Survival whistle?

[Wendigo]

Reviewing my gear list got me to thinking about whistles and other alert/safety "beacons." Have you used a whistle in a hiking/backpacking situation? Was it effective? Would you use it again or something else? Your thoughts about the need/effectiveness of whistles? All input is welcome. And, yes, I'm soliciting your input for a possible entry for my wordpress blog. Your name would not be used in the story unless you ask for it to be. Best wishes and safe hiking! Wendigo.

[QHShowoman]

A whistle is one of those things I always carry and never have had to use. I suppose that's a good thing.

[Another Kevin]

There's a whistle built into the handle of my firesteel, so I carry that.

My whistle story, copied and pasted from http://www.catskillmountaineer.com/f...c6336fb9#p3313

At that waterfall, I remarked to Mike that I was going to hike up to the next one. He absently said, "OK," and returned his attention to his camera while the remark went in one ear and out the other. Next thing I knew, Mike and Rich were shouting for me. I shouted back, but they couldn't hear my voice over the sound of the falls. I pulled out my whistle, and tooted out "Shave and a Haircut", which did carry, but then a mockingbird started copying it! The guys though my whistle was just another bird call and kept hollering. (Well, they were worried only for the few minutes that it took me to hike back down to them again.)

[Coffee]

I picked up a two-pack mini whistle at REI before hiking the JMT. The whistle weighs 0.2 ounces and I thought it would be a good way of attracting attention if I became incapacitated near the trail since it is quite heavily traveled. Never had to use it. It seems to me that a whistle would be less useful on cross country routes or very lightly traveled trails but at such a tiny weight it is prudent to carry just in case.

[HooKooDooKu]

While I personally have yet to make use of a whistle in the back country, I have been in the general area where someone else used one to help scare away a bear.

I've been told that whistles are not very effective across large distances in the back country because the terrain and vegetation limit the distance over which they can be heard. So if you are hiking solo and in a remote area, a whistle isn't going to do you much good unless someone just happens to be hiking near by.

But if you are a part of a group or you're hiking in an area with a lot of traffic, a whistle is invaluable at allowing yourself to be heard as the whistle will be louder than your scream, the sound of a whistle will pretty much be known as a distress signal in the back country to anyone that hears it, and a whistle gives you the opportunity to 'scream' over a prolonged period because it takes much less energy to use a whistle than it is to scream.

And when you add in the fact of how light a whistle can be (and the fact that many back-packs include them not built into the chest strap) there isn't much reason to skip including a whistle in your list of required items to enter the back country.

[hikerboy57]

a whistle weighs next to nothing, and although it hs its limitations, is better than shouting.

[maguyver]

Falls into the "better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it" bag. Very small weight to benefit ratio.

[PD230SOI]

As soon as we head away from the car, my boys are handed their whistles. They know to sit down and use it in an emergency. They are eight and five. The five year old once used his whistle because he needed to poop and needed help digging the hole.

[The Old Boot]

Mine is on a lanyard and goes on when I get out of the hammock in the morning and goes in my ridgeline organizer when I go to bed.

When I'm not in the backcountry, it usually stays in the centre console of my car so that I can grab it if I'm headed off road for geo-caching.

I probably should have a few of them so one is attached to my PFD, one's in my day pack, etc. etc.

It's one of those items that it's better to have and never need than to not have and need it.

[ChinMusic]

I didn't carry a whistle for most of my thru which was prob not a good idea since I hiked mostly alone. I picked up a whistle from Bernie the Whittler in PA that is more of a souvenir. One should have a whistle and have it in a location that is VERY easy to get to, not buried in your pack. I liked the ones I saw standard on Osprey packs. I thought those were perfect.

[Nutbrown]

The chest strap on my pack, and on many I have seen, has a whistle. If your's doesn't, a lot of outfitters has the buckles with whistles for under a buck. Loud little sucker too.

[Lone Wolf]

Reviewing my gear list got me to thinking about whistles and other alert/safety "beacons." Have you used a whistle in a hiking/backpacking situation? Was it effective? Would you use it again or something else? Your thoughts about the need/effectiveness of whistles? All input is welcome. And, yes, I'm soliciting your input for a possible entry for my wordpress blog. Your name would not be used in the story unless you ask for it to be. Best wishes and safe hiking! Wendigo.

no bells or whistles needed

[Violent Green]

no bells or whistles needed

One of the three times I have agreed with LW.

Ryan

[Lone Wolf]

One of the three times I have agreed with LW.

Ryan

the other 2?

[MuddyWaters]

You can think up a scenario for which almost anything would be useful.

Bottom line: Stay ON THE TRAIL, and you would never need a whistle, or a signal mirror, or a flare gun, or a PLB , or a GPS, or anything else on the AT.

but if you want to bring one, they arent heavy.

[fredmugs]

The chest strap on my pack, and on many I have seen, has a whistle. If your's doesn't, a lot of outfitters has the buckles with whistles for under a buck. Loud little sucker too.

I was going to say the same thing. I had no idea it was there until someone else told me. Never had a need to use it.

[Trebor66]

One of the straps on my pack has one built into the clasp. If it wasn't there I probably wouldn't have one. However, my son carries one on a lanyard around his neck. He also wears very bright colored shirts to make him more visible.

[Rocket Jones]

It wasn't that long ago when some guy was getting his photo taken on the edge of a volcano and the rim collapsed, sending him down quite a ways. He was badly injured (eventually died, IIRC) but the folks still on the rim could hear his whistle as they tried to figure out where he was on the slope below.

[BigHodag]

Reflecting on Inchworm's mysterious dsappearance, would a whistle have made a difference? Did searchers pass nearby and fail to hear a signal?

I carry a small $5 flashlight/strobe/whistle on a lanyard. Granted the AT is fairly safe and several people are likely to pass by every day or two. But what about those times you're camped out of sight or digging cat holes? A whistle is cheap insurance.

Pea-less is best in freezing weather. I like strobes as night SAR crews can spot flashing lights from miles away.

I recently bought a small ham radio and noted it has a strobe/flashlight LED built in to the top. i might pack it due to its receiving NOAA wx freqs and my recent discovery of the Wilderness Protocol.

Like others, we issued our girls whistles on family trips and taught them to Hug a Tree (sit down).

[rocketsocks]

No whistle thread would be complete without mentioning the universal distress signal...three sharp blows.

I too carry a whistle.