I agree that absolute statements can paint one into a corner, but I am having a hard time seeing how rechargeable batteries have a downside for personal items. If it's a gift, it would be great to include rechargeable batteries—hell, make the gift rechargeable batteries and charger—but it's the one area where I can understand why one wouldn't have to both save money and the environment. What's the counter to, say, having a digital scale that takes 4 AAA batteries that I can now charge once every 6 months instead of replacing every 45 days?
One place where you do not want to put rechargeable batteries is in your emergency survival kit. Rechargeable batteries only hold a good usable charge for about 4 to 6 months before needing to be recharged back up to full. Unless they're lithium ion. So there's greater need for maintenance in having rechargeable batteries in you emergency survival kit. What if an emergency hit after your rechargeable batteries been sitting there for 5 months and you're without power? Best to place several packs of alkalines in your kit for your battery needs, replace them with new ones every year or so and use the old ones elsewhere. New alkalines have a shelf life of over 5 years. So you it's not that critical to change them out every year. Just replace them when it times to replace your can food.
If you must keep rechargeable batteries in your emergency survival kit, make sure to pack a charger that operates off a car lighter. This way you have a way to recharge them if there's no power. And while your at it, throw in the cable you need to recharge your mobile phone from a car lighter.
As Soli mentioned Li-Ion are the bulk of rechargeables today and retain 70% charge after 10 years for the latest Eneloops. Alkalines leak even before their end date when stored in warm places like your car where you should keep an emergency kit. Even in a cool environment once they start to run low they can leak before their end date.
If there is no power your alkalines will die too and it makes no difference. At least with Eneloops you can recharge them if you have a power source.
Car lighter? No. Pick a charger that will charge from USB. Then a USB battery pack can recharge either your phone or your flashlight/radio/whatever. Especially if the "emergency" is a dead car battery.
Keep one of the emergency jump starter batteries in your car and you can jump start it (maybe, depends on vehicle) or re-charge your phone.
My "can" food is Mountain House with a 10+ year shelf life.
No, the bulk of the rechargeable batteries are NimH. Eneloops are NimH.
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The 70% after 10 years is how much charge it will still hold after charging, after 10 years of non use, not how long it will hold a full charge. NimH will only hold a charge for about 6 months. The larger the battery the longer it will hold a charge. But most AA and AA will need recharging every 4 months.
You are right that they are NiMH but wrong about charge retention. 4th gen AA Eneloops hold 75% charge after 5 years. I tend to recharge the ones that sit in flashlights every year or so. All have kept their charge and work fine when tested. It certainly isn't 6 months unless you have a faulty flashlight.
I call BS, how could she not have had access to a branded/decent set of batteries? I struggle to find cheap batteries in the shops here, it's always Duracell, Energizer etc. And who puts unbranded cheap zinc (I assume) batteries in high end electronics anyway?! Similar to those that shell out £600+ on an iPhone then go to poundland for a knockoff charging cable, smh.
I call BS, how could she not have had access to a branded/decent set of batteries? I struggle to find cheap batteries in the shops here, it's always Duracell, Energizer etc. And who puts unbranded cheap zinc (I assume) batteries in high end electronics anyway?! Similar to those that shell out £600+ on an iPhone then go to poundland for a knockoff charging cable, smh.
I used to put dollar store AAA batteries into my Withings smart scale until I finally bought modern rechargeable. If not for modern rechargeable batteries I'd probably still be using those cheap, 8x AAA for $1 batteries for that device.
I call BS, how could she not have had access to a branded/decent set of batteries? I struggle to find cheap batteries in the shops here, it's always Duracell, Energizer etc. And who puts unbranded cheap zinc (I assume) batteries in high end electronics anyway?! Similar to those that shell out £600+ on an iPhone then go to poundland for a knockoff charging cable, smh.
I used to put dollar store AAA batteries into my Withings smart scale until I finally bought modern rechargeable. If not for modern rechargeable batteries I'd probably still be using those cheap, 8x AAA for $1 batteries for that device.
I have one, but apparently a different model (Body Cardio) as it has it's own USB rechargeable battery that lasts about a year. Those Withings scales are kinda particular with feet placement, but pretty darn accurate.
I call BS, how could she not have had access to a branded/decent set of batteries? I struggle to find cheap batteries in the shops here, it's always Duracell, Energizer etc.
I used to put dollar store AAA batteries into my Withings smart scale until I finally bought modern rechargeable.
Ditto. In the US, if you go to a major store (Target, Best Buy, major grocery chains, etc.) then you will find only major brand-name batteries. But if you shop at dollar stores, flea markets and other such places, you often find other brands. At one flea market, someone was selling Japanese Duracell (had the same logos, but all the text was in Japanese) - probably legit, but surprising. At others, I've found complete no-name brands - names I've never heard of, and often with Chinese or Korean text all over the batteries and packaging - it's anyone's guess how well they are manufactured.
That having been said, I've never had one overheat (let alone catch fire). Usually, the cheap ones just don't last very long. Which is fine for low-power devices like remote controls, but unacceptable for high-power devices like cameras.
Also note that this happened on a flight from China. It is likely that these batteries were purchased in China. It is likely that a foreigner who doesn't read Chinese would not know what brands are good and what are junk. And looking for a well-known brand like Duracell or Energizer may not help, given the amount of counterfeit goods sold there. Especially if they were purchased in a local market instead of, say, in an airport store.
Given the circumstances of the article, I think it's a mistake a lot of us could make if placed in the same situation.
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There is zero reason to stick with alkalines.
That having been said, I've never had one overheat (let alone catch fire). Usually, the cheap ones just don't last very long. Which is fine for low-power devices like remote controls, but unacceptable for high-power devices like cameras.
Also note that this happened on a flight from China. It is likely that these batteries were purchased in China. It is likely that a foreigner who doesn't read Chinese would not know what brands are good and what are junk. And looking for a well-known brand like Duracell or Energizer may not help, given the amount of counterfeit goods sold there. Especially if they were purchased in a local market instead of, say, in an airport store.
Given the circumstances of the article, I think it's a mistake a lot of us could make if placed in the same situation.