Question about solar

That solar module has an ETFE (Tefzel) front surface. Tefzel is a polymer (plastic). That is what makes it light and flexible. But it also makes it susceptible to breakage, moisture intrusion, etc. The solar cells inside are easily broken and are moisture sensitive.

So if you absolutely must have the lightest thing and aren't concerned about long life, go ahead. Just don't expect it to last very long.

But if you want a product that will last a long time then get one with a glass front and an aluminum frame. That is the well proven solar industry standard. Glass solar modules are designed to last 25-30 years or more, and many have been operating much longer than that.

It will be heavier but it's not like you're carrying it around a lot. You'll set it up when you make camp and take it down when you leave. Also consider that you want to tilt the module so it faces south. You will need to tie or weight down the plastic front module or it will blow over in a light breeze. The glass one will stay up (but you'll still want to lay it flat if you're expecting higher winds).

Yes, you will need a charge controller so you don't overcharge your battery(ies). You will see that there are two types, PWM and MPPT. Both types regulate how high the voltage on the battery can get.

PWM stands for pulse width modulation which means that the controller is rapidly connecting and disconnecting the solar module from the battery to maintain the proper battery voltage.

MPPT stands for max power point tracking which means that the controller is also independently varying the voltage the solar module sees in order to keep the module producing as much power as possible.
For the controller to make that adjustment the solar module has to run at a higher operating voltage than the battery does. And MPPT controllers are more complex and expensive than PWM ones.

So for a simple 100 watt or so solar system I recommend getting a PWM controller. The small amount of extra energy you'd get from an MPPT controller isn't really worth the extra cost and complexity.

If you stick with a glass solar module not much can go wrong. There are a lot more problems with low quality charge controllers, like there are with any other cheap electronic item. So I recommend getting a good quality controller from a reputable company. My personal favorites are Morningstar and Victron (not saying that there aren't other good ones out there).

+1 on the Renogy solar suitcase.

We scored a GoPower 130W suitcase kit from Craigslist. Works great but new they are pricey. We skip the whole solar plug drama and just clip to the battery bank. 

I have the ECO-WORTHY kit shown above.  It works nicely and is quite compact.  I keep it in a medium garbage can for emergencies, with other electronics.