There are certainly some nice advantages of the high end batteries, but they are not for everyone. If you only go out a few times a month, fish short days and don't go on trips, they are probably not for you. On the other hand, if you are tired of having to replace another SLA, take kayak trips to remote locations, fish long back to back days often, are concerned about a short causing your battery to melt down, don't like to leave your battery on the charger for 8+ hours or just want to lose a few pounds, then the LiFePo4 batteries may be for you.

Every few weeks, Bioenno has their 12v 12ah battery with charger on sale for about $150 shipped. I chose that size battery (12ah) because I knew it would get me 2 full days of use from my HDS 5 at .75a per hr.(avg.). Your needs/uses may vary, so the size you need may be more or less. That is also the largest size of battery I could fit in my built in battery bag.

Thanks for the explanations guys.
Greg, is this the one you're referring to? Looks even cheaper...however; says "coming soon".
http://www.bioennopower.com/collecti...ifepo4-battery

Unless they have two different 12v 12a batteries I believe 'coming soon' means its on back order.

Those are some of the reasons I decided to go with a LiFePo4. I fish at least 3-4 times a month and I'm usually on the water right around 8hrs. I didn't want a battery that 'might' last 10hrs or die after 5hrs because I forgot to charge it. I once ran my LiFePo4 from 6am - 8pm and it never failed, that kind of dependability is worth every cent to me.

That is the one, right down to the model number. That was about the price before, but I was talking about after tax and shipping.

Have you guys seen this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-10Ah-Bam...item4ac0b5aa49

Interesting packaging. They mention the use of lead acid chargers in their description. That's surprising.

There ya go, just put it/them in a waterproof container with a top (take top off to charge), drill a small hole in box to run wires through and 5200 them in place, a few waterproof connectors, and your in business. Like any battery, anything that causes a very fast discharge, like submersion, will create an electric thermo transfer, i.e., heat, enough to create a fire, or melt a yak. The nice thing is that a 20amph LION is about the size of a cigarette box.

That looks like a great price, but I wouldn't think the bamboo case would hold up without being in a waterproof container

That could mean it's not balanced. A balanced LIPO 4 battery is going to last much longer if taken care of properly.

The chip inside the good LiFePo4 batteries protects from many problem situations like over discharge where your battery would heat up, potentially causing a problem. I dont see any mention of the Bamboo case being waterproof which would be a problem. Also, 10 amps is not going to last me 2 full days of fishing with my ff.