Blade of grass, slip of plastique.
Blade of grass, slip of plastique.
Though you may call in some turkeys to the rescue
When I section hiked with a friend we often hiked apart due to different paces but used whistles to
stay in touch. 1 toot and a response was just a "still here" signal - kind of like a network ping. 2 toots
from the trailing hiker was a signal to the lead hiker to stop and hold position. 3 toots from either hiker
was a "something's up - move to each other" signal. Of course, if you get separated by much, whistles
are hard to hear - especially on a windy day. But this still worked reasonable well for us.
I've used my rescue whistle to locate SAR.
I think every hiker should carry a quality pealess whistle.
Also if your injured, it's difficult to scream. It's much easier to blow a whistle and make an effective signal.
I think my ACR signal whistle weighs .20 oz
It's an essential piece of kit in my opinion.
Same with a decent light.
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
A hiking buddy and I did an impartial (maybe), side-by-side comparison of my Vargo titanium whistle and his REI Tri-Power Safety whistle.
Both whistles are loud and shrill but the Vargo whistle has more of a tonal quality while the REI whistle was more attention-getting because the pitch doesn’t stay the same throughout the “blow”. It sort of ululates which makes it very distinctive.
(However, I suspect the hiking buddy wanted to win the Best Whistle Contest and didn’t use the same amount of force when demonstrating.)
The Vargo whistle is lighter and comfortable to carry around the neck. The REI whistle is clipped to something, possibly making it difficult to use in certain situations.
The Vargo whistle costs $10.95, the REI whistle is $5.
After reading about how good the Fox 40 is I got one. Tested it against the no name whistle I have always carried, not as loud as the no name.
If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.
Interesting!
Which Fox 40 did you try? There are three models up here, each with decibel ratings. The original Classic is listed as 115dB. The flatter Micro version as 110dB. The Sharx at 120dB.
I think I can notice that the Micro is perhaps quieter than the Classic — but I’ve not tried using a decibel meter.
I’ve carried a Classic since they came out several decades ago. I’ve got one on every pack, and one in most jackets. I actually stopped using them when I taught outdoors because I worried they were harming my already-limited hearing. My ears rang after more than a couple of blasts.
(I switched to a dog whistle, a supposedly ‘silent’ thin metal thing that’s somewhat tunable. My Golden would respond to it from over half a kilometre … The 11-year-old’s I taught complained it was too loud. I found out when hiking beside whitewater rapids that its shrill sound was more perceptible above the sound of rapids than the Fox 40!)
One of the things I like about the Fox 40 is that it’s capable of voicing, producing variable pitches and slides. Very useful in communicating … The dog whistle is even more so — as you might expect.
I have several whistles. A Harbor Freight special, Vargo titanium, a few survival whistles. I can't tell a difference between those rated at 110db and 120db. I even bought a cheap sound meter to compare.
On the off chance someone doesn't know, 3 sharp blasts is the generally accepted emergency signal. A simple long blast might be regarded as contacting a friend.
I keep one attached to my backpack strap. I figure if I fall and break an arm I can just about reach it with my mouth, and at worst certainly don't need more than one hand to get to it.
I got the classic. I took both whistles out in the yard about 20 yards from the house and had my wife listen while I tested the Fox and the no name. They are both pretty loud but we agreed the no name was louder. I got the no name years ago at a sporting goods store and I think it was a referee whistle but there is no brand on it. The Fox had a higher pitched sound. Maybe that would be an advantage in the woods, I don't know. The Fox is a high quality whistle and my wife put it on her keychain to carry around in case she ever needs to call for help. My whistle does have a pea whereas the Fox doesn't so I guess that is an advantage for the Fox. I am not knocking the Fox because it is a very loud whistle no doubt about it, very much louder than the whistle on my Osprey sternum strap for sure. I guess I am just surprised how well my old whistle stacked up against it.
Last edited by TexasBob; 03-19-2018 at 08:22.
If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.
I have a plastic whistle clipped to my sternum stap. Also useful if you are in the North Atlantic after the Titanic sinks.
I use to be a referee in both football and basketball on the high school and college level. It seemed like everyone was using the old fashion pea style whistles which work quite well. Then the original Fox 40 came out and it seemed like everyone bought one. My football crew found that a pea style whistle worked better outdoors than the Fox 40. The change of pitch as the pea moved in the chamber made a difference. When basketball season started, we tested the Fox 40 indoors and found it to be a better choice due to the very high pitch it emitted. It cut through the noise of the the crowd better than the pea style whistle. When the Mini Fox 40 came out, we began using them as they had a higher pitch than the original. Of course every year somebody would try to get you to buy their new and improved version, which made me think was the previous version old and not worth a s**t?
Blackheart
A strong whistle is a staple safety product. A solo hiker should not be in the woods w/o a signalling device, and whistles are as light, loud and indestructible as anything else. Whoever is laughing at you, consider them fools.
Be Prepared
I whole idea behind a signal/rescue whistle is it saves your voice. you will only be able to yell so much before your voice just gives out. All hikers, rangers and rescue personnel know that hearing a whistle is the universal signal that someone is in trouble. To use it for rescue purposes, blow three sharp blast, then wait 10 seconds and blow three more sharp blast. Wait 30-60 seconds and repeat. Once you hear either another hiker or rescue personnel blow sharply three times. If they hear they will tell you keep up with the three sharp blast until they find you. Hopefully you will never have to use it, but don't let that deter you from carrying one.
Blackheart
I carry one and my backpack has one built in the straps
Section and Day Hiker