Here's my philosophy on signaling devices:
1) You can only carry so much stuff with you in one of these airplanes.
2) There are short duration signals and there are long duration signals. Flares are short duration signals
3) There are night signals and there are day signals. For the most part, flares are night signals. They are really hard to see in daylight unless you look right at them.
4) If they are searching for you with NVG's, they'll be able to see a fire from a long ways off, and a flashlight with white lens from much further off.
So, I don't like flares much, cause they are a VERY short duration (unless you can air drop some of the Viet Nam era WP aerial flares) primarily night signal, and there are a lot of other night signals out there that may in fact be better.
I carry a few small pen flares in my main survival gear. I carry several railroad fuses as well. Light one of these and wave it, and it'll burn for 15 minutes or so.
Greatland laser sells laser flares, which I think are pretty cool. Apparently, however, the Coast Guard evaluated them for inclusion in their personal survival kits and didn't think they were all that great. They are expensive. They look pretty good to me, but.....
You need a fire, you need some light to work around camp with. There are far better daytime signalling devices than flares.
Carry some railroad fuses. They'll help you start a fire, work well as signals, and add a good flashlight to that, with extra batteries, and I think you may have night signalling in the bag.
A few pen flares aren't such a bad idea, but they are so momentary as to be nearly irrelevant.
I've been dang near shot down by guys trying to get my attention with flares during daylight. They used up all their flares as I motored back and forth overhead, hauling fuel. Finally decided to shoot me down, and lobbed one across my bow. I saw that one, but just barely.
Course, some people may stay awake while hauling fuel.....
MTV
