Who on earth could have possibly imagined just 20 years ago how dependent so many of us would be on small battery powered portable devices today? Of course there’s the cell phone but then there’s mp3 players, netbooks, digital cameras, laptops, and the list just goes on and on.

The problem though, is that as we’ve worked all these new devices into our lives we have become totally dependent on the batteries that they contain. With some power gulping devices it’s worse than others but it just seems that all too often the batteries go dead at the most inopportune times.

Of course portable solar chargers have been around for some years now, but it’s only until recently that they have become truly effective. Older types of solar powered battery chargers just didn’t output the same level of power that today’s solar powered chargers do.

Chalk it all up to new developments in thin film solar panel manufacturing technologies that have brought down costs as they have also kicked up the amount of electricity that thin film solar panels produce.

Thin film solar technology is amazing. For instance did you know that scientists envision and are currently working towards developing flexible solar panels that are so thin that you will actually be able to see clearly through them? They’ll go on tomorrows new generation of portable soar chargers.

So then what do you need to know before you head out browsing what’s available today? Well for starters, you need to be aware that along with their small compact size does come some limitations with regards to the size of the gadget they will power up. For instance a cell phone is no problem, but something like a laptop requires a lot more power.

Now be aware that simply because your power requirements are high, if for instance if you’re looking for something for a boat that there isn’t a portable solar charger that can accommodate you. There are in fact several larger units that are available, and Spectra are one brand you may want to check out.

In fact you can even find a thin lightweight unit that you can roll out to use and then roll up when you’re done. Now something like this would be perfect for a boat where you might not want to leave a charger out in bad weather. Simply roll it up, and stow it.

Another thing to be aware of is that standard rigid panels still produce more power square inch per square inch than thin or flexible panels. Now there are portable units that do use standard rigid panels but they tend to be larger and more difficult to store.

Something like this would be perfect for a larger boat or perhaps for taking on photography expeditions because while they aren’t as convenient and flexible, none the less they do produce a lot more power. On a boat or in a remote location, changing weather can introduce time constraints.