If you've spent any time touring around Australia, you've probably realised one thing pretty quickly – keeping your gear charged in the middle of nowhere is a real challenge. Your phone's running flat, the fridge is struggling, and you're miles from the nearest power outlet. Sound familiar?
Here's the good news: Australia gets more sunshine than just about anywhere on the planet. According to Geoscience Australia, we cop an average of 58 million petajoules of solar radiation each year – that's about 10,000 times our total energy consumption. Might as well put all that sunshine to good use, right?
Look, if you're only heading out for a night or two and you're just charging a phone, you can probably get by with a decent power bank. But if you're doing extended trips around Australia, you're likely running a 12V fridge, LED lights, maybe a CPAP machine, charging cameras, tablets, and keeping the mobile topped up for those areas with dodgy reception.
Without solar, you're either running the car engine constantly (expensive and annoying), swapping out batteries every few days (heavy and wasteful), or limiting your off-grid time to a weekend before you need to find a powered site. Solar panels give you genuine freedom to camp where you want, for as long as you want.
And here's the thing – modern camping solar panels are lighter, more efficient, and tougher than ever. They're built to handle corrugated roads, dust storms, and the occasional wallaby jumping over your campsite at 3 am.
These are your traditional panels – aluminium frame, glass front, mounted permanently on your roof. If you've got a caravan, camper trailer, or roof racks on the 4WD, rigid panels are an excellent option.
Brands like iTechWorld solar panels and Renogy solar panels offer quality rigid options designed for Australian conditions. You're looking at around 100-200W panels for most caravan roofs.
Camping solar blankets are game-changers for anyone who wants to keep things simple and light. They fold up compactly, pack into a carry bag, and you can place them wherever the sun's shining brightest. They’re great options for tent campers or those without permanent setups
A decent 120-160W solar blanket will keep most weekend setups running well. Pack it away properly before you head off on dirt roads, and it'll last you years.
The middle ground between rigid and blankets. Portable solar panels come in sturdy folding cases with built-in stands, handles, and often built-in charge controllers. These are excellent for anyone doing regular trips in a camper trailer or setting up base camps for extended stays.
|
Type |
Rigid Solar Panels |
Solar Blankets |
|
|
Installation |
Permanent installation needed (drilling, mounting, wiring) |
No installation required – unpack and plug in |
|
|
Efficiency |
Most efficient power generation per square metre |
Slightly less efficient than rigid panels (though the gap's closing) |
Many include USB ports for direct device charging |
|
Durability |
Extremely durable – designed to handle hail, branches, and decades of UV exposure |
Can be damaged if you're not careful when packing them |
Solid construction with protective cases |
|
Price |
Better value per watt if you're buying bigger systems |
Generally more expensive per watt than rigid panels |
Usually pricier than both other options |
|
Weight |
Heavy – not ideal if you're watching your payload |
Lightweight and compact – easy to store in the boot |
Heavier than blankets, lighter than rigid panels |
|
Flexibility |
Can't angle them to chase the sun throughout the day |
Easy to angle towards the sun for maximum output |
Limited angles compared to blankets |
Here's where it gets practical. Most Australian campers running a typical setup (12V fridge/freezer, LED lights, phone/camera charging, maybe a laptop), will pull somewhere between 30-50 amp hours per day.
A 150W panel in decent sunshine generates roughly 7-8 amps per hour. Over a good 5-6 hours of productive sun, that's 35-48 amp hours back into your battery. Perfect match.
Remember, you'll also need a decent deep-cycle battery, a solar regulator (charge controller), and proper wiring. If you're running 240V appliances, you'll need camping inverters as well.
Not all solar panels are created equal, especially when you're dealing with 45-degree days in the Pilbara or dust storms in the Simpson Desert.
Look for panels with:
iTechWorld and Renogy both design their gear specifically for our conditions. They understand that your panels might face red dust, tropical downpours, and scorching heat all in the same week.
If you're doing any of these, solar panels aren't a luxury – they're essential:
Sure, you could run a generator, but they're noisy, need fuel, require maintenance, and most free camps don't allow them anyway. Solar is silent, free after the initial investment, and lets you camp in peace.
Australia's sunshine is perfect for solar camping. Whether you mount rigid panels on the van roof, grab a portable solar blanket for flexibility, or invest in a folding panel setup, you're tapping into free, unlimited power that'll keep you off-grid for as long as you want.
The upfront cost might be significant, but after a few trips, you'll wonder how you ever managed without solar. Freedom to camp anywhere, anytime, with cold beer in the fridge and your phone charged – that's what it's all about.
Ready to sort out your solar setup? Check out the range at Outback SafeTrack – we’ve got everything from camping solar blankets to complete systems with all the components you need. No more hunting for powered sites or running the car engine all afternoon. Just pure off-grid freedom under the Australian sun.
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