Our review of the Jackery

First things first, we need to disclose that this was a gifted item! So [Ad-Gifted] now... on to the review!

When we started regularly wild camping and spending weekends off-grid, we quickly realised how much we still rely on power! We love documenting and sharing our trips, but it does drain our appliance battery life, and we often find ourselves digging through bags to find a power bank for overnight charging. Even if Stephen hasn’t ‘misplaced’ it 👀 we still need prioritise what needs charge first… 

Enter Jackery!! We were lucky enough to be gifted a Jackery Explorer 500 Power Station, and the Jackery SolarSaga 100 Solar Panels, which means power is a problem is no more.  We have had our Jackery for a few weeks now, and it has made such a difference to our camping experience (when camping near the car - its not too heavy but we certainly wont be taking it on summit hikes!!) . 

The power station itself has a compact design with a handy carry handle and is super durable. You can also purchase a a waterproof carry case separately but we haven't tested it out.. yet! With 3 USB ports, a 12v car plug and a 230v plug socket, there are plenty ways to charge and we are no longer fighting over who gets first dibs for charging their phone 😂. 

One of our favourite features of the Jackery is that it has a backlit display which shows the power (watts) charging the device, the number of watts being used, as well as the percentage of battery left. We've both been impressed by just how much power the Jackery holds; we were able to inflate a double airbed (electric pumps are a GAME CHANGER), charge 2 phones overnight, connect camping lights for a good few hours, inflate 2 SUPs and still have power left for the next day!

At the time of writing, we certainly haven’t used the solar panels to their full potential. We have been hit with some typical Scottish weather on our recent trips meaning its needed to stay tucked away. However, renewable energy is something that we’re both really trying to incorporate into our van build. Instead of installing permanent solar panels on the roof, we have opted to use only our Jackery portable solar panels when on the road! You'll see much more on this as the van build progresses over the next few months 🙌 

Jackery has made doing what we love just that bit easier, more stress free and it looks awesome doing it! If you’re someone who enjoys spending time outside and wants a greener way to stay charged and connected, picking up a power station could be a smart move. You can read more about whether a Jackery is right for you here