I’ve been hearing about Goal Zero products from some time now, both in my work in the outdoor industry and from family members who frequently depart on long mountain biking and hiking trips and are reliant on solar power to stay in touch with civilization.

I was also able to watch several demos of the solar kits the company makes at this year’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City, Utah, where employees working the booth were charging up devices during the Open Air Demo that was held at a marina. The bright sun that day worked to their advantage, so I was curious to see how well the kits would work back in my cloud-prone home state of Michigan.

I was recently sent a Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit for review and, briefly put, it’s no wonder there’s buzz in the industry about these products—I was impressed.

For starters, the Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit includes the Nomad 7 Solar Panel and the Guide 10 Plus Battery Pack. Upon opening the package, I could tell this wasn’t a product I would have to treat with care. Complete with a durable case and seemingly indestructible zippers, I didn’t think twice about jamming it into the bottom of my bag while packing for a weekend camping trip—after it was fully charged, of course.

Because I don’t own a tablet and my e-reader has probably ended up on one of the dusty bookshelves in my house, I tested the solar kit primarily with my iPhone 4S.

Since I was camping during one of the review periods, I relied on the sun. Although the product description states that it only takes two hours to charge in the sun, I noticed that it took between three-and-a-half and five hours to charge fully. I took into account the times where I was either out of direct sunlight or the conditions were not what you would call sunny. For those who are wanting to use the solar kit on trips that are out of the sunlight at times, plan accordingly.

My phone took about two-and-a-half hours to charge, which was fine for me because I was just looking to have at least some battery power. While I tend to ignore my phone during the day while camping—namely because it’s refreshing to not be reliant upon technology, especially while taking some time to enjoy the outdoors—it’s comforting to have a charged smartphone at night.

The second place I tested the solar kit was at my cottage during a day of boating. My family tends to bring along this old wireless radio that rarely establishes a connection for more than 30 seconds, and I knew it was time for an upgrade. I brought along a wireless speaker that utilized the Bluetooth connection from my phone to play music from my iTunes, but knew the battery on my phone would drain quickly because of the constant use.

I used the solar kit to keep my phone charged throughout the day, and we were able to listen to music for more than five hours, with my smartphone gaining battery boosts every half hour or so.

The Guide 10 Plus charges cell phones, smartphones, MP3 players, e-readers, tablets, cameras, headlamps, and GPS devices. The solar kit will give three recharges to a cell phone, two recharges to a smartphone, a 50 percent boost to an e-reader, and a 25 percent boost to a tablet.

For those who want to use the USB and 12V ports simultaneously, the Nomad 7 will split the solar power between the two devices so they’re gaining power at the same time.

“Go-anywhere, rechargeable battery pack keeps your handheld gear going strong. Charge AA/AAA batteries from the sun or any USB port, then power your phone, MP3, GPS, or perk up your tablet in a pinch,” the Goal Zero website stated.

The battery pack has a built-in LED light that lasts for more than 150 hours per charge, and it can charge AA/AAA batteries from both the USB or the sun. The Nomad 7 solar panels charge a cell phone in as little as one to two hours, which is roughly the same as a wall outlet. You can charge devices directly from the USB and 12 Volt DC charging ports.

Check out the video below of the Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit in use.