Unlike most of the other solar chargers I’ve used in the past—resembling panels the size of small tablets—I was surprised this Bushnell solar charger arrived in a tube-like case.

I reviewed the charger, the Bushnell PowerSync SolarWrap 400, and am happy to report that despite its odd design, it’s a great buy. 

In regard to the product description, the SolarWrap is lightweight and rolls up into a durable case that can be thrown into your pack. Unlike other solar chargers I’ve used in the past, this one has flexible panels that resemble heavily-laminated pieces of paper. While this may sound like the product could be easily damaged, I actually never had any issues—the unusual design is probably the only thing that is throwing people off. Several of the people I was camping with made comments about the design, mentioning they had never seen a solar charger like it.

But the design of the solar charger was made with purpose. The ability for the wrap to roll up into its case allows for the length of the actual solar panel to be much longer—compared to the SolarWrap 250, the 400 cuts the charge time by two-and-a-half hours. This proved to be a huge plus. There is also a power gauge that allows the user to easily read the battery level of the wrap.

The wrap weighs 10.1 ounces and when deployed, is 29.25 inches long. When the wrap is inside the case, it is about nine inches by two inches. There are caps on both side of the case, with the first covering the micro USB, on/off switch, as well as LED lights that indicate the amount of battery. The other end is where you will plug in the device you want to charge.

I used the SolarWrap for the first time while I was camping. Although it wasn’t a backwoods camping trip, our car was far enough away that no one wanted to trek there simply to charge our phones. Because our campsite was in the shade, we opted to place it on rocks near the river that ran beside our site—a place that had a bit more sunshine, although not a ton. This is where the product description really delivers. It claims to charge even without a lot of sunshine, and it does. The second place I tested the product was during a day of boating at my family’s cottage, where there was plenty of sun. This enabled us to listen to music from our phones for hours, which is something that drains the battery rather quickly if it’s not being charged. 

The SolarWrap 400 battery charges in about six hours via outlet or the sun. As for the charges it gives per device without the wrap itself having to be recharged, it can charge a camera or GPS five times, an MP3 player three times, a smartphone two times, and will provide a 50 percent boost in battery to a tablet.

This is a great product for not only the extreme backpackers, but for daily use as well, such as spending a few hours on the boat or taking a day hike.

Images by Ariel Black