Prepping mistake on my first-aid kits!
I have built several first aid kits for prepping, and made a significant error. I bought digital thermometers, with spare batteries a decade ago when I started this journey. I recently needed one, and the battery was flat. I went to the spare battery, and it also was dead!
What I didn't think about (no excuse, I'm an Electrical engineer) is that the life expectancy in an LCD thermometer; is about the same as the shelf storage life on the same battery. Sadly, I KNOW this fact...and just didn't think!
So you can avoid this same problem:
Get an old fashion glass thermometer! This one will work every time, last fifty years, and will never run out of batteries.
Also; if you have one, you have none! This is the third buy of a pair of these for my prepping supplies. All kits now have a proper thermometer, with only these two needing delivery to the homestead.
I am working on converting all my prepping test equipment to 18650 LiIon battery packs. I will have no critical gear using disposable batteries...that's a recipe for disaster, that I can fix Now!
One unit needs 90 volts DC, so I will use a DC to DC converter to cut the size on the battery pack. Today is the time to get creative, before parts become difficult!
All this, from a failed thermometer. We must continually analyze our planning for glitches, to avoid all problems we can before hand! Because there will be things we missed, that will be easy to fix now; that will take great effort to fix later.
We need to out think disaster, faster than they can spend us into Oblivion!
The shelf life of batteries is an easy thing to forget about, until you need one and they've gone dead...
It sure but me, and I'm supposed to know better! Fortunately, the fix was easy; and right now, inexpensive.
Good thing it was now, and not after the SHTF occurs!
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Hi Toby.
Great post on a very important issue that is easily overlooked, I'm glad you caught it in time and can rectify it now before being in a SHTF situation because that would suck!
Batteries in any form really are a pain because they all have a finite lifespan. Rechargeables are at least a better option if you can hook 'em up to a solar panel and not have to rely on an electrical input.
Something I will definitely take note of.
Have a good upcoming weekend.
Thanks, the 18650s are planned for main House power, so I have 12,000 singles so far.
Should be available long term. Hope this helps someone!
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That's a geat advice! my grandma has one and it's very old but still functioning. I'll keep that in mind when buying a thermometer as I still have the LCD ones.
I know better, but got in a hurry; fortunately it is repairable still!
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I find it funny that with many things, getting technology involved actually made the process less reliable and more complicated. :)
So true, a lot of prepping is to maintain technology; to continue 'modern comforts' after SHTF!
Ironically, some of the technology is causing some of the core problems we face. In this case I needed to drop back in technology, to maintain function. We will also need backup plans, to fill failure gaps.
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