The sherpa option at 3.8 lbs sounds reasonable but would be interested in something lighter yet comparable if it exists.
I was looking at the Brunton Impel and some other options at REI, Backcountry, etc., but it seemed like the reviews were very mixed. That led me to the board to see if anyone could recommend a specific brand...
Brunton makes similar stuff - these two guys clearly are happy with their products, and it's a cool video to watch (I found this a few weeks ago linked from a Sierra video by the same author):
The Edge of the Earth - DOCUMENTARY from Eric Dennis on Vimeo.
My own experience with Brunton is limited to their flexible roll-up solar panel, and even though it "worked" it was completely useless - it took 5 hours to fully charge two AA batteries, and we're talking a 1x4 foot panel for $400 list price. I switched to AA-powered gear and started carrying disposable lithium AA batteries instead, saving over a pound in gear and actually gaining battery life on stretches up to 8 days. In a place like Alaska, that may not be enough, but I wouldn't carry a big HD camcorder there, either.
The first
review I found online on Brunton portable power was similarly negative:
Look at the entire power selection at Backcountry -
http://www.backcountry.com/batteries-and-solar-power and note that GoalZero is getting the thumbs up.
If weight wasn't an issue, DIY solutions with lead acid batteries are extremely powerful and much cheaper. You can get a lot of car battery or sealed lead acid batteries for the money they want for one of these rugged units. I've built audio gear based on sealed lead acid batteries and there's a lot of power in those for pretty low cost.
