Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

10,000 Amazon Shoppers Love This Solar Generator, and Here’s Why

Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240 out in the wild.
Jackery

Portable power packs, like the kind you can plug your phone or tablet into, are a must-have item when you’re traveling. You may not always be able to get to an outlet right away to charge your device, which could be bad news. But with a power pack, you can quickly charge your device on the go from anywhere. When you’re able to get to an outlet, you can recharge the power pack and everything else you need. It’s a useful setup, and it has a multitude of great applications when you’re camping or traveling, during power outages, and much more.

Now, what if you could take one of those devices and make it much, much bigger to power a bunch of gadgets, appliances, and, well, just about anything you’d need? That’s the idea behind the Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240, which is perfect for use outdoors when traveling, exploring, or hunting. You can even hook up a Jackery SolarSaga 60 solar panel to charge it via solar energy. You can check out the Explorer 240 power station right now via Amazon, or keep reading to learn a little more. This thing just may change your life, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors or away from home.

How Will the Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240 Improve My Trips?

Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240 product image on white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A big question anyone might have after learning about the Jackery Explorer 240 is what can it do for you? How can it help the average person? Jackery’s largest unit, the Explorer 500, is excellent for car-based camping and road trips. It’s also great for charging devices when you’re outdoors or out in the wilderness and unable to get to an outlet. Those are some of the more obvious uses, however. Because of how portable this unit is, the potential is nearly limitless. You could take it to music festivals, or use it as a power source for outdoor events, small venues, neighborhood gatherings and cookouts, and much, much more. Try to think outside the box.

It’s a 240Wh, lithium-based backup power system. That means that after the Explorer 240 is charged, you can plug a plethora of electronics, gadgets, and devices into one of its available ports and either power them directly or charge up their batteries. It weighs just 6.6 pounds, so while it is bulky, it’s not too burdensome to bring along on trips, and it has a built-in carrying handle. Plus, there are a bunch of different ports built-in, including an AC outlet, two USBs, and a DC outlet. The Pure Sine Wave AC outlet delivers 110 volts, and 200 watts, with a 400-watt peak. The two USB ports are 5 volts or 2.4 amp-ready. Finally, the DC port delivers 12 volts to power most road trip essentials. If you’re not sure what those numbers mean, it explains what kinds of devices and systems can be powered by the unit, and most consumer electronics, travel gear, and road trip tech fall into its compatibility range. Devices over 200 watts are not compatible, however, like blenders, electric grills, refrigerators, and microwaves.

You can recharge this beast either with a compatible solar panel or by plugging it into an available outlet. You can also plug it into a vehicle outlet (DC). It does have a built-in MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) charge controller. It converts DC power to a lower-voltage DC power that’s safe for charging and powering devices, and it’s needed when charging via solar panels.

It offers battery and power management protection well beyond many comparable systems:

  • Overcurrent
  • Short current
  • Over-discharge
  • Overcharge
  • Overvoltage
  • Thermal

The Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240 is like carrying a much more capable and larger power pack for all your devices and electronics. You can choose bigger-sized power stations, which are useful on the go or at home during an outage. Amazon generally offers some of the best deals on Jackery systems, with free shipping and free returns.

Editors' Recommendations

Briley Kenney
Senior SEO Copywriter
Briley has been writing about consumer electronics and technology for over a decade. When he's not writing about deals for…
The ultimate ski gift guide for anyone who loves powder days
Santa Claus on skis in front of a Christmas Tree background

It’s about that time of year again, The Season of Giving. Gift-giving has, without failure, been an Achilles Heel of mine, mainly because I procrastinate -- just waiting around for the gift of all gifts to just plop right down before my eyes. It’s never happened, and I don’t think it ever will.

What follows is hours of Googling and awkwardly vague phone calls with friends and family about their hobbies and interests that sound a little like, “Hey, Dad! You still doing [insert interest or hobby]?” This process usually culminates in a rushed gift-buying process that can be super hit-or-miss.

Read more
Après ski is cool, but the Swedish tradition of fika might be cooler: Here’s why
Apres ski and fika, a match made in heaven
Coffee cups cheers-ing

We all love the occasional après ski. The feeling of unclipping the boots, ripping off your helmet, and taking a deep exhale next to a roaring fire as you wait on a refreshing beer is unparalleled. It’s as much a time to relax and unwind as it is to catch up with buds that you may not have seen in a grip.

But what if I told you the Swedes have been brewing a tradition with similar vibes as après ski for the greater part of 100 years? Only, not for the slopes, but for the workplace. Keep reading to learn about the fika meaning.

Read more
Video: Skier nearly collides with black bear at Heavenly Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe
Who knew black bears were a skiing hazard?
Brown bear in snow

Whether you're a beginner or an expert, there are a couple of golden rules when it comes to skiing and snowboarding: Don’t traverse across a busy trail and make sure whoever is downhill from you is given ample space and right of way. Well, this bear at Heavenly Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe might not be getting back on the slopes anytime soon.

Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly Ski Resort covers a whopping 4,800 square acres – one of the largest ski resorts in the Sierra Mountain Range. And as big as an area that is, the odds of running into a black bear on the slopes are relatively low, let alone one chasing after you.

Read more