topham

quote:Originally posted by Astrogoth:Lithium batteries have a longer shelf life than Ni Cad's or NiMH. They do not last longer when in use. They do in fact cost more. You decide. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but don't bet on it. Lithiums last the same length of time as Alkalines. (which is longer than NiCads or NiMHs), they are very expensive compared to Alkalines. They do have 2 advantages though: They are very light. If you have to carry spares, and weight is an issue you might really want to consider using them. (Won't matter on a typical day hike). They have one other, significant, advantage: if you live in a northerly climate where temperature ranges down to -40f they work fine. Using them at -40f will not shorten there life, Unlike most other batteries. (It does take a while for the display on a GPS to handle the cold temperatures well though.). (Try alkaline at -40f for 10 minutes, you'll likely have cut the life of the batteries by a quarter or half!) They also have 1 draw back other than price: They have a VERY sharp power curve. They stay at peak for a long time and then drop like a rock. It my limited usage of Lithiums it was definitly faster than alkaline. Milage may vary though. I think this is a disadvatage as they give little warning of their demise.

I admit this might be in the wrong place, but, I just caught this on the news and was utterly blown away. Aside from Poison ivy, and Poison Oak there is another plant risk out there: Wild Parsnip. The sap from the plant when combined with sunlight can cause significant burns. From a mild sunburn like burn to more server complete with significant blistering. See this link for an excelent write up Burned by Wild Parsnip I saw this on the news because here in Manitoba the weed has sprouted and caused some burns on some kids playing with or near the plants.