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Discs in cold weather

I've had the flight plates warp if I left them in the trunk for an extended period of time in really cold weather (closer to 0 if not colder). I've since made a habit of taking my bag home with me if it's going to be cold out and I don't plan on playing for a while.
 
I've learned by now to keep my disc bag inside if I'm not playing. That way I don't have to worry about them being affected by either extreme heat or cold (we get both in Kansas City).

Keeping them in your car isn't that much more convenient, really.
 
I've learned by now to keep my disc bag inside if I'm not playing. That way I don't have to worry about them being affected by either extreme heat or cold (we get both in Kansas City).

Keeping them in your car isn't that much more convenient, really.

i learned that from the heat, but none the less learn that its not better to leave them in your car - regardless of weather. i havent personally noticed warps from cold weather but i have noticed stability increases from it. the extreme of the weather doesnt matter though, unless it it consistently mild dont leave them in your car.
 
The only thing I've noticed in cold weather is on putters and some mid ranges the flight plate sinks in and becomes inverted. Want to make your own Yeti-Pro Aviars? Leave some KC Pro Aviars outside for the winter.
 
My trunk is my disc locker at all times. I keep the extras inside, but my bag is always in there. I have never noticed a difference in flight stability because of this, though. I always thought it was the cold air and extra layers of clothes that kept me from going big. Hmmm...
 
My trunk is my disc locker at all times. I keep the extras inside, but my bag is always in there. I have never noticed a difference in flight stability because of this, though. I always thought it was the cold air and extra layers of clothes that kept me from going big. Hmmm...

think about when people imagine the disc, then draw the disc, then make test samples, then test them, the produce mass quantities (with more steps in between), they **usually** do it in "room temperature" aka warm weather. think about when most any product other than produce or meat or beer or something we consume is made, its almost always in at least somewhat warm weather. cold weather testing could occur, but buzzz' arent frost-brewed lol
 
I have been curious about this myself. A friend left a champ Boss on his roof for a year, then started throwing it. It looked like hell but he loved it, so?? not relivent, sorry.
 
Plastic will degrade over time due to any thermal cycling, changes in humidity, etc. I don't know how brittle or overstable something may become over time with any of this, but I know the simple fact that keeping them in a moderate constant environment will be much better for them. So, I keep them about 70 degrees year round, in my house. :)

Tim S.
 
I had a Star Teebird that I left in my car on a hot day (like, 110 with humidity), it got all warped and goofy looking. I mean, there was literally more plastic on one side of the disc than on the other. It was super-understable.
 
Haha, yeah I left one of those Quest ultra-light discs in my car one day in the summer. When I got back the thing looked like a Pringle chip and had a big hole in the middle of the flight plate. Good times.
 
the biggest issue here is the range of temperature cycling that they will see. if you park outside and it gets below freezing at night then during the day increases to a much higher temp from your car being outside this can be bad.

thermocycling can have a big impact on the plastic material characteristics and if severe enough change the shape of the molded part.

i once worked for a company that had to thermocycle test every plastic component of their assembled unit due to transportation scenarios where they would be in a truck trailer for shipping and go through a heating-cooling cycling repeatedly.
 
I'm not sure about long term affect but if I know I'm going to play the next day I'll put my bag in the car overnight so I don't have the sticky snow issue to deal with.
 
Has anyone else left their discs in the trunk throughout the cold weather? Does it adversely affect them?

I've kept a bag in the back of my work van for several years. I make sure the bag sits upright and the discs have been just fine. I have a mix of several types of plastic.
 
Today I got back a pumpkin face star katana I lost in a tree the day I got it, 2 years ago. It doesnt apear to be warped, the color has faded on the top, but the bottom looks fairly new still. I live in the greater Seattle area, so the disc was frozen and got to 95f.

I left discs in the trunk when I lived in Sacramento,CA. 115f = melt down. It comes down to how nasty mother nature is gona be, and where your discs are stored.
 
I would imagine that discs in the cold is going to have much of a lesser permanent effect on a disc than in the heat.

I wouldn't be too concerned, because in the warm weather, the disc will just expand again. I guess the only thing that would really happen is that it'll get really hard and brittle in extreme cold. If it's a pretty quick chill, then there's the chance of a warp of some sort.

The most dangerous part of discs and temperature, is a quick change from one to the other. Gradual changes will have a lesser effect.
 
I would be more concerned with them being stolen. This sport is growing fast. A lot of quality people play, but there is some rif raf out and about too. I mean, who cares if your discs are warped if you whole bag is thieved upon.
 

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