Experiment away, off the shelf is easy but no good if your not near a store.
Have seen people stuck with the simplest of problems due to lack of basic experience.
Its not like you are going to scream if one ends up dead because it cost you a fortune.
Nicads were one of the most rugged littie buggers around. I remember some of the original fast chargers (down to 30 min for a full charge) causing me to play "Hot Potato" with them but they still worked.