If you’re looking to recharge your electrical devices while away from the power grid, you don’t have many options. You can buy a hand crank, you can bring multiple external batteries, or you can invest in portable solar power. Most hand cranks only produce 5-15 Watts. That means that after an hour of hard work, a hand cranked generator will have produced about as much energy as a portable one-pound solar panel.
For those on longer trips, it’s a fairly obvious solution. If you’re driving to the great outdoors for a few days, a single large panel will provide plenty of power for your needs.