Review: Goal Zero Venture 30 Solar Recharging Kit, & Nomad 7 Plus Solar Panel

A gear review of the Goal Zero Venture 30 Solar Recharging Kit, with the Nomad 7 Plus solar panel.
I have not been paid or been compensated in anyway to make this video. I purchased this here in Canada from Mountain Equipment Co-op for ~$250.00 CDN
Find this product in either of my Amazon Stores
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Where you can find lots of the gear that I use.
Dimensions:
Venture 30
253g or 8.95oz, 11.43cm x 8.25cm x 2.5cm or 4.5" x 3.25" x 1"
Nomad 7
475g or 16.7oz,
16.51cm x 22.22cm x 2.5cm or 6.5" x 8.75" x 1" (folded)
33cm x 22.22cm or 13" x 8.75" (open)
Nomad 7 (without pocket)
379g or 12.7oz
Links to the product on Amazon
amzn.to/2RsnKgJ
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Any opinions expressed in this video are mine and mine alone and are not related to my employer or any other organization or individual. I have not been paid to make this video or to endorse a product. If I am ever paid for an endorsement or provided other compensation I will state it clearly in the video. Any advice or demonstration I provide is just advice. The viewer should take responsibility for their own actions, follow any manufacturers warnings and directions and act safely and responsibly when travelling in the backcountry.

[@jeanniehucko125]

Thank you for your review! I actually owned the 30 and recently bought the 70 and the large solar panels. Watching your video helped me understand how to better use the products.

[@KevinOutdoors]

Hi Jeannie, I am glad it was helpful!

[@TwelfthAvenueCuisine]

Good review, well done! I cleaned out my garage and found a Goal Zero Nomad 20 I received as a gift some years ago. Doing my research Goal Zero and found your review. I hope I thanked the person who gave me the Nomad 20 as a gift. I probably did not realize it's value at the time! :-)

[@KevinOutdoors]

That was a very nice gift! Thanks for sharing.

[@markmatheson603]

I've had one for a few years. I like it too! Its good for a 10day for my needs. DSLR, go pro (X2), GPS/inreach, iphone

[@mike_outdoors4918]

Nice Review there Kevin, honest as always. I love my £40 24000 mAh power bank, with integrated solar panels, it only charges at a max of 3.75w, but it suits my needs. The downside is that if a panel is damaged, I would need to replace the whole thing, which I see is another advantage of your one. Thanks again Kevin. 👍😃

[@KevinOutdoors]

Thanks Mike, Yes there are lots of options out there with pros and cons to every choice. Extra power on a trip is handy!

[@jennyliumorrison]

Awesome review. Just the facts that the consumer needs backed by personal verification.

[@KevinOutdoors]

Thanks Jenny!

[@barlevlev1114]

thanks a lot for your explanations

[@KevinOutdoors]

Welcome!

[@bh1567]

Upgraded from nomad 13 to their 20. Im excited 😁

[@KevinOutdoors]

I may do the same! Happy New Year!

[@robertm4050]

That is a pretty small bank and takes a while to recharge. You could buy a couple of 27,000 mAh battery bank for around $50, which means you could buy 3 of them for the same price as what you have there. That would be the equivalent of more than 10 full charges of your Goal Zero and wouldn't need any sun or optimum conditions to charge your stuff. The GZ stuff is really neat, but the tech isn't quite there yet and it is expensive. I would also bet you could buy another brand battery bank that is much bigger than the GZ one you have and also have it cost less money.

[@KevinOutdoors]

Thanks Robert, yes it is a small bank and on a backpacking trip I certainly would want to minimize the size but still have enough power. I agree completely bringing more batteries has been my strategy for a long time. I am certainly not promoting this as the way to go but merely pointing out the pros and cons of this choice. But your comments give me an idea to do a video about these kind of trade offs, rather than a review of a specific product.

[@robertm4050]

@@KevinOutdoors Excellent. Just was pointing out for anyone who cared. Battery banks have become so cheap and small lately, that unless it is a really long trip solar is more of a hindrance. I wonder if the trade off between lesser weight of solar is even comparable to large capacity and reliability of a battery bank? Just need battery technology to get to the point where we can plug in some 110-120v to it.

