BATTERIES: Disposable or Rechargeable? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

skankthenightaway · 09-22-2008, 01:07 PM

do you guys prefer disposables or rechargeables?

in the past i have always just taken disposables, but they weigh a lot. I will be traveling around central/south america for about a year and i'm trying to decide what kind of batteries to take. are batteries easy to find down there?

**maracle** · 09-22-2008, 01:27 PM

Batteries for what? My camera has a rechargable battery, other than that I think I only carry a flashlight which I use disposables for...although it doesn't get much use so I don't even carry spares for that.

**Canadian Bacon** · 09-22-2008, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skankthenightaway

do you guys prefer disposables or rechargeables?

in the past i have always just taken disposables, but they weigh a lot. I will be traveling around central/south america for about a year and i'm trying to decide what kind of batteries to take. are batteries easy to find down there?

I would say, take disposables where available... plugs are hard to find in hostels, and you don't want someone stealing your expensive rechargeable set. Unless you have one of those LI batteries for your camera/mp3 player.... then you gotta take your changes.

**simply_angelic** · 09-22-2008, 02:12 PM

I use lithium batteries for my camera because they last so much longer but as they're not rechargable I have to take them with me...you could always take both to be on the safe side (I've never been there so I dont know if what type of batteries you want will be widely available. It was a B**** trying to find my batteries for my camera in africa. Whenever they were anywhere I stocked up like crazy!!)

skankthenightaway · 09-22-2008, 04:47 PM

i guess i forgot to add that the batteries are for my camera. it takes AA. i guess i could bring both, i just don't really want to hassle with adaptors and converters. i dont' think i'll be bringing anything else that takes batteries.

**freespiritz** · 09-22-2008, 05:25 PM

I've always worked with rechargables, and I've definitely packed heavy on those - my old camera took 4 AAs at a time and I had two sets, but it never really bothered me. Never had too much problem finding a place to charge my batteries while I was packin' through Central America, since I always have a universal plug-point adapter thing which does the trick, and my charger runs off all voltages so I don't have to worry about blowing it up.

**raoulduke** · 09-22-2008, 05:50 PM

My old point and click runs off AA's. I found that good quality rechargeable batteries last a lot longer than disposables so I've always used them.

Also turn off the picture preview function on your camera and you'll find your batteries last a lot longer.

**mooloo** · 09-22-2008, 08:03 PM

I was actually thinking about this the other day as I currently use rechargeables at home for my camera and used to use them for my discman before i got an MP3 player.

The downside is having to find somewhere to charge them and when travelling to different countries the whole adapter thing, but i figured that by the time I came to go overseas I would want to take my MP3 player with me, and I have a travel charger for this which plugs into the wall so I would need an adapter anyway for those times when you don't want to sit around charging your mp3 player at a computer.

I say use rechargables especially if you need an adapter for anything else you are bringing, mp3 player, hair straightner etc whatever floats your boat.

Although I would take a pack of normal batteries for those times when you can't find a place to charge your rechargables, or simply forget to recharge them.