Old flares

[snowleopard]

Thought I'd share my experience of disposing of old flares.

I phoned Falmouth CG and asked their advice: They will accept them on Monday and Friday mornings, by appointment only. They should be no more than 25 years old and normally no more than a dozen at a time. They store them in a surprisingly small steel cupboard out at the back of the building.

In practice, they didn't check the dates and, because they had recently emptied the cupboard, they took the 3 dozen I'd brought,

 

[lustyd]

I threw my old flares in the clothing bank down the road, no issues at all

 

[Biggles Wader]

I threw my old flares in the clothing bank down the road, no issues at all

I still wear mine. Back in fashion next year I think

 

[Sandy]

I only buy new pyrotechnics from people who will take my old ones. Really, really simple.

 

[lustyd]

I'm guessing Sandy missed the joke. Or doesn't like jokes?

 

[Sandy]

I'm guessing Sandy missed the joke. Or doesn't like jokes?

I knew that you were way off topic.

 

[lustyd]

Ah. Doesn't like jokes it is then!

 

[RivalRedwing]

I still wear mine. Back in fashion next year I think

retro is the word

 

[Sandy]

Ah. Doesn't like jokes it is then!

I did not find it funny...

 

[Gary Fox]

I did not find it funny...

It isn't...
There is no law against carefully dismantling your old flares; the powder might be a useful slug deterrent.

 

[snowleopard]

I only buy new pyrotechnics from people who will take my old ones. Really, really simple.

I'm firmly in the camp of 'keep the old ones, 12 flares is better than 6'. I don't however go as far as the chap who was in real distress and told his crew to get out the flares, followed by "Not those, they're the good ones".

I'm only getting rid of them because I'm swallowing the anchor and parachute flares aren't much use in a dinghy on a lake!

FWIW, when I did my sea survival course, we were invited to bring old hand-held flares to try. Many were over 40 years old and I think every single one worked.

 

[Gary Fox]

I'm firmly in the camp of 'keep the old ones, 12 flares is better than 6'. I don't however go as far as the chap who was in real distress and told his crew to get out the flares, followed by "Not those, they're the good ones".

I'm only getting rid of them because I'm swallowing the anchor and parachute flares aren't much use in a dinghy on a lake!

FWIW, when I did my sea survival course, we were invited to bring old hand-held flares to try. Many were over 40 years old and I think every single one worked.

I think the old chap had some logic on his side actually!
If only letting off flares was part of the Survival course, which candidates had to do successfully or fail, we would be free from the contagious night terrors about dangerous explosives on board, and from the delusions that winking LEDs are meaningful substitutes for pyros.

 

[penberth3]

It isn't...
There is no law against carefully dismantling your old flares; the powder might be a useful slug deterrent.

There is Darwin's Law - for anyone stupid enough to do that.

 

[Rum_Pirate]

The Coast Guard here (just called them) advised to bring them to the Coast Guard Station.

There was no advice on how they subsequently disposed of them.

 

[Caraway]

I did not find it funny...

Neither did I. Throwing them away is ludicrous.
Given that they have lots of material in them they make great rags for garage/workshop use.
.

 

[Gary Fox]

There is Darwin's Law - for anyone stupid enough to do that.

Darwin's law doesn't apply, I've already passed on my DNA; but why do you think it might be fatal to carefully cut up a distress flare, empty out the powder, and experiment with it?

 

[penberth3]

Darwin's law doesn't apply, I've already passed on my DNA; but why do you think it might be fatal to carefully cut up a distress flare, empty out the powder, and experiment with it?

This must be a wind-up?

 

[lustyd]

I feel like the important word is carefully. Explosives have been used for centuries by people with considerably less information than we have available today. If anything I'd be more worried about searching online for the information needed to open them safely than actually opening them these days!

 

[Sandy]

I'm firmly in the camp of 'keep the old ones, 12 flares is better than 6'. I don't however go as far as the chap who was in real distress and told his crew to get out the flares, followed by "Not those, they're the good ones".

I'm only getting rid of them because I'm swallowing the anchor and parachute flares aren't much use in a dinghy on a lake!

FWIW, when I did my sea survival course, we were invited to bring old hand-held flares to try. Many were over 40 years old and I think every single one worked.

Snowleopard, as you are in Cornwall and I'm in Devon I could take them off your hands. Drop me a PM and we could sort something out.

 

[mjcoon]

I still wear mine. Back in fashion next year I think

I thought they were permanent matelot uniform. Was never so sure about the story that the ankle width fitted over the thighs so they could be pulled up out of reach of the cleaning bucket content...