y_p_w
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When working, those cheap single AA LED lights work well, without the excessive and sometimes foolishly high price tag.
Toss a lithium battery in it, and you can just about forget about it in the glovebox or with the spare tire. It'll work when you need it.
I am no fan of alkaline batteries leaking all over everything. Rechargeables aren't for everyone.
My only worry is a phantom load. Had a popular brand flashlight that would eat batteries when not in use. You had to make an effort to unscrew the cap to avoid constant dead batteries. Just gotta remember to tighten it up before using again. Test for phantom loads, usually caused by the onboard controller/regulator sucking standby power even when the light is off... an issue with any light without a mechanical switch.
I'm thinking maybe car storage with a LSD NiMH plus a backup. Obviously heat is the enemy of any battery in storage, whether it's the shelf life of disposables or the amount of time a rechargeable stays fresh. Of course rotating in charged batteries often would help.
I've never had one of the Sanyo/FDK LSD batteries leak and affect a device - ever. I had a few that stopped working (especially in a cordless phone) and had a tiny amount of powder coming out of the positive terminal. But I've just seen way too many alkalines leak. I have a traditional MagLite AA that leaked and I can't even remove the batteries because they're pretty much fused to the barrel.