Powerful Efficient & Portable

Off Grid Trek’s 200W unit boasts one of the highest efficiency ratings available on the market (up to 23.5-percent efficient), yet the unit takes up little space. It is very easy to unfold, too, allowing it to be deployed quickly to catch the sun’s rays.

We used the blanket on a recent camping trip. The unit kept our right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Delica’s battery topped off to power our off-road fridge and smart phones in both sunny and overcast conditions. The blanket’s SunPower Gen 2 Maxeon solar cells capture energy while other panels may stop working in lower light situations. Off Grid Trek says this panel will work, even if the unit is 30-percent covered. And while many users place these blankets on their vehicle’s hood, our van doesn’t have a hood, so we hung it from our roof rack using the blanket’s reinforced grommets, which adorn each edge. We used Off Grid Trek’s carabiners to secure it, although most carabiners or a solid bungee cord should work. And yes, our van’s engine (and battery) are beneath our seats.

The solar blanket is manufactured with a durable, waterproof Japanese-made ETFE rubberized coating. This rubberized coating allows for better sunlight absorption, weather resistance in high heat and cold temperatures, is scratch resistant, has better transparency than normal PET, and has a long lifespan—up to 10 plus years. This bodes well for me living in Oregon, since we have a multitude of weather—from bright sunshine during the summer months, to mist, rain, and fog pretty much the rest of the time.

We Oregonians adventure in all sorts of weather, so finding products that work in all conditions is key. Off Grid Trek’s 200W solar blanket does just that. Of course, time will tell if nature’s elements will degrade this blanket, along with years of folding and unfolding the unit. But so far, this product shows no wear and it feels very well built.

When not in use, the 200W blanket, its coordinating solar controller, Anderson connector cables, and carabiners are easy to store. The components fit nicely in a mid-sized travel bag. Although we’re not a huge fan of the army green digital camo; solid black is also listed for sale on their website.

Off Grid Trek’s solar products are waterproof, whereas many others are water resistant. We put the 200W through a water hose test to see if there was any water intrusion; it didn’t have any issues.