First off I love it when people add a lot of X’s and “plus'” to the title of a gadget. Lets you know its really something. The Xantrex XPower Powerpack 400 Plus is a pretty handy little device. I feel like a barker at some fair “its got a solar panel, its got an air compressor, it can jump your car, you can run your lap top off it, its got a flashlight, you can use it for camping, step right up, step right up!”

From the website

The compact Xantrex XPower Powerpack 400 Plus is a lifesaver at home and on the road. During a power outage, plug a lamp (using one of our LED light bulbs, of course) into one of its two 120 Volt outlets or use its built-in flashlight. Use it on the road to jump start your car or inflate your tires. Includes 12V output, jumper cables, air compressor, AC and 12 Volt charging adapters.

Now if the “400 plus” model doesn’t meet your solar charging needs, or perhaps you don’t need all them fancy extra features, you just want some portable power, well then consider upgrading to the Xantrex XPower Powerpack 1500 (make sure to say that in your best monster truck show radio voice).

from the website

he Xantrex XPower Powerpack 1500 will bring your computer, monitor, and even a small refrigerator back to life. It even has dual AC outlets so you can run two electronic devices at the same time! The XPower 1500 Portable Powerpack has the same capacity as the biggest available back-up UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for computers, but its flexibility lets you use it for a variety of other needs. This is not a single purpose boat anchor!

With the Powerpack, you can run your computer most of the day without using a penny’s worth of electricity. Paired with a 100-watt solar panel in full sunlight, the Powerpack can supply enough energy to keep a laptop computer running for about 13 hours or a desktop computer running for about 6.5 hours. Without the solar panel a fully charged Powerpack can run your desktop computer for about 5 hours.

Unlike ordinary UPS systems that are too cumbersome to move, the Powerpack has a smart body design that lets you easily attach its handles and roll it from room to room or even over rough terrain to jump start a car. Since the Powerpack is housed within its own portable cart, you can take a significant amount of power anywhere you need it, and without any noise or fumes. Once you’ve got the Powerpack where you want it, just remove the waist-high handle for easy storage until you need it again.

The Xantrex XPower Powerpack 1500 can be recharged by plugging it into a standard wall outlet, or by hooking it up to your car’s cigarette lighter using the included DC charging cable (stowed neatly away in the Powerpack’s accessory storage compartment), or with a 100-watt solar panel (sold separately). The Powerpack features a smart charger, which means that, unlike all other chargers, you can leave it plugged in forever without damaging the power cells.

The main drawback of the 1500 is that you have to buy the solar panel separate. Its more of a portable battery than a solar gadget. I personally could think of many uses for such a solar panel/battery combo. Outdoor events, camping, the possibilities are endless.