how many batteries for a winter trip?


summrj

New Member
May 19, 2008
35
0
0
37
hey guys.. i know this is a very subjetive question.. but for those who have gone on winter trips.. how many batteries do you recommend to one goin for a winter trip..

I'm goin to lithuania.. temp will be abt -10 to 0 deg.
 

At least 2, charge at the end of every day.
 

Hello all... How about those countries temperature fall between 3°C to 18°C? Thanks!:)
 

Hello all... How about those countries temperature fall between 3°C to 18°C? Thanks!:)

I think you should always carry 2.. even in Singapore.. you never know man.. half the time we alw think tt we charged it.. haha

but beyond 2.. then I think you gotta really be away and on the go for quite a fair bit...
 

I think you should always carry 2.. even in Singapore.. you never know man.. half the time we alw think tt we charged it.. haha

but beyond 2.. then I think you gotta really be away and on the go for quite a fair bit...

Roger...Noted & thanks!!!:)
 

hey guys.. i know this is a very subjetive question.. but for those who have gone on winter trips.. how many batteries do you recommend to one goin for a winter trip..

I'm goin to lithuania.. temp will be abt -10 to 0 deg.

Have found 1 good enough. Also remember to keep equipment and batteries warm before use (keep in body or put warmers round camera). Will reduce energy consumption and battery power will last longer

Guess 2 for the "just in case"
 

During my last few trips to the colder climates, my batteries started behaving strangely. :(

The capacity life dropped by half in the cold. When I was outside in the cold (after 3 or 4 hours exploring the town, temp 5 to 12 degrees C), the battery indicator showed low or flashed to change battery. When I am back indoor, the same battery which I changed outside seem to be working again.

For my coming trip where the temp is -15 degrees C, I am using 4 batteries - one in the camera (EOS50D) and 3 BP511A batteries on standby.
 

Hello, summrj.
Actually it depends on how you anticipate your accessibility to power supply.
I did a 10 day trip with temperature ranging from -11 degree to 10 degrees
with 3 Original & 2 third party batteries, and I only needed to re-charge three batteries during the trip.
I am just lazy lah...
 

The capacity life dropped by half in the cold. When I was outside in the cold (after 3 or 4 hours exploring the town, temp 5 to 12 degrees C), the battery indicator showed low or flashed to change battery. When I am back indoor, the same battery which I changed outside seem to be working again.

The chemical reaction that releases the electrical energy is slowed down when the battery gets cold. That doesn't mean the charge is gone as you see: when the battery is warmer the power is there. Keep your spare batteries warm, otherwise they will show the same behaviour.
 

One thing I've realized when you trying to shoot in really cold weather... don't use 3rd party batteries, cause they can't hold their charge in the cold. I've a bunch of 3rd party batts, but ended up buying original ones.
 

One thing I've realized when you trying to shoot in really cold weather... don't use 3rd party batteries, cause they can't hold their charge in the cold. I've a bunch of 3rd party batts, but ended up buying original ones.

Hehe... agree agree.
 

For 3°C to 18°C, I carried 3 batteries myself. One original, and 2 3rd party batteries. At the end I found 1 is enough, the 2nd and 3rd ones are for backup only. Make sure all your batteries are fully charged at least at the beginning of your trip, or your backup batteries will also become useless when you indeed need them.

For my experience, I used 1 BP511 2800mAh 3rd party batter, 1 BP511A 1800mAh 3rd party battery & 1 BP511A 1390 mAh original battery. Ended up only using the BP511 2800mAh.
 

Hi,
I just came back from Harbin, China last dec 24th to 2nd Jan 2010.The temperature is -20 to -26. I took Canon 5D Mark2 with battery grid which had 2 batteries inside and honestly, i brought 6 batteries with me. Within half a day( 4 to 5hrs ) depends on how you shoot. It actually went off very fast. The only way i did was everytime u snap a few, better put ur camera in your jacket to keep warm. I just wonder what camera r u using.Enjoy ur trip. Cheers
 

Hi
It is good to have 2 batteries, keep you batteries warm like keeping 1 in your pocket while you have the other in the camera. Usually if you batteries are pretty new they will not fail unless you have frozen it by accident.

There is some limitation on how many batteries you can bring on flight especially Lithium-Ion/Lithium-Polymer battery, and never put it into your check-in luggage, have it in you camera bag if possible. Well enjoy you trip & come back with plenty of photos to share.
 

One thing I've realized when you trying to shoot in really cold weather... don't use 3rd party batteries, cause they can't hold their charge in the cold. I've a bunch of 3rd party batts, but ended up buying original ones.

Can't agree more with this. I used only original batteries and just came back from Harbin and Jilin (between -20 to -30 degree Celsius throughout the trip). One fully charged battery last me for the whole day just like in any weather and i leave my camera outside my outer jacket all the time.

I think the more important thing to take note is condensation when traveling during winter. Remember to carry a zip-lock bag, this will come in handy.
 

Last edited:
Can't agree more with this. I used only original batteries and just came back from Harbin and Jilin (between -20 to -30 degree Celsius throughout the trip). One fully charged battery last me for the whole day just like in any weather and i leave my camera outside my outer jacket all the time.
I think the more important thing to take note is condensation when traveling during winter. Remember to carry a zip-lock bag, this will come in handy.

Totally agree. I bought 2 batteries at very good price from a Sgp online shop. Arrived in original-looking packaging but the shipping arrangement gave some hints of its DNA. The batteries were placed in NTUC tissue box together with some strands of human hair and toe nail clippings ! Anyway, one battery fits nicely while the other doesn't. I blacklisted it by making a marker-pen indication. Well, true enough, while the battery works in Sgp, it just didn't work under extreme cold temperatures, unlike the original.