Cold weather AA advice

[Harv]

I'm looking at the new JetBeam PA40 with the 4 x AA's as my every night walk the dog light. Wondering what a good battery/charger combination would work. It can get in the teens for temp and I'm thinking Alkaline's may not be the best.

Are NiMH good for cold weather use? Eneloops? Do you need a special charger for eneloops, or can a standard NiMH charger work for them?

 

[StarHalo]

Eneloops get iffy once you get below freezing; this isn't normally an issue with our common single-cell metal body lights because the LED helps heat the battery tube, but your multi-cell plastic-bodied light won't get this benefit. I'd go ahead and try the Eneloops, but carry a spare light powered by a lithium primary just in case.

Any NiMH charger will work with Eneloops.

 

[Lou Minescence]

How long do you walk the dog ? Is your light stored indoors ? If your dog walk is not long and you store the light indoors, battery type should not be much of an issue. Holding a warm light in your hands will keep your batteries warm and working.
Eneloops are better for cold than alkaline. A regular NIMH charger works to charge Eneloops. I use a 270ma charger. Other chargers with different milliamp outputs will work, the charging times will be longer or shorter. I charge my eneloops for about 7 hours. If you walk the dog for more than half an hour, maybe lithium batteries would be best.

 

[Harv]

30 mins is average for a walk... I have been using my TK-35 which I keep out in the car.. this one would be stored in the house...

 

[MarkW]

Eneloops work fine in the cold, although run times are shorter than at room temp. I have used them at 15 degrees ambient to drive a headlamp for nighttime skiing. You won't have a problem unless your dog needs really long walks. . .