I have had one of the $3 units sitting on my front lawn for a couple of years now. It has provided nice illumination and it obviously would come in handy in an emergency.

I have upgraded to a Goal Zero guide 10 Plus unit, which will allow me to recharge my Eneloops. I have just been playing around with it so far, but it seems workable. I should be able to keep lights and cell phone humming when the grid crashes.

Does anyone have comments or experience with GZ and their products? It looks appropriate for a Luddite like me.