turbo1889, thanks a bunch for the very informative reply and sharing your own experience! I think I'll follow your and others' suggestion to buy the Eneloop NiMH rechargeables. Now I have another question, about the charger: most of the inexpensive chargers I see are for 2 AA batteries. The flashlight I have uses 3 AA (am contemplating another flashlight using 3 AAA's). My concern is that the 3 batteries should be charged at the same time for the same duration to prevent damage or early death of the batteries. Is this concern reasonable? Should I look for a charger for 4 AA's?