At the recent Summer Outdoor Retailer show in Utah, one of the growing sectors in outdoor gear was for solar chargers. Travel off the grid these days means being frugal and inventive with power, especially for multi-day trips.

So, how do you keep your gear powered up in the middle of nowhere? I used to be able to shoot 35mm cameras even if the battery was dead, because all it powered was the meter, but no more. With electronic digital cameras, it's: no power, no worky.

I've sweated power more than once in the Grand Canyon on multi-week trips, and even chatted up some scientists while I "borrowed" a cup of electricity from their generators. Eventually my AA battery pack for my Nikons, and portable power banks, helped. But now there are phones, GoPros, and other video cameras that all need juice if I'm going to do my job.

So, I've been looking for a solution, and for the past few months I've been testing out the new Apollo 6 Endless Solar charger, by Sun Solar. It travelled by backpack into the Uinta Mountains, on a canoe trip down the North Platte River in Colorado, and more recently out to the Channel Islands National Park off the California coast. By hooking it to a power pack in the sun, I was able to confidently shoot all day and come back to camp to recharge.

I was also impressed with this unit's design in a number of ways.

* First off, it's very small, just 8" x 5.5" folded (20" x 8" unfolded), weighs less than 9 ounces, and is less than an inch thick.

* Secondly, the solar panels are flexible and waterproof, sealed into a rubberized canvas, which folds up with snaps. It's not fragile since there is no glass, and it is very durable.

* Third, it's powered with CIGS (copper indium gallium di-selenide) solar cells, which work well in shade and low light situations (such as in the shade of that one Eucalyptus), and supposedly puts out 20 percent more power than similar-sized panels, and is rated at 6 watts.

* Finally, the operation is simple. There's a USB plug on the back; just plug and play.

I did modify my panel with four Velcro patches so I could attach it to my backpack while I walked, charging the portable power pack I carry, and another larger patch to hold on to whatever I'm charging.

The solar charger I've been using comes in a tan Digi-cam pattern, so make sure you don't leave it behind somewhere. But if you do, it costs less than $100, and you can find them here.