Survival whistle?

[Gambit McCrae]

Most backpacks come witha whistle on the top strap, and if not, look for the cap of an acorn. play with it around the fire and use your thumbs to make a pie shape and blow, loudest whistle ever

[HikerMom58]

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).

I believe inchworm was carrying whistle....you could see it in a pic. Of her.

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

I too carry a whistle.

Me too...three sharp blows....got it!

[slbirdnerd]

I have a (very loud) safety whistle clipped to my shoulder strap where I can blow it without having to un-clip it. It lives there. It's just a smart thing to have handy for all sorts of reasons as mentioned above.

[Wise Old Owl]

Most of us don't carry - but when we do - its the same one lifeguards use at the shore...clearly the lightest loudest badass whistle on the market.

http://www.amazon.com/Markwort-Storm...=storm+whistle


Have you considered smoke signals and banging stick on a log?

[Prime Time]

My whistle is a cheap, plastic, featherlight (less than 1 ounce) combination whistle, compass, thermometer which are three things you should have but seldom, if ever, use except the compass. I use the compass on my smart phone but I like having this as a backup. The temperature is mostly nice to know but under certain circumstances might be important (will my water freeze, will rocks above be ice coated). The whistle is about as loud as most and would serve its purpose if needed.

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


The LOUDEST whistle I have ever used is pea-less, and the brand name is 'Storm'. Whenever I demonstrate it, I have to hold my ears...!!

[ChinMusic]

I'm surprised at those (well not the one) that say you don't need a whistle. That's like saying you don't need a seatbelt when driving, "I've been driving for years and never needed one"....whatever. Even the weeniest of gram weenies have to admit that a whistle adds no significant weight. There are times where some hiker is gonna need help. If that never happens to you, great.

[yaduck9]

[QUOTE=Wise Old Owl;1804359]Most of us don't carry - but when we do - its the same one lifeguards use at the shore...clearly the lightest loudest badass whistle on the market.

http://www.amazon.com/Markwort-Storm...=storm+whistle




I once used the built in whistle on my Fire Steel, to try to steer my friend back on to the trail. In the wind it did not carry very far. So, in my mind, it is useless. I now carry the storm whistle.

[Slo-go'en]

When I was hiking with a several woman in Glacier, I insisted we all have whisles. The whisles did come in handy one day when I was trailing behind (the usual situation) and they got off track because snow obscured the trail. With out the whisles, it would have taken longer to find them as the foot prints in the snow weren't real clear.


But usually, I don't bother with a whisle.

[Hill Ape]

I use a jet scream to call in my dog when she is off leash and out of sight (sorry, couldn't resist)

[Lone Wolf]

I'm surprised at those (well not the one) that say you don't need a whistle. That's like saying you don't need a seatbelt when driving, "I've been driving for years and never needed one"....whatever. Even the weeniest of gram weenies have to admit that a whistle adds no significant weight. There are times where some hiker is gonna need help. If that never happens to you, great.

one NEEDS food and water to hike. one doesn't need a whistle to hike

[ChinMusic]

one NEEDS food and water to hike. one doesn't need a whistle to hike

You could say that about shoes and pants as well.

[Wise Old Owl]

I'm surprised at those (well not the one) that say you don't need a whistle. That's like saying you don't need a seatbelt when driving, "I've been driving for years and never needed one"....whatever. Even the weeniest of gram weenies have to admit that a whistle adds no significant weight. There are times where some hiker is gonna need help. If that never happens to you, great.

I don't wear a seat belt....

[hikerboy57]

one NEEDS food and water to hike. one doesn't need a whistle to hike

You could say that about shoes and pants as well.

or a beard

[Kerosene]

34 posts and not a one has mentioned the drawbacks of whistles. Yes, they're extremely lightweight, but if there's much of a wind in a leafed forest you can blow that thing all day and no one will be able to pick it out beyond 50 yards. You would be much better off pulling out your metal cookpot and banging it with a rock. While not as shrill, the metallic sound is more likely to cut through the background noise of our typical forest.

Now, if the air is dead-still with a bit of fog, it is incredible how far sound can carry. Climbing up Webster Cliffs on a foggy morning I could hear couples talking to one another in their speaking voices from over a quarter mile away, when I would have sworn they were just around the bend.

[fiddlehead]

It's up to "How prudent you are".
Whistles probably help less than 1/10 of 1% of hikers.
But many still carry them.

I'm in the "no seat belt" crowd and have never carried, or had the need for a whistle.
I don't usually tell anyone where I'm going either.
But, that's me.
Up to you.

[Trailweaver]

I carry a whistle on my pack and on my life vest. I've never "needed" them; hope I don't ever need them. I did recently fall and break my leg in the far back side of my yard late at night. . . I couldn't help but think what it would have been like to be injured, alone, and withou a way to call for help (my voice isn't very loud). I'll opt for both the whistle and the seat belt. I've seen what people look like in the ER when they've had a wreck without a seatbelt.