"How long will they last?"

Some may say, "They'll last for years!" Others may tell you, "They'll last for 12 months."  The truth is, it is impossible to accurately predict. I've seen some last only a few months. We have some that we fly at festivals that are many years old. It all depends on how you are going to use and take care of them, and the conditions they will experience. The things that wear them out are the very things that make them so beautiful -- the sunlight and wind. Key factors are the the intensity of the winds and ultraviolet light (UV), which increases with elevation and during the summer months. I've flown duplicate banners 24/7 and had one last only a few months and the other one lasted over a year. The difference - wind conditions. Fly it next to something it will rub against and it will not last long. The fastest way to wear them out is to fly them 24/7, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in heavy winds.    

Test Field. We test our banners until failure, redesign and test again. They are up 24/7 in the dead of winter, in snow and freezing rains. They are up in the high winds of spring and the intense heat and high UV's of Southwest USA summers. We also are always making field observations as we use our banners at festivals and observe other's experiences. I've even gone to the extent of driving them at highway speeds to test for high winds. All this knowledge is built into our banners and kites and we are continually making them better.

“How can I make them last longer?   Our banners/kites are made of either impregnated ripstop nylon, the same used in spinnaker sails on sailboats, or SolarMax™, a fabric designed by Dupont to resist UV's. They are very durable, but eventually, as with everything, they will wear out. The sun degrades the fabric, and the wind wears it out. The higher the wind, the more wear on the material. You can just leave the banner on the pole and slip the pole off the stake and set the pole and banner out of the high winds and sun. Then set it up when the winds calm down.  You extend its life by flying it only when you’re around and can appreciate it and taking it down when you’re gone. Just like you wouldn’t leave your car open and the engine running all night, “because I’m going to be using it tomorrow anyway,” why leave your banner up all night and unnecessarily wear it out. If you take it down in the evenings and night, you’ll double its life.

Extreme Winds: Never use your pole or subject your banner to extreme winds. You might hurt someone, it could damage your banner or pole and it will shorten their lives.