![]() Otherwise, you could actually shorten their lives. ![]() Therefore, you have to let cold batteries warm back up before you use them. Slowing down the internal chemical reaction in a battery reduces its performance. Put in the simplest way, the amount of extra life you might get out of keeping lithium-ion batteries cold would unlikely be significant or noticeable. In some cases, they may even self-discharge at a slower rate than alkaline batteries. Modern lithium-ion batteries have an equally slow rate. But practically, it's irrelevant.ĭisposable alkaline batteries already have an exceptionally slow self-discharge rate. Battery-freezing enthusiasts believe that keeping batteries cold slows down this reaction. That electricity is produced by electrons moving from one side of the battery to the other side.Įven when a battery isn't directly powering a device, electrons inside keep moving, albeit at a slower rate. In a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, lithium is one of the components that creates the chemical reaction necessary to produce electricity. The often-cited science behind the freezing-battery trend is based on the concept of slowing down self-discharge through temperature reduction. When people talk about ‘freezing’ batteries, what they really mean is keeping them cold by putting them in the freezer. On the other hand, a fully charged battery would require extreme cold over an extended amount of time to freeze solidly. A fully discharged battery can technically freeze at temperatures just below 32☏. We recommend against the practice and will explain why in this post.īefore getting to the explanation, understand that it is very difficult to freeze a battery solid. It turns out that some battery freezers don't know the science behind it. This is an old tip that people have been following for generations. You can also put the player in your glove for faster warming.All across the internet you will find articles recommending that you freeze batteries in order to extend their lives. Note where the battery is located on a device and make sure it’s facing your body when you put it in your pocket. While it might be a hassle to fiddle with a device buried under a jacket, your body heat will considerably lengthen battery time. “Get it under a couple layers,” Larsen says. Once you start losing bars, the battery life rapidly deteriorates, Larsen says. ![]() It’s importance of get as much charge as possible into the battery, even though it might shorten the overall lifespan of rechargeable units. Top off the charge before heading out into the cold. Even though they tend to be more expensive, lithium batteries are lighter and will perform better in the cold. Swap out your standard AA or AAA batteries for lithium ones. “It’s a really important part of the trip.” He’s currently training for an unsupported North Pole expedition during which he’ll encounter temperatures around 55 degrees below zero.Īll that said, Larsen’s tips on keeping devices charged in the cold should be more than adequate to get you through another polar vortex. “It’s great to have your head fill up with a sound rather than crunching snow and stress,” Larsen says. Batteries power his music player, which helps him maintain sanity while trudging ten hours a day through the world’s most extreme environments. ![]() Larsen carries an SOS and tracking beacon with him at all times, and he needs juice to run his electronics in case of an emergency. The Boulder, Colorado-based adventurer has skied both the North and South Poles and has spent up to 72 days on ice in temperatures that didn’t get warmer than 30 degrees below zero. ![]() Polar explorer Eric Larsen is no stranger to extreme cold. ![]()
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