Every Day Carry

14500 Flashlight Battery with Built-In Micro-USB Charging

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No charger needed to recharge this battery

Part of my everyday carry is a AA flashlight. They are small and the batteries are the most common size worldwide, so the chance of replacement in an emergency is good. The downside is they are not very bright unless you use 14500 cells in them. The 14500 is a lithium-ion cell that is the same size as a AA but it has a voltage of 3.6 volts (AAs are 1.5 volts). Many newer flashlights are compatible with 14500s and usually list their max lumens with these cells. The tool I am reviewing is Nitecore’s version of this cell. They have managed to put a micro USB charging port in the battery! This means you don’t have to carry a special battery charger! A cell phone charger or a solar panel will recharge your flashlight. I bought 4 cells directly from Nitecore. If your power goes down for a month( like in hurricane Sandy) you could rotate one on a solar cell and have a couple of backups. They are working well so far. There are some other brands of 14500s on Amazon with the same features. They might be OK too. They are all about the same price.

-- Michael A Chrest 07/9/19

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