Battery life in the cold

[jimbobborg]

I kept a firearm with a light in my car's trunk over the winter a few years back. I brought it in that spring to swap it out for a different firearm. Unfortunately, the battery died over that time period. Does anyone have a brand of battery that will survive this? The Duracell I used didn't make it. Since it's the same battery that my optics take, it's relevent to this section

 

[Inigoes]

Use lithium batteries, they have a longer shelf life, and wider temperature operating thresholds.

 

[ken792]

Check to make sure there isn’t parasitic drain.

I use Surefire CR123As and Samsung and Sanyo 18650s in the cold without having unexpected issues. I recently got some Chinese RCR123As too and they have half the life of primary cells at room temperature, so we’ll see how suitable they are in the cold.

If you’re talking about AAs, ditch the Duracell alkalines and get Energizer L91s. The L91s are far less likely to leak too.

 

[Art3]

Nine times out of ten, if I had a battery leak, it's been a Duracell. I don't buy them anymore. The one time I do remember an energizer leaking and ruining something was very recently...in an optic

I agree, lithium is supposed to handle temperatures better.