and the video camera operational throughout the entire trip. The Sherpa drained down to 30% at one point but the next day we got lucky with a bright sunny day and quick paddle to the next site. I was able to take advantage of 8-9 hrs of great sunlight and charged every device to 100% and the at the end of the day the Sherpa was back up to 80-90% charge as well. A major key was to make sure the panels got a good angle to the sunlight. I have used the device twice since then to charge my phone and camera on the fly while hiking. The panels can usually top the unit off from 20% to 100% in about 7hrs. If the Sherpa fell below the 20% threshold I have noted that it requires a bit longer usually 9-10hrs to top the unit back up. I would recommend just making sure to charge prior to falling below 20%. The wall outlet seems to charge the unit within 3-4hrs to max no matter how low the battery state is at. I found the unit to be very easy to use, lightweight (under 5lbs.), and very capable of keeping multiple items operational. I had planed to use my laptop to download pics each night but limited space in the kayak forced me to not test the capability of the Sherpa handling my laptop in a limited use capacity as well. I took extra precautions of multiple dry bags to protect the Sherpa 100 unit while in transit in the kayak. I also use the dry bag while backpacking as well. Overall I love the unit and the price was very reasonable for what is provided. I am thinking of adding another panel set to my current system just to aide in recharge time. Highly recommend the product - great item to have for multiple needs and back up power in the event of an emergency.

I use the this to go backpacking. This unit will run my cpap for about 8.5 hours. (no humidity) I bought an extra Nomad 20 to charge the unit faster during the day. It is also nice to have at home to run your cpap in case of a power outage.

The unit holds a lot of power, the panels recharge it very quickly. I'm taking the system to Fiji, to a remote island, eco resort, that has very little power available , this unit will be used to charge my Iphone, my Mac Book, several camera batteries including Go Pro cameras, and a dive light and will also be using the USB light attachment at night to get around.

I have been using it as my main power source in West Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer for a year. 10 months of constant sun but during 2 months of rain it was difficult to keep panels dry ( should be constructed more water resistant/proof?) Dependable source for charging iPhone, laptop and fairly quickly recharged when current is accessable . "the brick" as it is called due to its weight holds good charge.

I never go into the backcountry without it! Best way to keep cameras running.

I've been buying goal zero products for years. From the guide 10 plus , all the way up to the yeti 400. My favorite , however, is the sherpa 100 kit with the nomad 20 solar panel and inverter. Super portable and versatile. Powers everything I need powered. The sherpa 100 is packed with features for everything I need powered. It has two super fast USB ports and other handy ports for charging pretty much anything in my kit. I take it everywhere I go. Super high quality and very reliable . It's always a good idea to have portable power when you need it wherever you go because you never know when you may need it. Like I said, I have almost every product goal zero has ever made but the Sherpa 100 solar power kit is by far my favorite. I love goal zero!

Easy to use and setup. Pretty reliable power generation, but I will likely add another solar panel. I like their cable and hookup options except the lack of Apple laptop support( otherwise 5 stars) . I found a competitor that offers a cable and was able to buy and use theirs successfully. I will buy the yeti 400 next and keep buying panels and then I will get that yeti 1250.

We run a company that provides technology for sporting events. We send iPads all over the race course and often there is no power. The Sherpa 100 and Nomad solar panels provide the power our clients need to use our technology all day long.

Light, small, versatile and powerful. If you need to go off the grid or are caught away from power sources on a regular basis, the Sherpa 100 Solar Kit is for you. Keep it charged up and in my trunk, all the time. Never know what is ahead.

I’ve been using the Sherpa 100 and Nomad 20 for conservation work in the East African bush for five months now. These guys are rugged. I’ve had them dropped in zebra dung, bounced around the bed of a Land Rover, rained on, and trampled by goats. And they’ve held up. It’s not so much that I am careless with the equipment but that life is hectic. I appreciate using gear that can take a little beating; more fragile stuff wouldn’t cut it out here. This unit also has a low-key design that I like. Since we do a lot of work in remote villages, I don’t need a flashy piece of equipment distracting everyone and begging to be messed with. With these I can just throw them discretely on the roof of my truck and know they won’t get in the way. Part of this ‘pro’ is that the panels fold up nicely to make it easy to stow the whole thing out of the way when I’m traveling; essentially, the Sherpa and Nomad do their job when I need them, and they stay out of the way when I don’t. Speaking of travel, I can fly with it as a carry-on or in checked baggage and it’s not a problem. This is a real plus, as it lets me use my gadgets on the plane. Finally, the battery holds a charge well. I haven’t tested its limits yet, but it keeps a full charge for at least a week. If you sip off of it for cell phones, it seems to go on for even longer. My old clunky MacBook sucks an entire charge at once, unfortunately, but my understanding is that other computers do much better with it. The panels seem to collect energy at about the promised rate, and on a cloudless day, I can recharge my entire Sherpa. For those days with clouds, it loads from the car-charger just fine too.

I just returned from a 21 day multimedia production in the Grand Canyon for Sierra Magazine covering the current threats to the Grand Canyon and can't say enough about how crucial this product was to the success of the production. I used two Sherpa 100's to power 3 Cameras, 1 GPS, 1 Mac Book Pro, 2 Flash Units, 1 SAT phone and Iphones and speakers for the project. "Fast reliable power on demand" Thanks Goal Zero for being there when I needed you the most. Greg Von Doersten @gregvondoersten.com

As a Professional Landscape Photographer, it has allowed me to spend many, many days a month in the back country of the West, Southwest and especially Navajoland; my home. In some cases, I have access to cell phone service. In other cases I don't. I usually have my laptop, tablet(s), my GoPro's (5 of them), Drones and Nikon (D800, D700, D4) camera's to film where I go and record what I do. I also have battery powered timelapse systems from Dynamic Perception. Charging these battery operated tools IS A BREEZE with Goal Zero. I use the Sherpa 100 A LOT and highly recommend it. I cannot say a single negative thing about it! The Sherpa 100 can and will power everything I need and just about anything I have. Power comes from the sun, car or through a wall outlet! I am getting ready to build an off-road trailer to haul my tent, gear, 30 gallons of water, 5 gallon propane, stove top, power tools, a weeks worth of food and even a hot water heater! The best cargo is my soon to be 2 year old son Denali. (I've been taking him camping since he was about 4-5 months old!) The entire off road rig will be powered by Goal Zero. At my most recent photography show in Santa Fe, NM, I used my Sherpa 100 to light up my images, power my tablet and cell phones since I was running sales via my mobile store. I was also showing the Fine Art collectors the entire photography process, working in the darkroom, matting to framing... ALL on my tablets and displays. When you see over 200,000 people in a few days, makings sure everything was powered was easy and obviously free. Thanks to the sun! Goal Zero is a leader for a reason!

I purchased this as a gift for a friend in Africa -- they're out in a Masai village without benefit of electricity, so I picked up the Sherpa 100 kit for them to recharge their computer, cell phones, camera batteries and provide a little light after sundown. Works great and will make things a lot easier for them! With the color coordinated plugs its really easy to use.

I bought the Sherpa 100 with Nomad 20 panel to power my Macbook Air, Canon 40D, and GoPros when out camping, fishing, offloading. Awesome unit that lets me download/backup my photos to my Macbook Air after a day of taking pictures. I can hook up my Sherpa 100 and it gives me an extra charge for my Macbook Air using the inverter. If only Goal Zero would bring back the Macbook DC charger so I don't have to use the inverter!