Product Review: SunJack 14W+8000mAh Battery

It never fails. Every time we go camping, within a day or two our cell phones are dead, and we find ourselves running the car engine or driving around aimlessly so we can charge our phones. As much as we enjoy a break from technology, we still want to be able to check in with the dog sitter or look up directions to a trailhead, and you can’t do that with a dead phone. And it’s not just cell phones you might want to charge on your adventures – many of us carry GPS units and personal locator beacons on the trail these days, and they won’t do you any good if they run out of juice. Enter the SunJack 14W+8000mAh Battery solar charger.

The Sunjack is a comprehensive system that comes with a solar panel, battery pack, and two fast-charge USB cables. Everything is contained in one durable unit for ease of portability. The solar panels fold up into a self-contained, book-sized case, and the attached mesh pocket holds the battery pack and cables. I love how simple but effective the case is, keeping everything together but easily accessible.

To use the Sunjack, you unfold the solar panels and place in direct sunlight. Inside the mesh pocket, you connect the battery pack or your USB device to the solar panels via the built in USB ports and wait while the magic of the sun charges your gear. In full sunlight, the battery pack will fully charge in 5 hours.

You can charge your devices directly from the panel, or if the sun isn’t out, use the battery to charge your device, then recharge the battery when conditions improve. You can also charge the battery pack via a wall charger before you head out, so you’ll have plenty of options for power once you’re on the trail. 14 watts means your gear will charge quickly, even in less than ideal sunlight.

The Sunjack 14W+8000mAh Battery holds enough of a charge to power 4 cell phones or 1 tablet on a single charge. It weighs in at just over 2 lbs, which might be a bit much for a long backpacking trip, but is perfect for car camping or shorter excursions. Sunjack has other models available with more or less power capacity and weights, depending on your needs.

If you don’t want to sit around camp all day waiting for your equipment to charge, you can use the two provided carabiners to attach the panel to your pack and charge as you hike. The case has numerous loops so you can play around with the configuration and find what’s most comfortable for you. I found the addition of a third carabiner at the top helped to keep the panels from hanging too low on my day pack, and once it was on I pretty much forgot it was there.

And like all good camping gear, the Sunjack 14W+8000mAh Battery doubles as a great emergency preparedness tool. Being able to easily charge your cell phone, rechargeable flashlights, or any other electronic device is a huge boon when the power goes out for prolonged periods.

If you’re looking for a convenient and reliable solar charging option, the Sunjack 14W+8000mAh Battery is a powerful, well-designed solution for keeping your electronics charged no matter where you are.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Sunjack 14W+8000mAh Battery for free from GigaWatt Inc. in consideration for a gear review

This Week in San Diego Hiking – January 2, 2017

Photo: The Boulder Loop Trail at Daley Ranch

Happy New Year, Hikers! Welcome to 2017. I do believe we are experiencing that thing the rest of the country calls “winter.” Looks like today might be wet but hopefully after that it will clear up for a couple of days. There’s snow in the mountains if you’re looking for the real winter experience. Where ever you’re headed, check the forecast before you go.

We have a fee-free day in the National Forests and National Parks this month, on January 16th for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Hopefully you get the day off and can take advantage of the free day by heading to Cabrillo National Monument or one of the many trails in the Cleveland National Forest.

Next Sunday, head on out to Agua Caliente County Park for a hike along the Marsh Trail. Meet Naturalist Birgit Knorr at the Ranger Station for a leisurely hike at Agua Caliente County Park. Discover the plants and animals that thrive in this desert oasis. Hikers will learn how the hot summer and rainy winter seasons impact the park and all of its inhabitants. Visit the San Diego County Parks and Recreation Program Guide for more information, or visit our Events Page to find even more upcoming hikes and events.

Here’s the latest outdoor and fitness deals from Amazon:

Have a good week!

Photo: Lopez Canyon

Rim Trail (Mission Trails Regional Park)

The western side of Mission Trails Regional Park contains an elaborate network of trails and utility roads that can be fashioned into any number of routes with varying amounts of elevation gain. You can explore low-lying valleys and river crossings or climb to hill tops to enjoy the views. This hike along the Rim Trail provides some great views of all 5 Mission Trail Peaks and the Suycott Valley below, as well as downtown San Diego in the west. Continue reading Rim Trail (Mission Trails Regional Park)

This Week in San Diego Hiking – December 26, 2016

Photo: The PCT in Mount Laguna

Hello Hikers!

I hope everyone had a Joyous Festivus, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and nice weekend! It looks like we should have some pretty decent weather for the next few days, so you can break in all the new gear Santa brought you.

Next Sunday you can kick off the New Year with one of several First Day Hikes! Hikes are happening at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, South Carlsbad State Beach, Torrey Pines State Natural Preserve, and the Tijuana Estuary. Visit the California State Department of Parks and Recreation web site for more information (scroll down to San Diego County).

Last week the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to purchase 118 acres of property which will be part of the future San Luis Rey River Park.

Here’s the latest outdoor and fitness deals from Amazon:

Have a good week and a Happy New Year!

Photo: Santa Ysabel East Preserve

This Week in San Diego Hiking – December 19, 2016

Photo: Sunrise from Cowles Mountain

Hello Hikers!

I know it’s winter in San Diego when I have to shut all the windows in the house. It looks like the cool and clear weather should persist for a little while, so make sure you layer up before heading out!

