Goal Zero Nomad 13 Solar Panel

2018-06-29T20:00:00

Got this and the battery storage pack so I was t having to use a generator or find other means to charge an iPad Air, regular IPad and an iPhone. All three would not take a change. My screen said “not charging” when plugged directly into the solar panel. I tried different cords and still no luck. I tried a Samsung Note 8 and that worked. This product doesn’t like Apple products

Datraveler

Originally posted at

2017-12-13T19:00:00

This is the second Nomad that I've owned. I travel to Africa frequently and am always in need of additional power, esp in the bush with zero grid. While this unit works decently, it did not come with a battery pack, which is kinda stupid. It's fairly ridiculous to imagine plugging your phone into this panel and expecting it to power a Galaxy S8 from no charge. It will not do this, but after buying the $50 Guide 10, it works best. The other design issue is the multiple cords for 12V and Chain. Seems stupid to have this as it adds cost and is worthless. All that is truly needed is a USB and the battery charger plug. I find the other two plugs in the way and might just cut them off for convenience. The blue LED could be positioned better for viewing as well. My first Nomad had issues in that it was very slow, and the hanging hooks all broke off! Overall, it's probably the best portable solar charger for the money, but don't believe the hype on their website, just set your expectations average and you'll be very happy with your purchase.

Frog

Originally posted at

2017-10-27T20:00:00

I have had the Nomad 13 for two and a half years, and now it doesn't put out much current any more. Using a Drok USB tester, the most I could get it to produce was 5.21 volts at 0.34 amps, which multiplies to 1.77 watts. This is after making sure the panel is clean, and pointing it directly at the sun at 12 noon on a clear day in October in Nevada, at an elevation 5,600 feet and with an ambient air temperature of 55 F. The panel spec states that the USB output is 1 amp (5 watt max), but I can only get 1.77 watts from the USB port at the most. I don't understand why.

Bob12

Originally posted at

2017-10-18T20:00:00

Works great for medium size devices! Search is medium size power packs

The G.

Originally posted at

2017-10-07T20:00:00

Bought this with a 140 Yeti charger. Haven't really given it a workout yet but in intital tests it was super easy to set up. Great build quality and it charged fast! Love it.

MarkLaing

Originally posted at

2017-03-31T20:00:00

I have bought a few different goal zero products, what I found is they don't live up to what goal zero says they will do. charging time are longer, and use time is shorter. With that I bought the Sherpa 100. light enough to backpack with, yet should last me a week of charging phones, cameras, and lights

Jimmyq

Originally posted at

2016-06-07T20:00:00

I have used this product extensively since I have received it and it works great. I mostly use it when I am Hiking to keep my cell phone charged, but I also use it to charge the batteries on my DSLR camera.

Tide2016

Originally posted at

2016-06-06T20:00:00

Getting my gear together for this summers llama adventures when I couldn't find my solar bag! I had two Nomad 7s and an array of batteries and chargers...all gone! So I got on the Goal Zero site and found the Nomad 13 for a huge discount...wonderful! I've had it out in the backyard topping off all my batteries...great piece of gear! I had the Nomad 7s on the John Muir Trail for three weeks (btw) and was very happy with their performance. We had a couple of Garmin GPS/Radios along because our party was separated everyday...those are real battery gobblers! Fantastic product!

hollywoodjaxx

Originally posted at

2016-06-05T20:00:00

I bought a Sherpa 50 and 2 Nomad 13s. Everything worked fine for about 14 months. The whole system was pretty much what I had been looking for. Then one of the Nomad 13s failed. That isn't good enough as far as quality goes. At a total price of over $500.00 I expect much more than just 14 months of trouble-free use.

Dave100

Originally posted at

2015-12-20T19:00:00

I wanted something rugged that could randomly charge smaller devices on my frequent trips domestically and overseas. A smaller foldable version of this designed for their speakers and for charging phones worked well but got lost on a trip. So glad to have this again. Very packable and/or hangable. Fingers crossed the voltaic cells are better and charge more efficiently in this version, too.

Kelly G.

