In calamaties... what batteries do you think are sold out first? (from Japan)

Living in Japan, and it has been over a month now, after the Big Quake struck Japan, and batteries are getting more available again.

1.Which batteries do you guys think were sold out first?
2.and which type of batteries do you think were available for most of the time?

like to know what you guys presume!

It can be useful to know what batteries are sold out first, against the ones that stay in the racks..
Useful for if you are thinking about buying some flashlights for emergencies and the like.

(edited on April 23rd)
answers are:
Answer 1: D and C cell
Answer 2: AAA cells and some `camera` batteries.

Typically after hurricanes here in FL it's 1: AA's, and D cells. Those are the two most common batteries in use for flashlights and small radios here. In japan, I don't know about D cell usage, but I'd bet on the AA's going pretty quick. 2: C cells are always the last to sell out here, and I would advise a flashaholic to have at least one light around that takes them, since there's almost always some on the shelf after everything else is gone.

Edit: Reworded a bit for clarity. Also completely forgot about AAA batteries, but with all the AAA led lights these days I wouldn't count on them being last to sell out anymore.

Thanks for sharing your experiences..
waiting for other people to respond!

Answer 1:..................(which are sold out first)
Answer 2:..................(which sell out last)

Usage of batteries here in Japan might differ from the US!

Sold out First: AA's
Sold out last: AAA's (Edit...the Japanese like there small portable devices..more so than Americans....So i'm going to change my answer to this to to the 6V Lantern Batteries or D-Cells)

I like to have a nice stock of batteries on hand BEFORE disasters hit, as well as plenty of lights that can run on "dead cells" (Nite-Ize 10mm in a M@g, etc.). I currently have 60+ new SF Primary CR123's in pelican cases/SC carriers (giving me 5,760 hours of light with my 5th gen L1 or 3200 hours of light with my E2L) , 60+ at 75% power levels, and another 50+ "dead cells" for use in battery vampires. I have several "6V" Lantern Batteries, about 20 L91's, and about 40 AA's/D's/C's and a handful of AAA's. This doesn't include my R/C options, including solar AA for use with my E2L-AA. This doesn't include my 45'ish Surefires that already have good cells in them...the advantages of lithiums...ahhhhh

1. AAA alkalines - sols out first because less of them are on the shelf, and we have so many small devices

2. AA alkalines - probably available all the time, the ubiquitous cell

Solar panels and rechargeables would make all this speculation less meaningful, but this has been a good question just the same!

Jeff

@angelofwar: Here in Japan I havent found any 6V lantern batteries so far in any normal store!
@jeffosborne: I dont think rechargeables would make it less meaningful for at least the average household, as they probably forget to recharge them.
still waiting for the `right` answer..

My Guess

First to sell out: AA
Available all the time: 9V

My guesses...

Answer 1: D
Answer 2: AA

Stocking up on batteries before a disaster hit won't help much either, everything in the path of the tsunami/tornado/hurricane will be wiped away. In a disaster zone, I assume one can probably savage some AA/AAA batteries from damages houses and within debris, most houses have multiple clocks, remote controls (TV, DVD, Fans etc) which are most likely powered by AA or AAA.

Rechargeable won't fair well either considering power might be out for weeks after disaster strikes.

ChibiM said:

still waiting for the `right` answer..

Click to expand...

No offense, but is there any point to this guessing game? Why don't you just tell us?

ganymede said:

My guesses...

Answer 1: D
Answer 2: AA

Stocking up on batteries before a disaster hit won't help much either, everything in the path of the tsunami/tornado/hurricane will be wiped away. In a disaster zone, I assume one can probably savage some AA/AAA batteries from damages houses and within debris, most houses have multiple clocks, remote controls (TV, DVD, Fans etc) which are most likely powered by AA or AAA.

Rechargeable won't fair well either considering power might be out for weeks after disaster strikes.

Click to expand...

So when a tornadoe takes out my Kitchen, knocks out power, and breaks some glass here and there, my CR123 Primaries stored with a few lights in my Pelican case, in my bed-room closet "won't help much" :thinking:

Once the storm passes, Solar RC AA's should fair pretty good as well.

Car batteries sold out first

AA's always available

angelofwar said:

So when a tornadoe takes out my Kitchen, knocks out power, and breaks some glass here and there, my CR123 Primaries stored with a few lights in my Pelican case, in my bed-room closet "won't help much" :thinking:

Once the storm passes, Solar RC AA's should fair pretty good as well.

Click to expand...

Well, in the context of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, one will be lucky to find the foundation of their house...

We are talking calamities of different scale here, I am talking about those that destroy an entire township and hundred thousands people are displace from their homes without power, heat, gasoline, food or water.

When Hurricane Katherina came with the swelling sea, I doubt any bed room closets could hold out mother nature...



Hurricane Katherina



Photo of Greenburg tornado strike



Recent Japanese tsunami

Eismagier said:

No offense, but is there any point to this guessing game? Why don't you just tell us?

Click to expand...

I could only describe it as `offense`... how else would you describe it?

If I would make a thread with the answer directly posted, the thread wouldnt be read much!
And the thread would be gone from the first 3 pages in no time..
now more people will read it.. and I think its a good thing to think about...

of course there is no `right` answer to all calamities.
I can just tell what happened here in Japan..
Things might be different in other countries..

thinking about answering it around coming weekend

My guess:

1) AA - sold out first
2) CR123's always available (though probably not offerred in very many stores)

I have a stockpile of both (lithium only for shelf life,) plus I have lots of eneloops and lots of Li-ion batteries like 10440's, rcr123's, 14500's, 17670's, & 18650's...(now I need a solar charger for all of these.)

ChibiM said:

I could only describe it as `offense`... how else would you describe it?

Click to expand...

As you said yourself in your original post, "It can be useful to know what batteries are sold out first, against the ones that stay in the racks..".

Yet instead of providing that information, you've decided to make a game of it. But you've pretty much confirmed it. There's no point other than keeping your post bumped.

I'm also a little annoyed at the total lack of useful information in this thread. It is an interesting question. It would be nice to have an answer or at least some reasonably useful information to warrant 16 posts over 2 days. Frustrated, I decided to search for myself rather than wait for the guessing game to end.

According to this article http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20110316/190406/

C and D cells were sold out, with few remaining stock of AA and AAA batteries. CR123's were not mentioned which is really no surprise. They're not all that common on a retail level. I would be interested to hear if CR123 batteries are still available anywhere or if they are harder to get a hold of than normal.


Edit; have a look at this picture to get an idea as well http://www.flickr.com/photos/91248181@N00/5519160943/






Edit again; I made it a little more clear what the answer is since people seem to have missed it

stores here carry huge stocks of aa but ther mostly really cheap . people might buy upbig and dry em up.
the point to guessing game is to make you think what might happen to you and your preparedness for that. japan is an actual event against the theoretical one you prepare for.
i dont have battery supplies for 6 weeks stashed away. how would i charge my mobile phone ? etc

if emergency services brought in a batch of batteries they might be aa.

im gunna say panick buying cleaned out the aa .
japs dont own anything big enough for a c or d .
cheers

how would i charge my mobile phone ? can i ask in this thread?

Many options for charging a cell-phone. I have a Solar Panel that will charge it, they also offer "AA" Cell Chargers, and many "Emergency Gadgets" now a days will charge them. Eton Radio have 4 ways to charge a cell; Solar, Crank/Dynamo, Built in R/C Battery Pack, or batteries stored in the unit itself by the user. Check out some Eton radios...great products, and very useful, with out alot of excess stuff you don't need.