Guide 10 Plus Solar Recharging Kit has mobile devices in mind

We have previously reviewed an iPhone case with a solar charger equipped, but Goal Zero decided to take it a step further by providing me with their Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit.The contents of this kit consist of the Guide 10 Plus battery pack with four AA rechargeable batteries and Nomad 7 solar panel to charge the battery pack. The Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit is the smaller of what Goal Zero has to offer and that is not to say that it lacks the ability to keep you up and running without power, it just means that it keeps your rechargeable AA and AAA (not included) batteries, tablet, e-reader, phone, compact audio devices, and more. I will be reviewing each of the two components of this kit separately, starting with the Guide 10 Plus Recharger, so let’s get to how this tech survivor kit holds up.

The Guide 10 Plus seems like a step backward in terms of portable power, but having the ability to remove the rechargeable batteries in devices that are not rechargeable but require batteries and easy to replace the batteries should they stop holding a charge. What I particularly liked about the Guide 10 Plus was that it was easy to charge without sunlight via the Nomad 7 and once fully charged, you can use the AA batteries in gaming controllers when you are not roughing it, USB output to charge mobile devices, or use the pack as an LED flashlight. It is a bit confusing to tell the remaining power when charging but luckily there is a cheat sheet included on the back of the kit. Lastly, the kit includes an adapter to house house rechargeable AAA batteries should you opt to spend the additional $14.99.

The Nomad 7 is the real stand out piece of the kit, especially when using in Arizona in the summer time as it worked perfectly. When my phone was directly connected to the Nomad 7 solar panels, it started charging immediately and was continuously charging while using my phone and was not losing a charge while doing so. There are loops surrounding the panel to strap to a backpack while hiking or riding and also folds up nicely to take little space in any bag. There is a pocket on the back to store the Guide 10 Plus and cables so the kit is ready on a moment’s notice. When charging while parked, included is a 12v cigarette adapter to use chargers from the solar panel without draining from my car battery.

At first I was pretty apprehensive regarding the Guide 10 Plus Solar Recharging Kit, mainly because I was unaware how effective solar charging technology is and the fact that the Guide 10 recharger stored the power on four rechargeable AA batteries. Being that the kit’s use was in Arizona during summer, it actually outperformed my expectations across the board in terms of size and capabilities. I would absolutely suggest the solar recharging kit to anyone that lives in a sunny climate, being in Arizona, this kit is actually now carried on me at all times, being stored in my truck on the go and in my Camelback pack while riding to make sure my phone, GPS, and GoPro are ready to be charged at a moment’s notice. The Guide 10 Plus Kit is available now for the price of $119.98.

Snow Lizard's SLXtreme allows you to take your iPhone 4/4s virtually anywhere

Snow Lizard is out for blood and that blood would be the title of being the toughest damn case for the iPhone 4/4S. The SLXtreme is the latest in rugged cases  that goes one step further, but before I get to that, this case is  both waterproof and built to take the shock of a fall up to six feet. That little extra is not only a battery that doubles the life between charges but you can also recharge while out and about with the built in solar charger without eliminating the ability to take pictures in the elements, including underwater. Lets see if Snow Lizard's new SLXtreme can handle what I have to throw at it or if I will end up having to take advantage of my insurance replacement program.

The SLXtreme is one solid in case of just about anything polycarbonate case so that you will have no reason to be without your phone or miss a picture due to fear or getting wet or dropping. Sure it is bulky, but my mind was always at ease while my phone was enclosed in this multi purpose outdoor dream. The reason I felt so secure was due to the double-locking latch to seal the phone inside and a screw close latch to keep the charging port dry. Also while afloat, I did not notice a difference or loss in signal like I had with some of the previous cases reviewed, I steadily had strong Wifi signal from the my backyard and was also streaming music via Bluetooth without interruption. Lastly, living in Arizona where there is 300+ days of sunlight, what better feature is there than a solar charger? If out and about, all I had to do is throw it up on the dashboard.

On the other hand it is a bit on the unsightly side with the added bulk, but of course in order to be waterproof and impact resistant. The assortment of colors also make sure that if the size doesn’t draw attention, the urban camo, safety yellow, and signal orange colors scream look at me. Also, the charging port is a bit inconvenient to unscrew and access without a screwdriver handy. A lot of this bulk over other all purpose cases like The Lifeproof comes from having the spare battery and solar charger, so yes there are other smaller waterproof cases, but in order the have the added functionality, size had to be sacrificed.

As an owner of a pool, someone that enjoys the outdoors, and lives where there is no shortage of sunlight, the SLXtreme was a perfect case for me. I always had enough power to use my phone throughout the day and never once did I feel unsure about submerging my phone or using it to take pictures underwater. Sure I was not a fan of the available colors, but because this was not my daily case I did not mind, in fact because mine was the safety yellow color, it was a hell of alot easier to locate my misplaced phone at a glance. Snow Lizard's SLXtreme is available now for the price of $129.99.