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Hi all,
In my bug out bag i had a nalgene bottle with a polar pur jar,gauze, disposable contacts and 8 Nimh AA batteries. After 6 months of sitting together, the batteries corroded, the gauze packaging turned brown. Thus, the batteries were a goner, I’m not sure about the polar pur or the disposable contacts.
To be on the safe side, I think I’ll chuck them.
Comments and suggestions appreciated. Thanks.
Cheapest? Small plastic zip top craft baggies. Useful for a million other things, too.
In-Between? Seattle Sports fishing license sized pouches.
Others? Batuca battery cases, County Comm battery holders, small Pelican or Otter boxes.
Ah, AA cells.
Here’s what I use, a jumbo Tic-tac container. Cheap, easily available, fits three AA cells standing up. Fits them like it was designed for them. Just slowly peel off the label, keep the top closed. As a bonus, you get some mints. Just be sure it’s the jumbo container. That’s what I keep in my BOB.
Plus your batteries will have that minty smell!!
I have to try that.
Sent from a Samsung Phone. Apple don’t sue me!!
are those eneloops? AFAIK, eneloop nimh don’t leak.. I have mine stored forever and they are fine when I found them. Could it be the contacts of the batteries are touching one another or something corroding them?
You might want to look for a container/storage solution that that doesn’t allow the battery contacts from touching one another.. you might wanna check out the powerpax battery caddy..Or just store lithium AA cells..
I had eneloops in a imitation ziplock bag, then I placed them in the Nalgene bottle. Maybe they didn’t leak, but something definitely happened and started the corrosion.
Any battery can leak. A quality NiMh cell is less likely to than an Alkaline of similar quality, but if for any reason the cell generates an abnormal amount of internal pressure (usually under charging), a safety vent will yield to the pressure, allowing some active material to escape. This is why soldering directly to rechargeable batteries is frowned upon and welding is the industry standard; the heat weakens the vent and will allow it to open unnecessarily, creating a weak cell.
Do I think that happened to you? Unlikely. It is most likely corrosion, as you guessed. From what? My assumption would be trapped moisture, but that is purely speculatory. It is also possible that you just received a bad batch. It happens.
If I could make a suggestion, I would recommend that you do not utilize NiMh at all for this sort of application. The self discharge (even in NiMh doped for maxium storage life), in my opinion, is unacceptable. Despite their shortcomings, Alkaline is a good option to consider. Seven year shelf life, reasonable energy density, and no special storage needs.
I only carry Alkaline batteries in my kit. (And 123s) I would not count on rechargeables to hold charge, or have as much power as primary Alkalines. The new Alkalines have best by dates as well (Not that that is when to throw them out, as I have D cells in my MAG-Light that are three years past date.) giving you a date to replace them.
I don’t carry them in the BOB, I EDC them. 6AAA in a holder on my hip, 4AA in a holder in my duty bag, 6 123s in a holder where I keep my 123 lights. I am against using any “expireables” (food or supplies) in my BOB, they tend to get forgotten and are not ready when you need them.
For AA and AAA I use this line of holders: Powerpax.net Simple to use, they protect the terminals and are very durable.
http://www.powerpax.net/assets/images/powerpax-18.jpg
Quality alkaline batteries will usually not leak unless:
They are drained well beyond capacity (that 1970’s flashlight that had a microdrain.)
they get wet (See the first point)
they are exposed to wide temperature extremes. (In a car for example.)
This type of holder helps prevent the first two with it’s open design. The fact that you are not storing them in a car will help with the third.
I have had my 3 carriers for 11 years, never a problem.ac7ss is on point. I too use the powerpax. Little pricey for what they are, but a neat setup for sure.
For further elaboration to anyone curious, the use-by date on alkalines are when they have reached about 85% of their design capacity, so yes, still entirely usable.
I will also throw this word of caution in here: Quality alkalines do not normally leak, with the exception of Rayovac D cells. I have had zero problems with the brand in any other cell size, but for some reason I routinely find the D cells leaking, still in package on the shelf. It doesn’t happen a lot, but enough for it to not be an isolated batch and for me to switch my personal stock over to Duracell ProCells.
bad experiences with alkaline leakage….wouldn’t trust ’em in a daym pencil sharpener.
If it’s AA or AAA, only battery I TRUST is the Extreme Lithium, period.
Got dozens of Eneloops a couple years ago, but I will only use Eneloops in the house…where it’s ‘thermally regulated’.
And, thankfully, I’ve almost succeeded in getting rid of everything that ain’t 123A or 18650 powered!!!
Speaking of which: you can’t RUN fast enuff to give me any unprotected cell; don’t care who made ’em!
My 18650’s are all EagleTac, either 2400 maH or the 3100 maH version; all my RCR123A’s are Battery Station.
Never a single issue w/ either brand….but they are the only 2 I can say that about!
Qualifier: have never owned any AW’s….can’t comment there. (Too $pendy,IMO)Recharging is no problem; I have achieved OVERKILL on charging equipment….solar, 12V, USB, 110V, grist mill w/donkey power, generator,windmill,creekside,etc.
Have also learned over the years to add a small dessicant pack to each batch of stored batteries.
These are FREE @ any Pharmacy in America, if you ask nicely, tell ’em you’re ‘recycling’ them, and take a small container (w/ your name & phone # on it!) for them to save them in. Every large bottle of pills they open have more than one dessicant pack…..they end up pitching them. These are also superb for keeping other stuff dry….knives, lights, reloading dies, anything sealed up that is likely to rust or corrode.
Just change out the dessicants every coupla-three months…..avoids moisture / corrosion.Battery Storage? PowerPax for the 123A size; those Orange O-ringed ‘waterproof match containers’ from the Camping section of Hellmart each hold one 18650,safely.
Pelican cases are practically indestructible, and relatively inexpensive (in the smaller sizes). You wouldn’t regret the investment. I keep my 18650 batteries in one of the stock 1010 cases, and it’s pretty airport-friendly, with the clear top. They’re water-proof,crush proof, dust-proof, and air-tight – they’ll even float, as long as you don’t exceed the rated weight limit of the case! Excellent, professional quality cases. The case could be easily adaptable for AA batteries, by customizing a foam insert.
Also, Maxpedition makes their Volta case, which will house eight AA batteries, in a plastic two-piece container that fits into the heavy nylon velcro pouch.The Volta case, as pictured, is housing AAA alkalines, eneloops, and CR123s, but will also fit eight AA batteries, perfectly.
All alkalines can leak. Even the so-called good ones. The cheap stuff is more likely to leak, but even quality ones can too.
No leaks = Lithium primaries.
If whatever AA or AAA device you have can handle them, that’s the best solution to guaranteed no leaks.
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