Carrying spare AA batteries

The Petzl Duo runs on 4 AA batteries. To carry four spare AA batteries (essential) I have found the little box at:

http://essentials.guardianoffers.co.uk/buy.cfm/travel/aluminium-wallet/41/no/74829

very useful. It goes in the oversuit or undersuit pocket, is alluminium so pretty tough. Not waterproof though but that hardly matters. An elastic band is a good idea to keep it shut if the press button is pushed by accident.

It's meant for carrying credit cards. Just rip out and chuck away the plastic card holder, get a bit of bubble wrap, or whatever, to stop the batteries moving about. Just thought that the padding could be first aid bits rather than bubble wrap.

Another though while writing is that a large cigar tube (it would need to be 21cm long) snoopied to the helmet migh t be even better.
 
Yes, 7 Day is smaller, neater and cheaper than the alu. cases. So thanks for this pointer. My current thinking is along the lines of one or two pieces of garden hose, of suitable diameter (needs to be 15mm), snoopied to the helmet underneath, or on the opposite side, to the Fenix backup.

Graham
 

royfellows

Well-known member
I use a plastic strip cut from 2 pieces of green and red electricians tape stuck together, so green on one side, red on other.
I a plastic AA case whichever side is showing denotes charged or discharged.
Neat?
 

owd git

Active member
I have always gone down the cheep Owd  Git route of simply wrapping in a poly' bag never had AA( pun intended)problem at all. tucks neatly in Warmbac arm pocket. wrapped both directions three or four times keeps dry in the middle. costs less than all above. nowt if you recycle a bag. (y)
O.G. 
 

wookey

Active member
Thank you tom - I've seen people using those little boxes and wanted a couple, and even seen batts supplied in them so you get one for free, but failed to find a supplier of boxes alone online when I looked. So that's a very handy link.

I normally avoid Amazon on principle, but I guess I can give them ?2.23.
 
I've now developed a helmet mounted kit for carrying four AA batteries. You need two packets of "Bat-aid" which is used for mending dead car Pb/acid batteries. These can be got at hardware shops, car spares shops and the internet. Each packet has a tube 120mm x 15mm. This is exactly the right internal diameter to hold the batteries snugly and the tube is long enough to hold two batteries, that's why you need two. Chop off just short of 10mm and the tube is then just the right length. Put two batteries in each tube, set them side by side and wrap duct tape around them to create a package 115mm x 30mm. This is then easily fastened to the helmet (at least to an Edelrid ultralight) with large elastic bands  (snoopies). The tubes weigh next to nothing and cost ?2-?3 depending on where you get them. The tube contains the Bat-aid tablets which can be thrown out.

[I've seen it advocated that cable ties are better than snoopies but I prefer the latter as you can more easily remove whatever it is attached to the helmet (backup light etc) than you could with something cable tied.]
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
I agree with Graham; snoopies are far better than cable ties. The latter go brittle and fail (so you could lose your spare batteries). Snoopies also allow some movement of attached items, which can be an advantage in certain circumstances. Although snoopies gradually wear, this deterioration is visible, so you get plenty of warning to replace them when necessary. Failure of a cable tie can happen suddenly. Finally, snoopies tick the recycling box; cable ties don't.
 

cavermark

New member
Releasable cable ties are available which are quite handy for some jobs.  (maybe not as good as snoopies for some, of course)
flexloc.jpg
 

ah147

New member
Another vote for snoopies for helmet mounting.

Old bike inner tube is perfect for helmets


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Wormy

New member
At work the security guards were told to issue all the smokers with pocket ash tray pouches, I nicked a couple as theyre perfect size for 4 AA batterys and theyre slightly padded and water tight!
 

ALEXW

Member
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-Q5-LED-Waterproof-Diving-Flashlight-Torch-Dive-Underwater-Torch-6-Color/121078333093?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D952b1bbbbc6248d3b49ce1d95b75c000%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D131462149434&rt=nc

I have used a similar torch for a while, holds 4 AAs and is not much bigger than the batteries only, works ok fixed to helmet with a bit of bungee cord and could be used as torch if necessary.  Effectively a third light source as I have a backup light that  goes around my neck. It has always been completely waterproof.
 

jarvist

New member
I carry an old-style UK Mini Q40 as my backup light + source of spare batteries, in the little velcro'd pocket within my SRT side bag.
The Q40 is barely larger in volume than the 4 AAs (far smaller than any other 4xAA caving torch I've ever seen or used).
They're also incredibly tough, with no switch to snap off (unlike the diving-style torch linked above).

I have my Q40 fitted with a 350 mA LED module from Biff; which I expect to give 6hrs good light from Alkaline & then a never-ending dimming, due to the linear regulation + Alkaline batteries involved.

If you speak to some sea divers, you might find an infinite source of dead Q40s - once flooded with sea water the insert corrodes too badly for reuse; but would still make a perfect waterproof AA caddy (and can be cleaned up + fitted with a Biff module, if the battery contacts at the back are not too corroded).
 

alastairgott

Well-known member
Anything you think you can use, i've got one of these, its not flourescent or sparkly and was free a number of years ago. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NWOT-4-x-CADBURYS-MINI-ROLLS-SAFES-Special-Edition-For-Packed-Lunch-Box-Plastic-/311325737781?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item487c75c335

With the use of plastic sandwich bags, bathroom sealant, some cotton wool balls and copious amounts of electrical tape it becomes watertight (more or less). Hard to remove the batteries, but hey i'm probably going to know if my batteries are running out.

Oh nearly forgot. theres some cling film in there too so when i cut the electical tape off the outside of the box i can just slide the cling film and tape off :)
 
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