Chaos, that sounds like a great gear check system you have in place. Hopefully I can get that organized. One question though (and I'm sure I'm gonna kick myself when I find out), what is "HT?" Also I would agree that the recent extreme heat wave has had a possible effect on the batteries ... except ... the bag has been in the house since we returned from vacation over father's day weekend. That said, before that time it was riding in my truck or in DW's van, driven in to work, left to sit in the sun all day, and return home where it sat further in the sun and through the cool-down of night temps.
Thanks. I've had to learn the hard way to check my gear regularly.
An HT is a handheld amateur radio transceiver. It stands for handy-talkie. I've been a ham for over twenty years, my wife and daughter were recently licensed.
Even good alkaline batteries leak. If it wasn't temperature it could have been a small manufacturing defect.