Jackery Solar Generator Explorer 500, 518Wh Portable Power Station Mobile Lithium Battery Pack with 1xSolarSaga 100 for RV Road Trip Camping, Outdoor Adventure

I bought this unit just over 2 years ago and it’s still going strong. And I’m a full-time digital nomad with an overland setup. However, knowing what I know now about Solar Generators, I would not have bought it. First off… this is a Lithium battery and as such charges very slowly. 89w is the fastest it charges even with the AC. DC on my 4Runner can get as high as 75w and my 300w solar panel about 74. I’ve since bought a higher capacity (700wh) LiFePo battery that reaches 296w input on AC and my 300w panel and is capable of keeping my portable fridge, Starlink satellite kit, WeBoost, laptop, tablet and phone charged while maintaining capacity. This Explorer 500 unit can keep the fridge going and provide one, maybe two charges for the laptop and not much else. As such, this unit is a backup. Which is very handy for bad weather days or when my LiFePo battery’s input unit failed — this unit has never failed. So that’s a huge plus. Also, my limited experience with Jackery’s Customer Service is very positive. The Solar Saga 100w panel I bought with this failed after 6mos, and after sending them a video demonstrating the problem, the sent a warranty replacement right out the next day. When you’re out on your adventure, having fast and reliable support is critical to keeping you in action. And they were definitely there for me The only other drawback is the — sorry to say — STUPID — “fisher-price” handle. I mean c’mon! Why design the unit to prevent stacking? Two batteries is ideal, you want backup. And this design actively prevents that. However, their higher end batteries have a folding handle like their competitors. And they are also offering LiFePo4, which I highly recommend over Lithium for lifespan as well as the rapid charge which this unit lacks I know I’ve poo-poo’d this item a bit, but it’s still going strong and as a reserve battery that stacks ON TOP of my main battery, so I have no real complaints as evidenced by my 5 star review which it deserves because it’s been rock solid and because I know their support is great So if you have very lightweight power needs and aren’t needing something to keep you going for extended tripe in the outdoors, this item would be ok. But for the price, you can get better value with a LiFePo battery. Hopefully they’ll upgrade the Explorer series since they really are weak sauce compared to what’s out there

It’s a jackery. What else is there to say? Easy to use and carry. Provides for my needs on camping trips. Also good for power outages here at the coast after a storm. Yes I know it’s cheaper to build your own system. My spouse did that. I wanted ease of use for short trips camping or to the beach for a few days. Tent/boat/Truck camper and fishing. I wanted plug and play and portability. I’m an old lady. I can carry this one easily.

Had to save up for this and it is worth it. Holds a charge like no other and lasts a reasonable amount of time, depending on what you're plugging in, of course. Haven't had a chance to try out the solar panel yet, but plan to once I go on my Summer camping trip. I originally wanted the Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus Portable Power Station with 2x 500W Solar Panels and Smart Transfer Switch for camping and emergencies, but the price tag was a bit much for a product and company I wasn't familiar with. So I got this one as a test drive, and I'm glad I did. I definitely plan to save up for the 5000 Plus. The 500 is great too, and I plan to keep it as it's great as a small portable generator. It's not heavy at all and all of the available ports are very convenient and easy to use. The Solar panel is a big bonus as well, I can't wait to try it out this Summer.

Works well and handy to have when my bldg power was damaged. Had minor issues with connecting the solar panel but the company responded, explained and now it works. Capacity is fine for my purposes.

Item was received promptly and the generator itself is VERY securely packaged. Generator was at about 38% charged. Used the plugin, took about 4-5 hours to get to 100%. Two weeks later, still at 100%. I'm using it now for small usages to get down to about 30% then I will use the solar panel to recharge and provide an update on how that goes. The panel itself is smaller/lighter than I thought it would be. Love the magnetic closing and built-in carrying handle. BTW, the cable for connecting the panel to the generator is in the little accessory bag on the back of the panel upon arrival. I was pretty perturbed when I did not see it right away and thought I would have to buy it separately, so thought I would pass that along.

does what it says...keeps my c-pap going all night......make sure to get the solar panel..it works great on our camping trips

Make sure to check the power usage of the products you'd like to use it for. This is a nice unit and the solar power is nice as well, however we had purchased it as it boast about being able to run products such a mini fridge, laptops, and tvs. Which sounds great but are not typical items we would take in our camper. Purcahsed to help us camp in a camper off grid where they did not allow firepits or gas generators for forrest concerns, However small items such a small coffee pot, toaster, griddle, or waffle iron take much more voltage than you'd think and we could not find anything anywhere for cooking equipment that could run off of this solar generator. We missed our return window because we bought it in advance but the customer service was kind enough to work with us and understanding of our situation.

Used to blow up 2 Xmas decorations and lights on my car. Used in Parade. Four hours of use only used 30%.