Battery storage options

I’m putting together a belt kit with a buttpack and one of the things I wanted to include was a set of batteries for the different things I have that use a battery. I wanted something better than just throwing some loose batteries in a ziplock bag, so I got some storecell battery trays. And they are pretty damn cool. They were created by a pilot to keep loose batteries from rolling all over your bag for when you really need them. They offer them for a few different battery types so they probably have something to fit your needs.

Starting off with the bag itself, this is nothing more than a green pencil bag from Dollar Tree (I feel like that is false advertising now) just to keep the different batteries organized. I keep my CR123’s in the front mesh pocket so they are even easier to find since my PERST-4 runs off of CR123’s.

The Storacell CR123. I keep this with fresh 123’s out front in case I need to top off my PERST-4.

Starting at the left, an extended battery for my UV-5R (you are running extra radio batteries, aren’t you? Center there is a 10k mAh battery pack to charge up anything if I need to (I know, I need to add the cables, I’m working on it) but I will be able to charge up the baofeng batteries if I needed to. Right we have the AA and AAA storacells

A better look at the AA and AAA storacells. Yes, those aren’t lithium batteries. Lithium sucks when it gets cold. Plus, these are only to run my PVS-14 and a headlamp. Alkaline will more than fit the bill.

All in all, this is a fairly comprehensive kit for what I need in what is basically a 24-hour kit anyway. I’ll have an identical kit in my ruck to extend my capabilities. How do you store extra batteries?

By mechmedicPublished On: May 26, 2022Categories: Electronics, Gear Reviews, MechMedic5 Comments

About the Author: mechmedic

MechMedic is the owner of Stuck Pig Medical and medical instructor for Brushbeater Training and Consulting. After 5 years in the beloved Corps, Mech joined the National Guard where he became a medic. Lifelong survivalist, and overall outdoorsman. When not being a family man, he enjoys good bourbon and good cigars.

5 Comments

PBRStreetGang May 26, 2022 at 17:08

In the past I’ve had to just cut down the packaging the batteries come in and duct tape the back, no fun when they fall out in my backpack or in the dark. I’ve been using the same storacells you wrote about and they are awesome (can’t stand Amazon, but that’s where I got mine). The retention is great and I can push them though in complete darkness and swap out my headlamp batteries. Awesome product and well worth it. For cold climates I try to keep them close to my body between layers (when I remember…), and always wear an “arctic necklace” which is just a Bic lighter and lip balm taped to a paracord lanyard. Saves the day for an emergency fire.
American Yeoman May 26, 2022 at 18:19

Around the house I use the MTM ammo boxes for aa and aaa. They work great and I can store 50 in each box and the boxes stack well. The Stora Cells I have in all my bags, truck, NV pouches etc….
Ratus May 27, 2022 at 01:51

Ackchyually, Primary Lithium/Iron Disulfide AA batteries have very good cold weather performance.

Regular alkaline batteries do very poorly in cold weather. When they get colder than 0c/32f the capacity drops precipitously.

The primary lithium battery keeps it’s capacity almost all the way down to -40c/f (ie. actually the same temperature)

Alkaline Manganese Dioxide – Energizer
https://data.energizer.com/pdfs/alkaline_appman.pdf

ENERGIZER L91
https://data.energizer.com/pdfs/l91.pdf
Ratus May 27, 2022 at 01:54

Hmmm…

I posted a comment with links to battery datasheet pdfs showing that alkaline batteries are worse than primary lithium batteries in the cold.
- Patriotman May 27, 2022 at 06:35
  
  It has to be manually approved, which it just was.