Battery Drainer Light or Throw Away Battery?

[CalgaryGuy]

If you guys are going to go on a week long hiking trip, would you guys throw away the almost dead battery or bring a low power LED light to used up the last 5% battery?

Same question about what happen if you're in a house and a hurricane or ice storm comes by and knock out the power for a few days, would you guys use a battery drainer light?

 

[zumlin]

I never throw away "dead" batteries, my led lights still eat them until they are really "dead".

 

[MXDan]

I find myself pitching my lithiums as soon as they won't power my incans just because I want all my leds to have full batts as much as possible. I don't like having lights that you don't know how long they're going to be putting out good light.

 

[kitelights]

I would travel with only full batteries, but I keep used cells and eventually squeeze everything that I can out of them. One of our CPFers has developed a "Milky Candle" that is designed to do just that with 123s and should be ready for production soon. Many cells that will no longer power incans will do quite an adequate job on many LEDs.

 

[zorba]

There was another post about a week ago that said that the arc LS 1 can absolutely drain a battery, be it a 123 or AA.

 

[AR15Fan]

I use my ARC LSL to drain C123 batteries that wont power the incadesant light of my Surefire A2

 

[artar]

I use the Streamlight TT-1L to drain my 123a batteries.

 

[Rifter]

I use a Innova X5 to drain my 123's after my Surefire spits them out, i usualy stop using them in the surefire when they hit about 2.7v and move them over to the X5 which i then usualy get a few hours of good light output from.

 

[Joe Talmadge]

I definitely drain my 123As in an LED once the light they produce in an incandescent becomes the smallest bit noticeably yellow. On the other hand, you were asking about a camping trip, where you might have to make compromises based on weight. So the answer is: If you can afford the weight of a second flashlight, and you can find a battery-draining LED light that would be useful on your camping trip, then bring it along for sure.

In a house, it makes no sense not to have a battery-draining light. You now have a light that you're essentially running "for free". No excuse not to have one.

Joe

 

[JerryM]

Throw them away. I don't use a flashlight every day. If I went on a hunting or camping trip I would, but most of the time I use a 6V lantern. If I use a smaller light I want it to be "fully" bright. I don't see myself using a flashlight just to fully deplete the batteries.

I do not see the lithium battery lights, such as the E2 or PM6, in the incand mode as especially suitable for camping. I have never needed one that bright. If I did it would only be for a minute or two, and in general something putting out the light of a 2C Mag Light is more than acceptable. In fact the mini mag is normally all I need if I don't use the lantern.

I have recently purchased some Streamlight TTL lights. I like the dual mode, and the TT2L is more than adequate for a personal light while camping. I think the TT1L probably is. I am still trying to decide which I prefer for a EDC. The LED mode is all I need most of the time. I have a PM6 and a SF E2e, but I don't need that level of light normally, especially considering the short battery life.

It is fun to play and WOW with the bright lights, but I have never needed such brightness. The 2 or 3 cell C Mags have always been plenty bright. They are just too large, and the TTL series of lights takes care of the size and ard as bright in the indand mode.

Jerry

 

[JonSidneyB]

I am going to rechargables in everything but I still desire battery drainers. When I go backbacking, no recharables will go with me so I will still accumulate half used batteries.

I have been in extended power failures and remember a winter where power was out for 3 weeks in my rural area. I think this was in the late late 70s.

Battery drainers would be a good supplement for those times. No matter how much I move to rechargables, It just seems there will alsways be a place for the non-rechargable battery and battery draining lights.

My 2cents.