Is it wise to carry a whistle

[nuggets]

whistle -absolutley all the time - mobile phones are useless when your canoe capsizes !!!

 

[John Fenna]

Essential outdoor kit!
My nav kit has a whistle attached - when I have the compasss on my person the whistle is on my person.
My buoyancy aid has one attached.
My disaster kits contain one each.
Several of my rucksacks have one attached to the haul loop.
I also have some kicking around in odd pockets....

 

[widu13]

When you are unable to shout, as long as you are still breathing you can blow a whistle. Carry one!

 

[the interceptor boy]

whistle,small photon torch, and fire steel on me all the times. work, loo, or the bush!

 

[mrmike]

always carry one , the mountain distress signal is 3 blasts on a whistle repeated 6 time in a minute then a one min break then signal again and keep repeating, ist the same with a torch if you have one and its dark

Thought it was 6 blasts then wait a minute, then repeat.

The answering call is 3 blasts repeated after a minute.

 

[MikeLA]

Similar to last thread I carry a whistle and a small photon torch on my car key ring. Have done for the last 20 years or more in one form or another.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Alpine distress signal. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_distress_signal

 

[Opal]

whistle,small photon torch, and fire steel on me all the times. work, loo, or the bush!

I can just see you now in the loo, three blasts on yer whistle brings someone with a toilet roll.

 

[Chiseller]

I'm a Whistler whistles helped my kids gain confidence in woods so that's a :thumbup::thumbup: from me.
I'd be more inclined to say its unwise not to

 

[salad]

Thought it was 6 blasts then wait a minute, then repeat.

The answering call is 3 blasts repeated after a minute.

Hi you can do both mate as they are both recognised

wiki copy and paste
[h=2]Mountain distress signals[/h]The recognised mountain distress signals are based on groups of three, or six in the UK and the European Alps. A distress signal can be 3 fires or piles of rocks in a triangle, three blasts on a whistle, or three flashes of a light, in succession followed by a one minute pause and repeated until a response is received. Three blasts or flashes is the appropriate response.
In the Alps, the recommended way to signal distress is the Alpine distress signal: give six signals within a minute, then pause for a minute, repeating this until rescue arrives. A signal may be anything visual (waving clothes or lights, use of a signal mirror) or audible (shouts, whistles, etc.). The rescuers acknowledge with three signals per minute.
In practice either signal pattern is likely to be recognised in most popular mountainous areas as nearby climbing teams are likely to include Europeans or North Americans.
To communicate with a helicopter in sight, raise both arms (forming the letter Y) to indicate "Yes" or "I need help," or stretch one arm up and one down (imitating the letter N) for "No" or "I do not need help". If semaphore flags are available, they can possibly be used to communicate with rescuers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distress_signal

 

[mrcairney]

I don't have a whistle. I feel left out.

 

[lannyman8]

when im propper walking out of the way i take a kit that has fire starting equipment, flares red for help/distress (the mini militarty type) and red smoke, white is useless because it could be anything...

i also have a dog whistle thats on a lanyard in my arm pocket...

just what i do when im in rfemote areas covering lots of ground, when i was up Brecon or the Blacks..

regards.

chris.

 

[ubermeister]

From what a mountain rescue bloke told me a few years ago, the wiki is wrong. It is often quoted that the distress signall is six blasts 'over a minute', but it isn't. It is six sharp blasts, wait a minute and repeat. The correct response is three hard blasts, pause a minute and repeat.
We (mates and myself who were out mountain biking) were involved in a search and rescue, and that was the system the MR guys used and taught.

 

[ubermeister]

I don't have a whistle. I feel left out.

Pm me your addy and I'll send you one.

 

[mrmike]

Hi you can do both mate as they are both recognised

Ah, cheers for that. I know that any persistent whistling is likely to be investigated aswell (would like to think so anyway)

 

[Elines]

I was thinking about emergency kit to carry on the person (as opposed to in your pocket) some time ago:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78900&highlight=

and I ended up having a small pouch on a necklace round my neck - it is actually a John Fenna 'Dragon's Breath' leather pouch.

(Deleted something on the basis that I think it is quite funny but could be taken wrongly)

Anyway .....my emergency kit contains a whistle but ....... the whistle is actually on the cord of the necklace as opposed to being in the pouch so it is as near as possible to my mouth should I need to blow it when I am incapacitated in some way. I suppose I could attach it to my belt so it is nearer another orifice ...

Being a believer in the most powerful force in the universe - Sod's Law - I believe that as I carry a whistle I will never actually need it.

 

[SteveW]

So whistlers, which whistle do you all recommend?

 

[Kepis]

this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NATO-SOLA...gGoods_HikingEquipment_RL&hash=item2c6040fc1e

or this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Extra-Lou...s_HikingEquipment_RL&var=&hash=item8bb3f13a6e

these are good

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Alum...s_HikingEquipment_RL&var=&hash=item895fb1145a

my personal fave though is the good old Acme Thunderer

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REFEREE-WHISTLE-ACME-THUNDERER-63-REFEREES-/130617910386?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1e696f2472

 

[ubermeister]

Our local outdoor shop was selling off aluminium whistles a while ago for a pound, so I bought a few. Also have a couple of the Nato Solas whistles.

 

[Bowlander]

ACME Scout or Thunderer.