Batteries:

I keep lots of NiMH AA and AAAs on hand, and I've standardized most things on these cell types. Eneloops or Duracell white-top rechargeables ("Duraloops") are very, very good.

I lucked out and got an 8-pack of Eneloop dummy-cell adapters so I can use AAs in C or D lights.

I also keep a couple of 48-cell generic AA alkaline packs on hand for rarely used items or to hand out to others. I can usually find them for $9 on sale. I've had very good luck with these generic alkalines -- I think I've only had one or two dud cells over all the years I've used them.

NiMH chargers:

It's more efficient to have a direct DC plug than to use an inverter.

I have three of the Duracell Mobile Chargers (CEF23DX4N). You can often find them on sale for $15-20. I'm very impressed -- they don't cook my batteries and have even resurrected some I thought were useless. CPF gives these a good rating too. Includes 12VDC plug for lighter socket. Independent channels and slow charge get the best out of each cell.

(Independent channels are important to me because I have several headlamps that use three AA or AAA cells, and several 1-AA lights also.)

Given my bank of solar panels and my stock of NiMHs, I could keep things going for quite a long while.

Just two lines to add to the hymn of AA eneloop + smart charger that runs both on 12 volts and wall outlet. (More precicely, a charger that charges each channel individually with delta-volt circuits to stop charging when they're full).


If you truly adhere to the "ONLY for TRUE emergencies" philosophy in really weight critical and/or VERY low temperature applications then lithium primaries makes sense. Or if you just happen to like the form factor of flashlights that eats CRC-123A batteries....


I like to USE my gear - not seal it in dust-proof bags to be recovered when the apocalypse comes. With that attitude, primaries makes no sense at all. Eneloop all the way, with rechargeable li-ion as a geeky supplement.


Just a quick rant about li-ion: They are neither interchangeable with lithium primaryes nor regular AA (unless your flashlight specifically states that they are. Such as 4sevens quarks). And to really get benefit from what the li-ion technology is capable of you should use the 18650 form factor. Old and improperly cared for li-ion batteries and sloppy charging routines/bad quality charger equals significant fire hazard. In summary, just the perfect batteries to play with for a flashlight geek like myself...

All my gear is standardized to AA or CR123 batteries. I buy each in bulk (Energizer Lithiums and Surefire CR123s) and that's all I use. With a 15+ year storage life, it's not a big deal to buy 'em in bulk.

I've never had good luck with rechargeable batteries and I find that, if my batteries do go dead, it's typically in the middle of me doing something somewhat important. Therefore, I'm not going to have the opportunity to recharge. Instead I'll just replace and get right back to whatever I was doing.

This is timely thread! I've been researching and shopping for a good charger and some rechargeable NiHM batteries. Most of my applications require AA & AAA batteries so that's what I will be focusing on. My smoke detectors are hardwired with 9v battery backups but I don't feel rechargeables are worth the effort or expense since the battery in a smoke alarm lasts a good while and nothing else I own uses that battery.

I will say though that CR123A "primary" batteries are a very important item to me. My Surefire lights don't seem to be very compatible with the few rechargeable batteries I've found in that form factor. My Surefire E1B backup is by far the best light I've ever used, and I have a couple other Surefire lights that I also like. While I have lights that use AA & AAA I plan to always have at least two dozen batteries on hand at all times for my Surefires.

I never had good luck until I bought a decent charger, then I was able to revive all my "bad" rechargeables. The MAHA c9000 has paid for its self already.

I constantly hear good things about the MAHA. Apparently it's the Holy Grail of chargers. One of these days I'll break down and get one, if only for the nerd bragging rights that go with it.

There is a USB-powered charger for 2 AAA or AA. If you have access to a USB power supply (either mains powered, or from your laptop or PC, or a 12V USB power adaptor for your car) then you can charge your eneloops. The model is MDU01 and it is a good quality charger.

Another option is the Eneloop mobile booster KBC-E1S. You can use it as a charger for 2 AA cells, powered from a USB supply (as above). When the cells are charged the unit itself can be used as a USB power source to charge something else, such as a cellphone for example. The unit does not accept AAA cells, probably because they would be useless for charging something else, although the current is safe (for charging) if you use an AAA to AA adaptor.

USB is becoming the de-facto power source for small electronics, so as well as standardising on your batteries, choose devices that can be charged/powered by USB.

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I have little use for lithiums, other than for one thing - a rarely used high drain application. The weapons light on my home defense shotgun. For that I use two high quality top tier CR123 primaries (not rechargeables).

Other than that, NiMH is what I use for day to day stuff. I have both regular rechargeable NiMH and Eneloops. For things like my flashlights, the regular NiMH are just fine. There is no such thing as "long term sitting on a shelf" when it comes to flashlights for me. I use them daily. My MAHA MH-C401FS charger recharges NiMH so fast that I don't have to worry about not having a set of freshly charged batteries when I need them. For the unforseen circumstance where I might, that's what the Eneloops are for (I charge the Eneloops in the MAHA too - the charger that comes with them is garbage). I also keep quite a few alkalines for additional backup.

If I need to start a fire, I'll just use simple matches rather than the more tedious Li-Ion flame generation techniques. Li-Ion is a good technology for dedicated battery/device matchups that are well engineered. But as a general purpose mix-n-match battery/device pairing with separate manual charging, it's too dangerous for the general population IMHO.

I generally agree. Luckily now there are much safer Li-ion chemistry options like IMR and LiFePO4. I resisted Li-ions in flashlights for awhile until I bought a Surefire 6P bored for an 18650. Popped in an IMR 18650 and wow, not only is output/runtime greatly increased but I only have 1 battery to worry about. No more having to worry about matching RCR/CR123 batteries.

Interesting- I wonder how to go about doing that with my Surefire Z2? It takes 2 x CR123A cells but one rechargeable would be great if it's compatible with the LED emitter.