Originally posted at

2015-11-15T19:00:00

I bought this for my EBC trek. With the intention of charging my ipad/pod. On a cloudless day at EBC with the sun at its zenith, the panel slowly charged the ipod and flat out refused to charge my ipad or fellow hikers smart phones.

bryans

Originally posted at

2015-04-26T20:00:00

I put the Nomad13 on the outside of my paradliding harness in flight. I have to keep three different flight instruments running on long cross country flights. I used to take big(!) power bars for energy support. The Nomad13 is of much help since it is able to charge multiple devices at once. And sometimes after long flights you end up in the middle of nowhere, where you really really need it. Good for XC-paragliders that the sun always shines when doing the sport ;)

dimml0r

Originally posted at

2015-03-15T20:00:00

need more power in usb only delivery 1amp cant charge a tablet. but the 12v and chain to have more power for a yety configuration is grate.

wanabi

Originally posted at

2015-02-10T19:00:00

I bought this 4 or 5 months ago and I love it! Being able to charge a lot of different devices is nice, you don't have to carry all those extra charging cord with you. you can take a lot of electronics with you, on a trip and you only need 1 charger. I'm going to order the sherpa 50 soon to get full use of solar power! I absolutely love these products!

jman1979

Originally posted at

2015-02-10T19:00:00

I bought this 4 or 5 months ago and I love it! Being able to charge a lot of different devices is nice, you don't have to carry all those extra charging cord with you. you can take a lot of electronics with you, on a trip and you only need 1 charger. I'm going to order the sherpa 50 soon to get full use of solar power! I absolutely love these products!

Jon H.

Originally posted at

2015-01-16T19:00:00

I am not over- joyed with the Nomad 13 that I received as a gift from my daughter. In total, I also have a Sherpa 50 with inverter, a flashlight, lantern, required cables and adapters, and a compatible regulated 12-volt battery charger from Goal Zero. I needed the Sherpa 50 because the panel alone was not a reliable power source for canoe camping (this panel's ability to directly recharge some devices is problematic at times). This panel worked well with the Sherpa 50, but it required a full day in direct sunlight to produce enough power to keep my phone, tablet and flashlight's rechargeable batteries fully charged. I don't think it would keep my laptop fully powered for more than a few hours, and it would take too long to recharge. In all fairness, if you have excellent sunlight and use your electronics sparingly and wisely, you could make do with the Nomad 13 while hiking or canoe camping, but I wanted more. For the price, I believe Goal Zero should be using more efficient solar cells. The monocrystalline solar cells are the not the best. You can research this. Instead of scrapping the Nomad 13 and Sherpa 50, I decided to add a Goal Zero Boulder 15 solar panel (to chain with the Nomad 13) in order to give me enough power for my devices. This seemed to be the best solution, but it also required the purchase of additional cables and adapters from Goal Zero to make everything work together. My daughter also purchased a flashlight, which I discarded after a few weeks, because its rechargeable battery died after one just use and Goal Zero was the ONLY place to buy a replacement battery. I called them for a free replacement and decided it was not worth the effort, so I replaced the light with a different brand using rechargeable batteries. The lantern, purchased from Goal Zero is of dubious quality. It is still working, but I will always carry a good backup light after the flashlight experience. (Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.) I have a lot of money tied up in this system, but once I started with Goal Zero I was reluctantly committed. The system works fine now. The 12 volt charger with two solar panels helps to keep my 12 volt RV trailer battery charged when I am without electric for a few days in the boondocks. I can also charge or operate other 12 volt devices using the regulated charger, which is nice. I like the variety of ports on their devices, and the way you can add additional components, but the downside is the large number of cables and adapters needed. It is the best all around solar powered system that I could find, but I think Goal Zero wins this be default. I always consider quality vs. cost and overall quality of their product rates only fair. Avoid their lights, and use your own with rechargeable batteries. I like to use the Sherpa 50 with my computer by charging it in my car or at home before a car or plane trip.

rock d.

Originally posted at

2015-01-05T19:00:00

this second one got for my friend cant beat the quality keep up the good work

The M.

Originally posted at

2014-09-18T20:00:00

Took the nomad 13 and sherpa 50 out on a back packing trip to charge our phones, camera, MacBook, light a life lantern and I'm very impressed! #con glue holding the fabric to the panels got so hot it melted but the panel held and dried after.

ChrisCraine

Originally posted at

2014-09-08T20:00:00

I brought a Nomad 13 (as well as a Nomad 7 and a Sherpa 50) on with me on a recent trip across western Mongolia. In brief, I was thorougly impressed by the durability, flexibility, and raw power of the panel. Despite falling off the roof of my car at high speeds (multiple times), being accidentally run over by another car, and getting completely covered in dust, sand, and mud, it worked flawlessly throughout—so long as it was oriented toward the sun. I chained it with the Nomad 7 to charge a Sherpa 50 power pack, and also used it to charge some of my smaller USB devices directly (iPod, GoPro, etc). It's definitely an investment, but a worthy one. The Nomad 13 proved to be an invaluable piece of equipment on this trip.

