Expires December 2009 - methinks it's time to replace my distress flares.

Front - hand-held, giving off orange smoke, for daytime use when rescuers are near;

Middle - hand-held, with red light, for night-time use when rescuers are near; and

Back - parachute rocket, with red light, for attracting attention from a distance. Not to be set off when the chopper's overhead...

A small part of the safety gear I take when out sea kayaking. It's all very well having these, and taking them out with me, but I need to improve the access to them if they're to be of use in a hurry. It's a balance between having access to them; them not getting in the way when, say, rescuing, or towing other folk (i.e. them being a hazard, or being lost); and keeping them dry.

Having never had the misfortune to have to use them, it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with how they work before heading out. It's not very easy to read the instructions in choppy water, or at night... it wouldn't be the first time someone's fired a parachute flare straight down into the water, or their boat. Somehow I don't fancy a large firework going off, between my legs!