A summer camping trip is the perfect excuse to stop staring at screens, but it doesn’t mean you need to go completely off the grid. Jackery’s Explorer 1000 Power Station V2 lets you charge your gadgets and have more fun while you’re camping. For instance, you can plug in a projector, speakers, or a space heater. In other words, it’s great for entertainment and for maintaining a certain quality of life you may not be willing to give up while camping. This charging station, which also includes a SolarSaga 200W Portable Solar Panel, costs $698.99 ($601 off), its lowest price ever at Amazon.
The Explorer 1000 v2 will typically output 1,500 watts, which is enough juice to run a mini fridge, coffee maker, and other small appliances, or recharge a smartphone dozens of times. It can handle 3,000 watt power surges if a gadget draws a lot more energy briefly. The Explorer 1000 has three AC Outlets, two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, and a DC power port, and can power or charge multiple gadgets at the same time. A small screen shows its battery percentage and how much power is being drawn. You can also view that information on your smartphone using the Jackery app.
The Explorer 1000 recharges in under two hours when plugged into an outlet, but you can reduce that time to one hour by enabling its Emergency Charging setting using the Jackery app. Fast charging will sacrifice battery health, which is something to consider. Jackery says the Explorer 1000 can retain up to 70% of its original capacity after 4,000 charges.
The SolarSaga Portable Solar Panel that’s included can refill the generator’s battery in about seven and a half hours with direct sunlight, and you can cut that time in half by connecting a second one. The panel is waterproof, and can be folded up to protect the panels from damage. The panel uses a sensor in the upper-right corner to automatically adjust its positioning to ensure the sun is hitting it at the optimal angle.