InfiniteCoop

Originally posted at

2014-09-02T20:00:00

We bought this panel with the dual purpose of charging the Lighthouse Lantern for camping, and charging our cell iPhones. While camping it took the lantern from 3 of 4 indicator lights to 4 lights in an hour or two the morning after using it. I hung it on a west-facing window and am able to charge our phones in the later afternoon bright sun of southwestern Ontario. If the sun goes behind a cloud, it will stop charging but I simply unplug and plug it back in. It also charged iPhones beautifully on the road while sitting on the dash of my 2000 Honda van. (I'm not sure if newer vehicles have stronger UV protection on the windows, but with this vehicle in full sun it charged the phones just as quickly as outdoors in full sun.) I would recommend a power pack for use in areas where there isn't direct or consistent sun, but it works beautifully to direct charge in the "banana belt" where I am!

MamaB

Originally posted at

2014-04-25T20:00:00

I bought this so I could bring some tunes into the bush in Canada. Set the panel in the sun while we fished, had music all night around the fire! Light weight so it wasn't a problem getting there, small footprint so it fits in my back pack during transport. Recharged the fillet knife - ate more walleye. Now that's a product!

DannyG

Originally posted at

2014-04-16T20:00:00

I can just leave the panel on the car dash board, it charges very fast.

PFu001

Originally posted at

2014-04-15T20:00:00

I have taken this panel all over the place - off the grid camping - canoeing - dive boat in the Caribbean - and it has functioned flawlessly!

Royal

Originally posted at

2014-04-15T20:00:00

I have used this nomad 13 panel to charge my guide 10 and it does extremely well.

techguy

Originally posted at

2014-01-22T19:00:00

I use my Goal Zero panels for charging batteries during off-grid ethnographic research. I probably should have gone straight to the Nomad 13 instead of getting the Nomad 7 first... it's much better for charging the Guide 10 battery pack. You can also charge other batteries (such as deep cycle solar batteries) with the Guardian 12V Charge Controller. That said, the Nomad 7 is still a convenient workhorse and will get the job done if you need something small. But, if you're deciding between the 7 and 13, just go with the 13 if your budget allows. On the downside, one of the clip rings for hanging the unit broke. It was not properly sewn into the stitching around the edge and pulled out while hanging from the small carabiner (that came with the 7 but not the 13 for some reason). Other than that annoyance, no problems.

Hawiekame e.

Originally posted at

2013-10-10T20:00:00

Several loops on my Nomad panels were not secured very well to panel. Had to apply Gorilla Glue to fix them. Poor quality control.

MSPB

Originally posted at

2013-09-22T20:00:00

It works well for charging small things like primitve cell phones, and camera batteries. But if you are planning on using it with the Yeti 150 as part of a kit, like I bought it for you might as well forget it. The Nomad 13 is under powered to charge up the Yeti from an empty state of bettery life. It takes multiple days to get it back to full. I bought mine in hopes of using it while boondocking in my vintage camper. I use my Yeti 150 primarily to run string lights at night, and the occasional recharging of cell phones and the like. The battery life goes to nill after 1 day. I can't get it back to full before my trip is over using the Nomad 13. If you are buying a solar generator, buy a bigger solar panel to go with it. Maybe the Boulder 30, or the Escape.

vt-spike

Originally posted at

2013-08-24T20:00:00

Can charge ipad or iphone directly from sun. Keep buying Goal Zero products & Never disappointed. Thank You! Look forward to new & more powerful creations. Daniel

Amuenp

Originally posted at

2013-08-16T20:00:00

The nomad 13 is amazing. it can charge up my smart phone just as fast as the wall. The best part about it is that I can charge my gear anywhere as long as there is sun. I bought this plus a cord to chain it to the boulder 15(which we I already own) and together they powered the escape 150 really fast it can be full in day. there was only one problem. The panel has straps all around the side to hang it. 2 of the straps broke not a problem and I'm contacting GZ support about it. overall this panel is efficient, durable and portable.

Solar l.

Originally posted at

2013-08-14T20:00:00

Great solar panel. I am currently putting it to use in the bush areas in Africa and it has become an invaluable piece of kit for me. It has enough flex that I can fit it in places that hard sides panels won't fit, and light enough I can take it away from the base camp. All in all a very good product.

Cara

Originally posted at