Campground Review:

This was my second time at Turnipseed but my first time there in springtime and it is a world of a difference. We got to the site late on Saturday night and made our way down the short dirt road to get to the campground area. When we arrived we realized all of the sites were already taken and there wasn’t really any space around to set up camp. Since we were backpacking the next day we just decided to crash in the trunk of the car and call it a night. It worked out perfectly and there were plenty of spaces to park to make this happen. 

One of the great things about this campground is that it is much more primitive than some of the more RV targeted sites up at cheaha peak. It still has an outhouse and each site has a hook and fire ring but otherwise there aren’t many amenities. You can’t reserve online so you will have to show up early in the busy season to get a spot. On the other hand it is pretty spread out and you won’t be bothered by rangers driving around late at night or big groups of campers getting in your space. 

Overall, I would highly recommend Turnipseed if you don’t want to backpack but want a more primitive site to get away to. It’s only 1.5 bourse from birmingham and a little further from Atlanta but you feel like you are in a different world. 

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Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tried out the Renogy Foldable Powerport Solar Panel. Some of the things I really loved about the solar panel are:

1. Weight: the first thing that struck me when I opened up the solar panel was just how light it was for how many panels and how efficient it is. Weight is a huge concern when backpacking and having an energy source at this size is amazing. Just make sure you are in an area with direct sun cause otherwise it’s not so effective. Also you will need to carry a battery pack with you since there isn’t one built in. 
2. Dual plug: The panel has 2 usb slots for charging and a small Velcro pocket that could hold a phone or battery pack to avoid cables dangling everywhere. The ports are also designed to deliver the power according to the device plugged in and are termed “smart” ports. I found while using it that it struggled to charge two devices at once but this was probably more due to the challenge of finding direct sunlight. However, it still ended up charging one device more than the other if it could pull enough power to at least charge one. 
3. Attachment hooks: This was a crucial design component and I’m glad they included so many attachment options. The panel came with 2 small carabiners that are perfect for attaching to a backpack and there are so many loops on the solar panel that it gives you lots of flexibility in how to attach it. I was able to get mine setup on my backpacking pack so that it had the best upward angle towards the sun. Take a look at the pictures below to get a better idea.