The flexible solar roll by Brunton has been around for a little bit; but it's simply too cool not to mention for those who have never seen it.
The beauty of this product is that it's waterproof, light, and rugged enough to take with you anywhere. It has assisted climbers on summit expeditions, kayakers on remote islands, and people (like me) who have a flat tire, no spare, and a dead cell phone. You can even use their $500 model to charge your car battery. That my friends is a benefit that in the worst of times is priceless. This large roll will also power you laptop or satellite phone in the Outback.
Solar Rolls come in two other sizes for smaller appliances, The Solar Roll 9 (12" x 40", 9 watts output, $349) for smaller items, such as digital and video cameras, and the Solar Roll 4.5 (12" x 22", 4.5 watts output, $199) for charging the smallest electronic devices, cell phones. All Solar Rolls have built-in reverse current protection.
So, the application possibilities are pretty endless. I'm a big fan of the thin-film revolution, simply because light-weight accessories for camping or circling the world are in hot demand, and I appreciate backup solutions that do not slow me down. I also like that you can lay this product out and attach it to most anything. As investment and research drives the efficiency of these panels up, we can expect even smaller backup energy sources to accompany us on nature's largest challenges.
Hit Brunton's site for more information.
via Keetsa!