Battery Storage -- THYRM CellVaults and Storacell Caddies

[Big Frank]

Okay, let's talk about Battery Storage. You may know that I have several Storacell Caddies in the house and car. I also have a THYRM CellVault XL clipped onto the back of my backpack. The clip is threaded through 2 MOLLE loops. It takes up very little room and doesn't weigh very much.

There are several models of CellVaults -- the original, the XL that's twice as wide and holds twice as many batteries, a large modular system, one specifically for an 18650 or pair of 18350 batteries, and one just for 21700 batteries. More of the newer lights are shifting toward that size because the capacity is so much more than an 18650 while barely being any larger. That's what my 3,100 lumen Olight Seeker 4 uses. An 18650 would fit in the 217000 holder with 3mm side to side play, 2/3 the diameter of a BB. And there would be 5mm extra room end to end if it wasn't made to hold 2 18350s, the same length as a 21700. I think I would buy that one over the 18650 size even if I wasn't currently using 21700 batteries, just to allow for a size upgrade.

[Big Frank]

The CellVault XL says it will hold among other combinations, 6 CR123s, or 2 18650s with the center divider removed. But it will hold 2 CR1213s AND 2 18650s. I put a CR123 on each side of the divider,  then an 18650 on top of one, and a AA on top of the other one. Those 4 batteries of 3 different types will cover most of the WMLs or flashlights I'm likely to have with me at any given moment. They fit tight with the divider in place and don't rattle, but I almost have to use a multi-tool to pull the divider out to get the batteries out. That's the easiest way to get them out. Without the divider, I have to use a scrap of mattress topper foam to keep them from rattling around. The FDE color is a good match for my backpack.

https://thyrm.com/product-category/cellvault/



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8-5qRjpplA


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX8rbIewtuw

[Big Frank]

I have a bunch of Storacell battery caddies and accessories. I bought different color caddies in different battery sizes to make it easy to identify them. I have orange for AAA, yellow for AA, military green for CR123, a purple one for 18650 and when they quit making purple I got clear ones, black for C cells and clear for 9 Volt batteries. The battery caddies come in many different sizes, but I mostly bought the smallest sizes, with the exception of 6 AAAs that are about the size of 4 AA caddies. I didn't buy any of the "Moonshine" glow in the dark battery caddies because they cost a little more and they'll mostly be in the dark, not absorbing any light.

https://storacell.net/

[Big Frank]

They gave me a AA-AAA Combo, but I can't remember if t was yellow or orange. I have a few "cradles" to hold pairs of battery caddies, and a belt pouch that holds a couple of them. I have a Magnetic Button Caddy 8pk Military Green full of 2032 batteries and a Magnetic Button Caddy 4pk Black-White full of 2016s. You can stack 2 2016s on top of each other since they're the same size as a 2032, but there's no guarantee they'll stay in place. And I bought on of their 5 buck battery testers so I don't need to get my multi-meter out every time I want to check a battery.

[Rastus]

Ouch.  Those THYRM products are expen$ive.  I don't think I need one of those for anything above $5-10. 

[Sponsor]

[Big Frank]

Yeah, 30 bucks for the XL I got is pretty steep, but I got a veterans discount so it wasn't quite so bad. I haven't seen anything better at any price, and will still recommend them until I do. They almost look like you could drive a truck over them without breaking them, and they're water tight which is always a good thing for batteries, first aid gear, or fire starting kits.

[alfsauve]

I feel so inadequate.  All these years and all I use is a little snap shut utility case from The Container Store. 
While the picture doesn't show it, I also put a 2032 and a 1632 in their original plastic case inside and it still snaps securely shut.

I keep one of these in my range bag/cart and one in each vehicle emergency bag.  My rotation is to take out of the range bag first then restock that.   Once a year I swap out the vehicle bag ones and put them up for everyday rotation.

[Big Frank]

I never heard of the container store before, but I'll be checking it out. I think I'm going to order a THYRM CellVault-21 Battery Storage for 21700 and Streamlight SL-B50 batteries. I'll put my Sniper Hog Lights 18650 to 21700 battery adapter in it with an 18650 battery in it. And I'll take the 18650 battery out of my other cell vault and put 2 AAA batteries, or whatever fits, in it instead. I think I'll have a pair of CR123s, a pair of AAAs, and and a AA. I may be able to fit one or 2 more than those in it. I was looking at my CellVault again the other day and the color doesn't match my tan backpack as well as I thought it did. It's a lot darker. It's a much closer match to the MOLLE pouch that's attached to the back of my backpack.

[alfsauve]

One of the few home décor places I really like.  Have to stay away because I'll spend too much there.  Miss Kitty same.  They have brick and mortar stores in many states, but only in the largest cities.    Besides these little snap shut cases in various sizes they carry Akro-bins and lots of other "containers".

https://www.containerstore.com/welcome.htm

So feeling so inadequate, BUT HAVING a 3D printer (2 now), I looked up all the shared printouts.  A lot of cute, interlocking storage containers, all sorts of shapes and sizes.  I decided to design them myself to fit my space.    Here's one of 100 designs.

[Big Frank]

My smallest gun cabinet came with 2 small brown AkroBins that are hanging in 2 of 3 slots on the inside of the door. They're about 3" high x 4" wide x 5" long. I have a small yellow AkroBin that may have followed me home from work. I'm not sure where it came from but it's in my footlocker and full of spare keys. The 3rd slot in the door of my gun cabinet has a couple of Contender barrels hanging on bent steel rods. If they weren't there I'd put another bin in that slot. Those things are great.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av_4SXp5Z20


https://www.akro-mils.com/Products/Types/Plastic-Storage-Containers/AkroBins/AkroBin-30210.html