Road Flares = safety + firestarter?

I'm trying to find some good safety flares to keep in the car. My research found a couple users who mention that they are also useful as a firestarter.

My priority is high-visibility for a road emergency, but if they are also good as a firestarter that's a bonus.

Anyone have a recommendation for a particular flare or outlet?

I checked out Gall's, whom I trust, but they sell them by the case and I don't need that many.

________________________________

Incidentally, hiked with a friend today who lives in a DC 'burb and who bought a new vehicle in the last year but neglected to transfer over what gear she had into the new SUV (Lexus).

So we were talking about it, I mentioned what I keep in my Element and she wants to be more strategic, assembling a BOB (we didn't use that terminology)in a daypack in addition to road emergency gear (for herself, her passengers and others if she happens upon an accident).

I'm sending her a list of stuff I keep in the car. She's going to be surprised....

If using flares as designed, please remember the ARE very good fire starters of the unintended kind also.

I have seen numerous well intentioned folks place said flares and really make the accident easy to see due to the grass fire just adjacent to it.

Tis also a good way to find fuel leaks....

You can pick up highway flares priced individually at your local Pep-Boys. I carry both the low-tech pyrotechnic version and the new Power Flare.

Craig.

Well, maybe I'll stick with the battery-powered strobe.


:-)

Road flares are a bit old tech in this day and age. And, as already stated they are a hazard in their own right.

I can highly recommend Eflare Safety Beacon.... http://www.eflarecorp.com/

But road flares are cheap enough that I don't mind laying a few down even if I will be leaving the scene. I doubt that I would want to do that with electronic devices.

Tractor Supply and many truck stops sell flares and the triangular markers.

Having one triangle marker is nice, even if to put on your vehicle to signal which one needs repair or attention.

Flares are every bit as dangerous as the person using them.

I've never heard of one going off by itself. If you're the kind of person who tosses lit cigarettes out of cars in summer, sets off illegal fireworks in your neighbor's dry field (upwind of his house), and likes to set wastebaskets of tissues on fire, then NO, you shouldn't use them.

Well, I've never had those arsonist yearnings.

But I do kind of get a kick out of lighting my charcoal chimney starter and watching the briquettes take off.

Seriously, I'm interested in these battery-powered devices. Just wondering if they're really as visible as the traditional flares.

Can't recall seeing anything in use that's brighter than a flare.

And you probably won't find anything brighter without an arc welder. They are just a little more hassle than battery powered strobes.

I have used them for years, but I am darn careful when I do.

A quoat from Eflares News letter... U.S. Police Switch to Eflare
Police forces in the U.S. are switching over from their previously popular old-style pyrotechnic flares to Eflare HZ510 red.

http://www.eflarecorp.com/news-stories/Eflare%20News%20May%202009.pdf

I don't know much about the Eflare, but the Power Flare is made in the U.S. and is designed to put up with expected abuse like being run over by a truck. I even believe Doug Ritter has them in his trunk kit. I've met these guys at SHOT Show and like them alot, they stand by their product. You are going to pay for quality, but they are worth checking out.

Craig.

I have and use both; pyro flares and strobe flares. That said, when making kits for others I don't include the pyros. The benefit of a brighter signal doesn't outweigh the chance that someone who has never used one before will inadvertantly do something to make their situation worse.

I do also take one or two camping. There's not much that will work better to start a cookfire in a downpour.

While that may be occurring in some limited locales, my experience is the traditional road flare is still is widely used by both police and fire/rescue agencies.

Pete

We still use them. I remember the first time that I lit one twenty years ago as a rookie, at an accident scene... screwed up a brand spankin' new pair of highly flammable uniform pants and performed a very comical roadside dance. Lesson learned.

This is what I currently have in the car - REI sells it for kayaks but it's also designed for road safety.

This is a worthy research subject. The Power Flare is intriguing so I may get one to try out and compare. And I may also carry a traditional flare, or two. Redundancy in this arena has merit.


http://www.rei.com/product/785182

The Seattle Sports HydroStar S.O.S. Deluxe light features a bright xenon strobe light, a suction base and a magnetic socket.

* Mounts easily to boat decks of fiberglass and plastic kayaks; magnetic socket attaches to the side of a car for roadside safety lighting

* Attaches to a PFD to become a personal safety beacon; features a handy attachment clip and cord

* Waterproof to 50 ft.; includes batteries

One thing that REALLY worries me RE the electronic flare replacement - retreval

Being out in traffic is bad - being stuck out in traffic is VERY bad - having to go back and retrieve your "flare line" - shudder

OSH just ran an ad for road flares on sale for $1/each, not sure if that's a good deal or not. These are the ones you ignite with the cap/cover.

A lit flare, waved in a wide up/down motion is hard to miss, even at a distance. The only thing that matches is the red/blue police overhead lights.

Could you tie paracord to the end and swing it, talk about being able to be seen from miles away, and even pilots, etc. (Light sticks work good like this too)

Waving a LIT flare? A very Dangerous endeavor,indeed! Those things emit-Molten Sulphur as well as Very Noxious fumes!I think Sparklers from left over fireworks would be a Much safer bet to,Wave around & though they also emit hot sparks,but that's why God put hair on our arms,lol! Sparklers pack very light,also. YMMV

I think a flare tied to a cord would be a great signal for aircraft, esp in the desert, on a beach or on pavement, etc. Every square inch of America isn't flammable.

Sparklers don't burn very long.

If you are planning on doing this type of signaling in an urban environment, do yourself a favor and go down to your local boat/marine store and get yourself a marine flare designed to be held after ignition. They don't seem to spit and smoke the same way as the highway flares.

Craig.

Nor should you tie one to a line and swing it around, unless as RoverOver intimated, you want to spray burning slag over everything in a 10+ meter radius, including yourself.

Unless you're in the Sahara (or in the middle of a deserted parking lot), there's plenty to carry a ground fire. Fusees were our preferred method of starting back fires in light fuels, even in the desert. But since this is the "Urban Preparedness" forum, I'll stop with that.

Well, one more thing. That recent thread about the Eagle Scout being fined 25K for SAR services? That would be chump change compared to costs of putting out a wildland fire, even a small one (<2 acres). Not to mention the fine on top of it. Twirling a lit fusee from a line does not pass the "reasonable man" test.

Just my $0.02

I was very underwhelmed with the visibility of the Power Flare no matter how environmentally friendly it might be.