Make-shift spares carrier?

I'm always thinking of what readily available
containers would make good spares carriers.
Certainly the Kodak 35mm film containers would
make a fair carrier for cr123's if you could keep
them from jumbling around, they're certainly watertight.
The plastic/metal single cigar containers w/the srew on cap might as well but I wonder about waterproof-ness and problems with stacking batts vertically for storage.
Just seems that spares carriers (like SF) avoid stacking
them this way. Is there a reason for this?

Anyone have any suggestions for make-shift spares
carriers?

Thanks

MB

Go to the sporting goods section of China-Mart, and buy an orange plastic match container for about one dollar.
Put a bit of cotton in the top or bottom, and you are good to go. Waterproof, rugged, and CHEAP!

The black APS film canisters hold a couple of 123s like they were designed for it. The clear ones (Fuji) are just a little smaller and the batts won't fit.

M&M mini containters can hold 2 123's or 2 Millenium lamps.

Geoff

REI sells a waterproof match box that will hold 2 CR123's. It is just under $2. WalMart also sells one and it is just under $1. One day I was on a shopping expedition so I actually bought one of each. The packaging is different but when I opened them I discovered that the containers themselves were 100% identical. The last time I was in my local photoprocessor they did not have any old APS film containers.

Clear shrink tubbing with an ID of 3/4" works great. A used Eclipse mint tin will hold about 4 side by side, nice fit when wrapped in a plastic bag.

I use Pelican 1010/1020 cases from REI.

chiphead

Got to echo AnotherDaveH about the APS (Kodak Advantix) film canister. Two 123's fit like a glove. Best of all, they'll give 'em to you at film places. Probably not waterproof, but pretty close.

Geoff

PVC tubing with caps. One glued, one friction fit. Cut to length for the number cells you want to carry.

plastic food box with foam in with cut outs for whatver spares you need. Worked great for wharhammer 40K

I use and have used:
-orange match containers - tough and cheap
-Pelican 1010 case with foam - great for the duty bag, cottage spares bag, holds SF P60/P61/P60/P91 lamps too
-APS Kodak film cases - mostly for pairing batteries in the bulk battery box. If you squeeze them the lid pops off - NOT recommended to use for carrying spares.
-plastic rubbermaid snack container - can hold a dozen 123's and some AA's for extended trips/camping, etc... with many diferent sizes you can pick what you need for the event at hand
-plano (fishing section) divider plastic trays for holding a comprehensive flashlight supply and service kit for the "bugout" bag, or for cottage use. In this tray, I pair 123's in tiny ziplock bags purchased from the dollar store.
There are others!!

I've used the plastic wrapper from a roll of dimes. You can press the dimes out of the wrapper without cutting or breaking it. It's a little hard to get the batteries into the wrapper (the wrappers are constricted on the ends to hold the dimes in) but with a little patience you can get them in there. It's cheap and light weight. Each wrapper will hold two CR123s.

I've been to my local photoprocessor twice and still no APS film containers. I have to keep trying.

Try Stuff-Mart. And do keep in mind that they are not ideal for carrying the spares - give the container a slight squeeze and the lid pops off. The orange match cases are ideal if you are looking to simply carry a pair or two.

In a pocket it makes less of a difference what kind of case you use, and while the APS containers are smaller, the orange match cases are a whole lot easier to find amidst the pile of crap in the bottom of your pack, after the battery (-ies) in your light have gone.

So, in true CPF attitude, buy as many different ones as you can, and as many of each style as you can. You can't have too many lights; you can't have too many spares carriers.

I use a Case Logic media wallet to hold 6xCR123 batteries.

That looks nice. What was it designed to hold?

It has pockets on the inside for holding memory cards (e.g. Secure Digital (SD), Multi Media Cards (MMC), xD memory cards) but holds 6xCR123s quite well.