January 21, 2010
How Old is too Old for Outdated Flares?
I recently read an interesting article in Boat U.S. Magazine which focused on flares. Many of us carry a set of expired flares onboard in addition to new flares which makes you wonder to yourself ,“are these too old?” or “will these out-of-date flares fire off properly if I need to use them?” In conjunction with the Coast Guard the article’s author set off a series of tests to determine exactly how old is too old. After firing off new flares to use as a bench mark, they fired off a series of flares with various expiration dates. The oldest dated back to 1985! After being evaluated for both height and the amount of light emitted, the group determined that flares which are out of date about four years are worth keeping aboard in addition to a new set.
Posted by ribcraftusa at January 21, 2010 02:53 PM
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