Reddit mentions of Solio Classic Hybrid Solar Charger (New)

Any light using lithium batteries will have a ten year storage life or better. Of course, do use an l.e.d. light and not krypton, halogen, or an incandescant bulb since they are so inefficient and hard on batteries. In regards to the cold, it only helps storage life. Like any battery, once brought to room temperature the battery is back to full power and while in cold storage it probably gained some storage life.

Crank lights are notorious for cheapness and being undependable. For the dependability and price of alternatives, crank lights are nothing better than a novelty. Buy them for fun but don't count on them. That is why even the most expensive go for around $20.00 US. A quality l.e.d. light with lithium batteries in it and a spare set of lithium batteries should cover most long term storage and emergency needs if you don't want to pursue an alternative power source.

If you really want to be ready for longer situations:

To provide power for long term power outages and have juice for: AM/FM radio's, cell phones, CB/VHF/GMRS/FRS radio's, flashlights/lanterns, laptops, etc., then a small solar power supply and bank of rechargeable batteries is necessary and not that expensive (see below). If you convert all battery powered devices in your home to rechargeable batteries and have a compliment of pre-charged backups, they can be moved from household use to emergency equipment and in your bag quickly before "bugging out". This way you save money from using rechargeable's instead of disposables in daily life and have removable bug out power storage as a bonus. If the power goes out and you stay in, then of course you don't have to move them and they are there waiting for use and re-application.



So let's say you are into the really serious bug out bag. Nickel metal hydride batteries such as Sanyo's Eneloop's are the way to go. While similar to most rechargeable batteries you have seen, these only have 10% PER YEAR discharge rates and can be recharged 1,500 times. Just ridiculous. The easiest way to tell these apart from the regular nickel metal rechargeables (which discharge more like 10% per month) is the addition of the tag line "pre-charged" on the label.

Add a portable solar charger such as this or this, maybe this. Add an extra couple of sets of batteries, and you are set for any potential long term "grid down" situation. If you choose electronic devices that all use similar batteries such as the very common "AA's" as much as possible - you also keep life simple by being able to choose larger collections of the same batteries. GMRS/FRS radio's can be had in AAA or AA, flashlights in AAA/AA/or a half dozen others, AM/FM radio's in AAA or AA...choose the same power source (read:AA) and the collection becomes much easier.

The going thing now is USB chargers on solar panels. That is why the Sanyo battery kit/charger I linked to has one (a USB connector). You can charge all batteries, cell phones, laptops, etc. with the solar chargers listed.

If you convert your remotes and all other battery devices at home to rechargeable's instead of expensive disposable's - you not only save money every year but you also have a large selection of rechargeable batteries to dip into and "recharge" nearly indefinitely with a solar charger of your choice. Why buy to prepare for a "maybe use" situation when you can "regularly use", save money, and add that to your "bug out" collection at any time? Alkaline's are now old technology with the invention of the low discharge Sanyo batteries. There is really no reason to buy an alkaline anymore when you can buy these rechargeable's, save money, and they can also be topped off - "off the grid" with a solar charger (at home in the yard or bugging out) with just the sun.