To help extend the life and performance of your Bivy Stick's battery, follow these best practices:
- Store them at a partial charge: Aim for 40–60% state of charge. This minimizes stress on the battery chemistry—avoid storing them fully charged (100%) or fully discharged (near 0%), as both extremes accelerate degradation.
- Keep them cool: Ideal storage temperature is around 15–25°C (59–77°F). Avoid hot spots (like attics, cars, or near heaters) or freezing conditions, as temperature extremes speed up aging dramatically.
- Check and top up periodically: Every 1–2 months, inspect the charge level and recharge back to that 40–60% range if needed. This prevents the voltage from dropping into the danger zone and helps preserve capacity.
These batteries experience calendar aging—gradual chemical degradation—when they're not in use. Over long periods of inactivity, they also self-discharge slowly (typically 1-3% per month), and if the charge drops too low (often below ~2.5–3.0V per cell), it can cause permanent damage, such as the battery failing to hold a charge.
They perform and last longest when used regularly (even light use), rather than when stored for prolonged periods. For the best results during extended periods of non-use:
- Avoid leaving the battery fully discharged for more than 24 hours.
- Don’t store a fully charged battery for long periods (weeks to months). Make sure to turn it on every 1-2 months.
- If storing the device, keep the battery at above 40% charge.
- For long-term storage, perform a charge and discharge cycle every 1–2 months