This Wednesday, December 21, is Winter Solstice! Ditch work, get up early, and join the San Diego Natural History Museum Canyoneers for their annual sunrise solstice hike on Cowles Mountain. Ascend Cowles Mountain in near-darkness to watch the sunrise on the first day of winter. The viewing spot is a Kumeyaay solstice observatory, about halfway up the mountain. Bring a flashlight with a a red lens cover. This is a difficult 3 mile hike with an elevation gain/loss of up to 1000 feet. Check out our write-up from a couple of years ago to see what you can expect. For more information, visit the Canyoneers’ web site, or check out our Events Page to find even more upcoming hikes and events.

You may remember a story from last summer about a California State Parks proposal to limit off-trail use in certain sensitive areas of Parks. Many users and groups felt the proposal was overly broad and restrictive and did not allow individual parks to decide where off-trail access should or should not be allowed. California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has revised their proposal and has initiated a new comment period from December 7, 2016 – January 18, 2017. The new proposal verbiage seems to make it clearer that individual parks will have the authority to decide if and where to implement restrictions. Visit the DPR Notice of Proposed Rulemaking web page to view the revised text and find details on how to submit your comments.

If you still need to do some shopping for your hiker, remember Amazon Prime members get unlimited, free 2-day shipping. You can get a FREE 30-day trial for Amazon Prime, and have everything in time for Christmas morning. Here’s the latest outdoor and fitness deals from Amazon to fill those stockings:

Happy Holidays!

Photo: Sunrise Trail/Big Laguna Loop

Tooth Rock via Rattlesnake Canyon

Poway is home to many of San Diego’s popular hiking areas. In between the very busy Iron Mountain and local favorite Twin Peaks lies the rather distinctive Tooth Rock. Named for obvious reasons, this bicuspid-like monolith sits perched upon a small peak overlooking Rattlesnake Canyon. Continue reading Tooth Rock via Rattlesnake Canyon

This Week in San Diego Hiking – December 12, 2016

Photo: The Way Up Trail at Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve

Hello Hikers!

We’ve had some lovely hiking weather for the past few days, hopefully you’ve been able to enjoy it. Right now the forecast is calling for a few more days of awesome, but rain appears to be on the way starting Thursday. As always, keep your eye on the weather reports if you’re heading out.

Next Saturday, join the San Diego Natural History Museum Canyoneers as they hike Font’s and Inspiration Points in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Hike crosscountry along ancient lakeshores and plains that hint at life a million years ago. Climb to Burk’s Knoll in the midst of the badlands, then traverse the rim of Mammoth Cove to end at the sweeping vista into forever from Font’s Point. This is an intermediate 6 mile hike with an elevation gain/loss of up to 500 feet. Visit the Canyoneers’ web site for more information, or visit our Events Page for even more upcoming hikes and events.

If you’re interested in volunteering to improve trail in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, next Sunday, December 17th, there will be a work day from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Free camping is available for volunteers Friday – Sunday. Go to the Park Champions web page to sign up to volunteer and camp.

The San Diego Union Tribune has an interesting commentary about how the San Diego County Board of Supervisors is considering changing the County’s General Plan to allow smaller lot sizes for private property within the Cleveland National Forest. Smaller lot sizes encourage development and can negatively impact the local floral and fauna by disrupting otherwise contiguous habitat.

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Have a good week!

Photo: Blue Sky Ecological Reserve

Sunset Trail/Big Laguna Loop


The Meadows Information Kiosk trailhead in Mount Laguna is the starting point for a number of great hikes. It’s an easy access point for the many interconnecting spurs of the Big Laguna Trail, so it’s highly popular with hikers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers. It’s also the starting point for the somewhat quieter Sunset Trail, a hiker-only trail that travels through dense forest and along some ridges, which as the name implies, provide some lovely west-facing views well-suited for watching sunset. Continue reading Sunset Trail/Big Laguna Loop

This Week in San Diego Hiking – December 5, 2016

2016BlkMtn_DSC5642-EditPhoto: Black Mountain via the Miner’s Ridge Loop

Hello Hikers!

It’s been some great hiking weather, so I hope everyone’s been taking advantage of it. Looks like we might have some clouds and a little drizzle early in the week, but things should be back to perfect by midweek.

Next Sunday head on over to the West Sycamore portion of Mission Trails Regional Park for a West Sycamore Nature Walk. Join Ranger Andrew Miller at 8 a.m. at the Goodan Ranch Staging Area (located at the very east end of Sycamore Canyon Road at 16281) in Poway (zipcode 92064) for a 90-minute guided nature walk. He will focus on the plant communities commonly found at West Sycamore. Please be sure to bring bottled water and wear comfortable shoes and sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen). Rain cancels. Visit the Mission Trails Events Calendar for more information, or check out our Events Page for even more upcoming hikes and events.

Two meteor showers will be lighting up the night sky over the next few weeks. Beginning December 4th, the Geminids Meteor Shower will peak around the 13th and 14th, and should last until around the 16th. The Ursid Meteor Shower should peak around the 21st and 22nd. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park with its dark skies should offer some of the best viewing.

Here’s the latest outdoor and fitness deals from Amazon:

Have a good week!

2016lake-hodgesdsc_0119-pano-editPhoto: Lake Hodges

Hiking trails in and around San Diego County