The Goal Zero Nomad 100 battery pack and Nomad 20 Solar Panel form a reliable system to generate electricity anywhere and store it for later use. Touted to be able to charge “all the gear in your kit,” this package product is a high-price, high-power option with USB ports and a “wall-outlet” AC inverter plug. At $600, the product is aimed at pro photographers, explorers, and anyone in need of lots of electricity far off the grid.
I put the combination to a test on a road trip last month and found it effective, although with some limitations. Read the following review for the details.
The Goal Zero Sherpa 100 is a 20-amp battery with an array of ports, including two USB ports for phones and tablets, a 12V port for lights, a port specifically for laptops, and a detachable AC inverter to plug in small electronics that run off AC 110 (like U.S. wall outlets). Note, this inverter will be overpowered by even small appliances, so don’t plan on operating power tools with it.
The power pack can be recharged from a solar panel, a wall outlet, or a 12V car outlet. Color-coded ports make it easy to figure out which plug goes where, an otherwise confusing task with the bundle of cords included.
An easy-to-read power meter shows how much juice is left in the pack in 20% increments. A small LED light is on the front of the pack for illuminating dark spaces.
Goal Zero Sherpa 100 Road Trip Test
We used the Sherpa 100 over a five-day van trip up the California coast. The sun was plentiful, which was nice because most of the spots we chose to pull over for the night didn’t have power.
During the day, we would plug in the solar panel and let the sun go to work. In the evening, the Sherpa provided more than enough power to run an array of LED lights in our camper van.
We also charged laptops, phones, and a Bluetooth speaker from it during the days and evenings and never got the pack to drop below 20% power capacity.
