Lithium Batteries in a GPS unit

[Nick]

Just thought I'd mention something interesting I discovered recently. I usually use Eneloop rechargeable AA NiMH batteries in my GPS but for the Highline, I decided to go with the Lithium Ultimate batteries so I wouldn't have to carry so many sets and to save a little weight. I usually don't bother with the Lithiums because of the price and the fact that I feel kinda bad throwing away so many dead batteries.

I'm usually very impressed with the fact that I typically get two full days of hiking out of one pair of AA NiMHs on my GPS, but I was completely blown away by how much life I got out of the lithiums. I put two of them in at the beginning of the Highline hike and they've last through

Highline Day 1: 10.5 miles
Highline Day 2: 6+ miles and then I forgot to turn it off until 20 miles down the dirt road

Priord Lake Day 1: 10.2 miles
Priord Lake Day 2: 10.3 miles

So basically 4 good days and 36+ miles of hiking and they still aren't quite dead!

FWIW, my GPS is a Garmin Oregon 450 which btw is down to $259 on Amazon. Great price.

 

[Colin Parker]

I second that. I will never use anything in my GPS but Lithium again. I have a Garmin Dakota 20 that I've been running with (I know it's big for running...) and can easily get 30-40 1-hour long runs with lithium batts. When I used rechargables, I would change out batteries every couple of runs. The differnce is absolutely amazing!

 

[Michael]

These Lithium Batteries are expensive, but great.
Sometimes I use them.

 

[DAA]

Same here. Put lithiums in my Oregon for a Uintas trip last summer, the same batteries lasted 3 days hiking Cedar Mesa a few weeks ago and were still not dead doing some hiking around North Wash and Poison Springs the other day. Absolutely blows alkaline or NiMH performance out of the water. They weigh less, too.

- DAA

 

[TJDowling]

FWIW, my GPS is a Garmin Oregon 450 which btw is down to $259 on Amazon. Great price.

$239 at REI if they still have them in stock. Glad I went for the lithiums off the bat. Now I know not to skimp and go back to alkaline. Thanks for the info. I think big box retailers like Best Buy will recycle lithium batteries. Anyone else know for sure?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Darwin]

Target will recycle all types of batteries, I'm not sure about Best Buy. Lithium batteries get my vote, with the backlight turned off I can get around 48 hours of use with my Garmin 60csx on one set.

 

[Bob]

My Garmin 60csx 2 AA batteries usually gets a day, maybe a dayhalf hiking for about 10 hours. I usually just carry the correct amount for the trip length. Have a solar roll but I weighs close to the battery weight for a nine day trip.