The consensus is pretty much universal: unless youre using lithium batts, your batteries are going to crap the bed and cost you your device.
Ii mention this because I just had to take two sets of slip-joint pliers to open the tailcap on a mini MagLite and you can imagine what the inside looked like. Fortunately, mini Maglites are not terribly expensive. But what if it was my GPS? Or my pocket radio? Or some other piece of expensive gear?
A while back I actually managed to catch a battery disintegration in progress.
It seems pretty clear that some sort of inspection is going to need to be performed on a somewhat regular basis for these items that have batteries left in them long-term. But, it also means I need to come up with a way to keep batteries at hand for when I don’t want to store them in the devices. Lets take the Siege lanterns that pretty much every one of you bought a few week back. Those take three D-batts. If I’m not going to keep them in the light, then i need to keep them nearby and I need to keep them protected. (And isolated from each other.) Tall order. Best thing I’ve seen thus far is this. Doesn’t seem to offer much elemental protection though. What I’d really like is something like this, but sized for D-batts. Is there such a thing? Dunno. I suppose the PVC minded might be able to create some sort of ‘cigar tube’ that holds three D-batts but I’d prefer a ready-made solution. In the meantime, while I quest for such a thing, I’m thinking a quarterly inspection schedule is going to have to be instituted..which means I need inspection tags for the devices. More work.But…whats it worth to have your gear work when you need it, right?
A quick addition to Evernote and I’ve got a checklist and a reminder to check batteries quarterly in..uhm..lets see….15 different devices. We’ll see if this reduces the incidence of destroyed Maglites.
I’ve had brand new batteries fail still in the package…
Duracell has in the past replaced things destroyed by their batteries if the failure is within the warranty date on the side of the battery. Can be a good reason to buy name brand instead of the cheapies.
Duracell is one of the worst offenders when it comes to batteries self-destructing well before the date marked on the cell.
Their “warranty” is a joke. They’re as likely to blow you off as replace gear or issue compensation for your loss.
had the same costly problem til i switched to eneloop batteries. no more corrosion losses. i only leave batts in items i use regularly these days though. use the gp tiny pelican cases to store batts in the field. missed the seige sale, sadly, but i had one of each already.
I thought i’d used up all my alkaline batteries. Learned the hard way a couple of weeks back that I had not. Thankfully, the light the batteries were in was salvageable.
Put batts in a zip lock baggie, and tape bag to device…..
I use the trusty foodsaver. No bulk, light, keeps them insulated, dry, and easy to visually inspect without opening them.
If I’m not carrying the device, I take the batteries out, put them in a ziplock bag, and tape it to the device. The lithium iron batteries haven’t leaked for me yet, but no need to take a chance.
Unless it’s one of the three constant use lights in the house (large, med, small MagLights) I keep the other lighting standbys with batteries separate in plastic Ziplocks (actually in them if small enough) taped to each. The rest of my bats are kept in a fridge at 40 F.
Have only had one leaker in the last couple years and that was in an overlooked lantern in the garage. Alkalines are far better than the wet cells we had to deal with years ago in the mil (went through a bunch of pairs of cammies while tending those in the battery shed) but I try to buy lithiums when I can afford em.
Best regards
You can salvage that light by taking off the tail and lens and immersing it in a container of water. Whatever the newish contents of Duracell batts actually is, the crystal looking puke will sort of shrink enough to get the carcass out after it soaks for a day or so.
Good luck with the schedule. This crap can go bad overnight. Even their 9v batts go bad, and ALL the content gets extruded into your electronic item. This seems to be due to the construction of the case/base. That separate base plate appears to be something like fibreboard.
Ben C:
Good luck getting Duracell to replace anything now. I have seen many comments on the web that they no longer honor any coverage for items that their batteries damage. My guess is that they changed the battery chemical soup to deal with inflation during the Obama days. Took the best battery reputation and destroyed it. Unfortunately, the bean-counters can’t quantify the cost of ruining a reputation. Doesn’t compute.
You could always get a couple of these…
https://www.amazon.com/Storacell-Powerpax-SlimLine-Military-Batteries/dp/B01MU1VAY5?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_9038876011
They can be carried inside the pack in one of the pockets.
For cr123 I use Surefire or Panasonic…AA and AAA = Energizer Lithium…I try out other brands of cr123 every once in a while but always circle back to the 2 mentioned above…
No more Duracell for us, even though COSTCO always has them on sale. I have had more battery leakage with those damned things this year. Lithium only from now on.
