Batteries And Coins Don't Mix

[+Keith Watson]

Never put batteries in your pocket with other metal objects. I reached into my pocket to grab some batteries only to find two of them had severe damage cause by shorting out. The plastic around the top had been chipped away exposing the outer casing allowing coins to short them out.

 

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[+moop]

Lucky you didn't hurt yourself! A similar thing happened to me with a couple of NiMH AAs and some keys in my pocket. I started feeling pain in my thigh and thought something sharp in my pocket was digging into my leg. When I put my hand in my pocket I found a very hot battery which had been shorting on the keys! Needless to say I carry my spare batteries in a separate pocket now.

[+Tequila]

http://www.inanycase.com/Merchant2/merchan...Product_Count=2

[+northernpenguin]

http://www.inanycase.com/Merchant2/merchan...Product_Count=2

 

I wanna know where they got the ones they were giving away at GHAGAFAP last year (year before?). They're just ther perfect size for tossing a couple sets in your pocket (as opposed to backback).

[+Nozzletime]

I believe this is the link you are looking for.

 

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3558

[+Knight2000]

http://www.inanycase.com/Merchant2/merchan...Product_Count=2

An Altoids tin holds 6AA. We use these to hold coins and batteries. They work nicely.

 

(Put thin cardboard in the Altoids tin where the contacts are.)

 

Fortunately my MIL uses these and she saves her tins for us. SWAG- although I don't want to encourage lame hides!

[+M3J]

I believe this is the link you are looking for.

 

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3558

 

Thanks Nozz...been looking for these as well.

[+webscouter.]

Never put batteries in your pocket with other metal objects. I reached into my pocket to grab some batteries only to find two of them had severe damage cause by shorting out. The plastic around the top had been chipped away exposing the outer casing allowing coins to short them out.

 

Larger Size

 

I use the Inacase cases. They work very well and have lasted for many seasons of caching.

 

As an aside everytime I see a post by the OP I wonder why Ranger Fox changed his user name. Don't they look like they could be twins?

[Ken in Regina]

If you order a set of 4 Powerex NiMH rechargeables you get a nice plastic carrying case with them.

 

http://www.paulsfinest.com/Maha-PowerEX-AA...-case-p-32.html

 

...ken...

[+fingers crossed]

Never put batteries in your pocket with other metal objects. I reached into my pocket to grab some batteries only to find two of them had severe damage cause by shorting out. The plastic around the top had been chipped away exposing the outer casing allowing coins to short them out.

 

I've run into something similar, but it makes for a great pocket warmer...

 

The battery holders the other guys mentioned are awesome, I just keep rotating rechargeables and carry them at all times (except when I need them...)

[+Viajero Perdido]

Those tiny ziploc bags that you can get at dollar stores are ideal for holding a couple of AAs.

[+Couparangus]

Reminds me of the story of the policeman who had batteries in the same pocket as spare bullets for his revolver. Apparently he can now sing castrati.

[+Landsharkz]

If you order a set of 4 Powerex NiMH rechargeables you get a nice plastic carrying case with them.

 

http://www.paulsfinest.com/Maha-PowerEX-AA...-case-p-32.html

 

...ken...

We use these batteries and the charger.

 

I ordered them online last summer before our trip to the Maritimes and had them shipped to the hotel in Ottawa so they were waiting for us. The batteries are great and this company's service was awesome!

 

Mr. LS had a hot pants experience one day with spare change and batteries coming into contact in his pants pocket . NOW he uses the plastic cases!

[+JabbaTHutt]

Been there done that, many many years ago I was helping a freind shoot a wedding, I had a BIG Sunpack flash unit that took 6 AA cells in a pack, the contacts where recessed on it so I never though twice about putting it in my jacket pocket. So here I am at the front of the church taking pictures when I leg starts to burn, I reach in and burned my fingers on them when I pulled the pack out. Slid it over to the wall and a few minutes later I look over and its smoking, the contacts had gotten hot enough that the plastic melted and the contacts where still touching, I had to go to it and pop out the batteries. The whole thing was now useless.

[+PDOP's]

I've never had problems with AA's but had one of those small square 9 volts batteries (with both contacts on top) short out on some keys. My pocket got a bit hot before I realized what was happening.

[+Viajero Perdido]

Could it be that the newer NiMH batteries have a lower internal resistance than the older ones? Lower resistance would mean that a short would drain the battery that much more quickly, resulting in a hotter pocket fire.

 

Petzl is recalling some of their headlamps because the wire can break (what a coincidence, my Petzl headlamp wire broke too), short (at least mine didn't do that), and cause a fire. But only with rechargeables. So I suppose rechargeables have a lower resistance (faster shorting) than plain old alkalines.

[+Kabuthunk]

I've had a similar problem in the past, only not with coins... but with the keys themselves. Well... not sure if the actual keys conduct electricity worth a dang, but the keyrings will certainly do so. Can't remember what type of battery it was. It was AA size, but I don't know if it was alkaline or NimH or otherwise.

 

But yeah... felt something hot in my pocket, went to investigate and almost blistered my fingertips on the battery. Once I removed that, the keyrings themselves (and a keychain which also apparently conducts electricity) were ridiculously hot too. Had to kinda bounce everything between my two hands to keep from burning myself and cooling them down. It was a fairly unpleasant few minutes .

 

Now I keep my spare batteries in my geocaching bag, in a side-pouch that's entirely cloth. No worries of it touching anything metal in there.