[@KevinOutdoors]

On this trip I recharged the bank about 4 times so if I didn't bring a solar panel I would have wanted 4x the size and weight of a battery bank. That is starting to creep above the weight of the solar panel so a trip of 8-10 days, and with heavy power usage is probably where bringing a solar panel starts to make sense. Goal Zero does make some battery banks that deliver 110v. They are large, heavy and expensive but I did consider them as my drone batteries only have two charger options a 110v source or a cigarette lighter. I'll do some calcs on this and will consider a video on the topic.

[@ChrisProuse]

Great video Kevin! Thanks for sharing :)

[@KevinOutdoors]

Nice to hear from you Chris. Love your videos! I hope your young family is doing well.

[@DamianChirek]

🪽🪽🪽🪽🪽🪽🪽🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶 5:38 5:39 5:39

[@KevinOutdoors]

OK

[@anilrazdan2130]

I baught Nomad 7 and Venture 30 together. First of all, the Nomad has very rigid requirements for charging the Venture 30. If it must take 7 - 8 hours of full bright sun to fully charge the Venture, it is like you are chained to it. If you are out camping, you want to go about and do things during the day, and not sit around reading a book or put a fish line in the pond waiting for it to charge. It never worked for me. Secondly, the Blue LEDs on the Venture 30 that show the level of charge, don't work only after a few months of use. Only one blue LED lights up while it is plugged in the power recepticle at home. I kept it on charger for whole night. Still the same. The only thing that functions is the flash light. It is bright and even blinding if you look directly into it. Now, I am not sure if the Blue LEDs are gone bad, or the batteries are not accepting charge. Because, it doesn't show the charge level. I just tossed the thing in pile of things to look at it some day. And it is still there. This was waste of money, very unexciting, and... well... a white elephant. I tried to contact Goal Zero, they didn't even care to return the call.

[@BushtreckBoosh]

Rock solid review, Kevin. I'll definitely be considering this brand when diving into the world of solar charging. Happy Trails

[@KevinOutdoors]

Thanks Bushtreck, I appreciate that!

[@mikeashexperience9602]

Dope Video! Sending blessing your way, Keep inspiring!🎒🙌🏻

[@KevinOutdoors]

Thank you 🙌 much appreciated!

[@whackyscripts6045]

I really enjoyed your review. Thank you

[@KevinOutdoors]

Thanks Whacky Scripts!

[@bon2198]

Great review, however 732 grams is 25.82 ounces not 1.98. I use it for bike packing.

[@KevinOutdoors]

Yes that would seem to be a mistake! Sometimes those happen. I see I got it right in the description.

[@pchsledsllc2210]

Very helpful - thank you!

[@KevinOutdoors]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MichealBacon]

In depth review, fantastic. I notice two similar models on MEC website. One retails for $249.00 and the other $129.00. They both come with external power pack. QUESTION: In your opinion, is the more expensive model worth double the price of the less expensive model? Thanks again for a thorough review, Kevin.

[@KevinOutdoors]

Thanks for the comment and question. I the one I review here is $249.95 at MEC. The only thing I can find for $129.95 is the Nomad 7 solar panel without the battery bank. I am sorry you will need to specify the name and model rather than the price.

[@MichealBacon]

www.mec.ca/en/product/5047-007/Nomad-7-Plus-Solar-Panel?colour=NOC02&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlMODgLv74wIVgobACh1t2QmxEAYYBiABEgLu-PD_BwE#reviews

[@MichealBacon]

The last photo in the MEC link shows the battery bank with the solar charger.

[@KevinOutdoors]

Yes the last photo does show a battery bank but it clearly doesn't come with the battery bank. The second to last photo shows a different battery bank.

[@jasonmcintosh2632]

Nice review!

[@KevinOutdoors]

Thanks Jason!