Since I have quite a few “ready lights” in position (3-D Maglites in wall brackets adjacent to each exterior door and each bedroom door, 4 Seiges in strategic locations) I decided battery replacement on a 6-month schedule, assisted by subscribe-and-save, was prudent. Each alkaline battery-using device has a small sticker with a number from 1-6 on it; January and July are 1s and months count up to 6 from there. While – so far- there have been no problems with 6-month-old batteries, new batteries go in numbered devices monthly, the removed batts are saved to use as emergency spares and then donated when 1 year old.
If a battery-using device isn’t in use it is stored with no batteries and labeled as such, and a current-order stash of vacuum-sealed batteries is available for use in them, plus the just removed “emergency” spares.
I’m slowly converting to lithiums and testing them for possible 12-month use instead of 6-month.
Either of those battery storage cases (but especially the first one) might well be pretty easy to 3D print, if you have access to a printer and someone who knows how to create the file.
For lanterns I really like the PackLite Nova USB by LuminAid…they are solar so batteries are not a concern.
The Everready LED like this are surprisingly good too:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FSX1XHS?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_2529372011
I store excess batteries in the freezer..they last longer there.
For carrying in the field, I just use a cheap plastic soap dish from Wal Mart….it holds sufficient AA, AAA and CR-123 batteries for any likely field excursion I may undertake. A couple of C-cells will fit in one, as well, and they are available in different colors for coding: I also use them to hold small ‘fiddly bits’ of stuff.
For big batteries, how about just taping them together with painters tape, with a piece over the terminals?
Duracels are not what they used to be. LOTS of discussion online reflecting this.
I switched to costco for most things a couple of years ago. I have had the costco batts long enough now to see failures with them as well. The goo seems to be clear, and will easily flake off of surfaces though, and doesn’t seem as damaging to contacts. They also don’t seem to swell up as much as the duracel, so overall, their failure mode is less damaging.
I’ve got a bunch of eneloop, but have only just started actually using them. I needed to re-charge a whole package before use, that’s how long they’ve been sitting. I’ve had a failure in the first 6 I used, with it not holding a charge, even though the charger indicated it was full.
There are things I prefer to use alkaline disposables, just chucking the dead ones out, rather than carrying them home. It’s also harder to have the rest of the family NOT throw out the rechargeables. There is a place and use for both types.
I’ll reiterate though, no duracels unless they are the only choice.
n
For batteries themselves, the Amazon Basics are hard to beat….
Especially the Ni-MH rechargeables..
Does the vacuum packing/sealing of the batteries that several folks refer to using have any effect on causing outgassing form the batteries themselves?
Thanks.
Storacell.net has holders for most of the common sizes including C and D. They run a couple of sales per year and I ordered more before Christmas. I use different colors to keep my NiMH and Lithium sorted.
I keep some alkaline on hand but I package small batches with a foodsaver.
I’ve had Duracells start leaking while still in the package. Never again. I now use exclusively Eneeloop rechargable AA and AAA batteries. I have slowly converted over to devices that use AA batteries and have several ways of charging them, from regular chargers to Goal Zero solar chargers. I also do not Leave batteries in any of my devices that I am not using daily. I keep two EDC flashlights loaded and replace batteries monthly at the most.
I keep yelling from the rooftops, but nobody seems to hear:
critical equipment should have lithium batteries. They have a shelf life > 20 years, will run at 20 below zero, and they NEVER leak! Yes, they are expensive, but we are talking critical equipment that has to work when you need it, and you can’t afford the leakage and damage. I found these to be extremely handy:
https://www.amazon.com/DSLRKIT-Parallel-Battery-Convertor-12/dp/B00OUM1BGQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1546404765&sr=8-1&keywords=3aa+to+d+adapter
Each adapter holds 3 AA batteries in parallel so still have 1.5 volts at three times the current rating of a single AA.
Forgot to mention:
The electrolyte in alkaline batteries is not acid, its…(wait for it)…alkaline!
You neutralize acid electrolyte (like a car battery) with baking soda. You neutralize an alkaline electrolyte with vinegar. Soak (either type) until the bubbling stops. Clean up the contacts with a Q-tip or an old toothbrush. Rinse with water and use a hair dryer on low to dry it out.