[@Rillust]

I hike Northern wilderness areas. i'm out 2-4 weeks at a time. How durable is the solar panel? Will it survive life in a hiking pack? Also, The site says it weighs 8.8oz. Is that true?

[@JasperFx]

For battery chargers with the standard two-prong AC plug, this particular power bank wouldn’t work since the only inputs are USB based, right? Do you have any experience charging AC devices with the solar panel? I am guessing I’d have to pair it with one of their beefier power banks, or involve some kind of AC adapter, but still not 100% clear about those use cases...

[@KevinOutdoors]

Good observation Jasper, yes the solar panel only has a USB output and the Goal Zero battery only accepts USB. This is not designed to work with two pronged systems.

[@1967AJB]

First comment! Nice review, I’ve wanted a solar charger for a long time but your’s is the first useful review I’ve seen. If you upgrade it, you could gift that one to me, I’m just sayin’ :) Nice film, have a great weekend sir.

[@KevinOutdoors]

LOL, perhaps if Goal Zero ever gifts me one I would do a 'give away' video. Glad you found this useful.

[@1967AJB]

Kevin Outdoors And you’ll fix it so I win, cheers pal :)

[@earlhayes2969]

Hey Kevin great channel would you have any ideas on low carb dehydrated meals for a canoe trip any help would be greatly appreciated thanks Earl were heading out to Maine in July

[@KevinOutdoors]

Hi Earl, For low carb dehydrated meals I think of, my sausage stew, chili, corn chowder, Moroccan stew, and remember curries don't need to be served on rice. Breakfast is easy with the availability of Ova Easy egg crystals, you can make omelets, eggs and salsa, (ready cook) bacon and eggs. I hope that gives you a few ideas.

[@KevinOutdoors]

Oh, and enjoy Maine. I have been through there several times it is a great place!

[@earlhayes2969]

Ok thanks Kevin that will work

[@acryfortruth4942]

great review man!

[@KevinOutdoors]

Thanks Joseph!

[@steveo7502]

Thanks for the detailed review Kevin. How did you find the micro-USB cord issue? Some reviewers state that the plastic head on the charging cable comes off easily after limited use thus rendering the product useless...

[@KevinOutdoors]

Hi Steveo, I haven't had any difficulty with the cord. It seems to be holding up well. I hope this helps.

[@steveo7502]

@@KevinOutdoors Awesome Kevin. Thanks for the quick reply. Why do you think others may have had problems with that particular part?

[@KevinOutdoors]

I don't know. I took another look at mine and it is holding up well. Could be a defect in a particular batch.

[@markmatheson603]

mine came apart a week after I got it. goal zero sent me a replacement very quickly and its been working for a couple years now. No issues. I have an earlier generation than the one Kevin has

[@BrodyToYou]

What do you suggest for the guy ( like me) who isn’t sold on this model/brand?

[@KevinOutdoors]

Hi Emanuel, it all depends on your needs as there are lots of tradeoffs and there are lots of prands too choose from. I haven't tried many other brands but I have always had good experience with the reviews provided by Outdoor Gear Labs. If Goal Zero isn't your thing I would look there first. You can probably find a brand and style/size that that would suit your needs. Good luck!

[@anhatur]

I have a panel and two batteries from chinese X-Dragon, and as a budget option it certainly works. On the plus side, the combo handles varying (and disappearing) light very well. Among downsides are: * The panel is by no means waterproof. * The battery being able to handle water depends on a lid and a gasket. * It doesn't trickle charge an iPhone (other phones not tested), instead it shuts off when the phone is fully charged. * The buttons on the battery are kind of hard to handle. Still I'm fairly pleased as this setup *does* cost a lot less.

[@BrodyToYou]

Ut På Tur - Out Hiking thank you

[@cubbykovu8955]

nice review :) your microphone is HOT !!!

[@KevinOutdoors]

Indeed it is! Sorry about that.

[@cubbykovu8955]

@@KevinOutdoors oh its oki :) great review thank YOU

[@DamianChirek]

🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄 0:38 0:39

[@KevinOutdoors]

OK