Survival whistles

[Laurentius]

I am going through a bit of an aesthetic artsy crafty phase at the moment, and considering what might be an appropriate survival whistle.

I currently have one of those horribly functional orange jobbies permanently attached to the lanyard of my horribly plain Silva compass.

I have heard that the Acme thunderer is the bees knees, but is it any better than any of the cheap plastic versions? I don't know.

What I really fancy is one of those WW1 trench whistles in a leather case but do they compete in decibels?

 

[Bluebs4]

iv a Acme thunderer but my tops works best , http://www.heinnie.com/tops-survival-whistle

 

[Clouston98]

I've got a solid brass pea-less police mans style whistle. Pits really good- I'm not sure why I bother carrying it as I don't think whistles are that useful but I just like it- lives in my possibles pouch and it is actually pretty loud- you'd know if I really blew it if you were within a realistic distance so it fulfils it's purpose but it's not going to break any records .

 

[brambles]

I'd go for this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0034JKP0O/ref=s9_simh_gw_p200_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0HA19P1X9MZRCBWP3YES&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455344027&pf_rd_i=468294

but you can also get the likes of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aluminium-Survival-Mountain-Whistle-Keyring/dp/B00HWSVICM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1414703562&sr=8-4&keywords=metal+survival+whistle

 

[Laurentius]

There is urban survival and there is rural survival. I was once mugged, well almost. The guy demanded my wallet and I had heard that the thing to do in that situation was make a lot of noise. It did not faze the mugger one bit, he did not back off immediatly, he just wondered why I was making such a racket. He did give up in the end though as I think he thought I was mad, maybe I am.

I would like something though that can be heard if I fall off a Welsh Mountainside.

 

[mountainm]

I have the acme tornado. It's dangerously loud.

 

[Laurentius]

I'd go for this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455344027&pf_rd_i=468294

but you can also get the likes of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aluminium-S...703562&sr=8-4&keywords=metal+survival+whistle

I do have something like the second on my keyring, but I have had those before and they have come apart, not really to be relied upon absolutely. As for the first it is plastic, I want something with an olde worlde aesthetic that works as well as any modern day equivalent.

 

[brambles]

As I said , I would choose the Fox ( and did ) as for me the whistle is most likely to be used on the mountains in winter and I don't really want to put a frozen piece of metal into my mouth. I have to ask - how on earth did a whistle drilled from a single piece of aluminium "come apart"? Where you in a plane crash?!

 

[Laurentius]

As I said , I would choose the Fox ( and did ) as for me the whistle is most likely to be used on the mountains in winter and I don't really want to put a frozen piece of metal into my mouth. I have to ask - how on earth did a whistle drilled from a single piece of aluminium "come apart"? Where you in a plane crash?!

It was not drilled from a single piece of aluminium it had a plastic insert. Looked just the same as the example there. You have a point about plastic vs metal in extreme cold though, I had not thought about that.

 

[bambodoggy]

As for the first it is plastic, I want something with an olde worlde aesthetic that works as well as any modern day equivalent.

Oak acorn cup? A small to medium sized one held between ones thumbs, with hands cupped round behind it and then blow down the top as hard as possible....louder than any whistle I've ever owned and I've owned a few lol I like my acme thunderer....but it's a sports whistle rather than a survival one

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I have a couple of the ITW survival whistles, they work well. But I was surprised to find the most effective whistle I own is the one built into the chest strap of my backpack...

Julia

 

[forrestdweller]

Oak acorn cup? A small to medium sized one held between ones thumbs, with hands cupped round behind it and then blow down the top as hard as possible....louder than any whistle I've ever owned and I've owned a few lol I like my acme thunderer....but it's a sports whistle rather than a survival one

Cheers,

Bam.

i've used bottle caps, bottles, sections of bamboo etc. this way. drawback is that you need both hands- which might be not possible in case of an accident... . i carry a small- no-name plastic whistle on my dog tag and make whistles from bamboo all time for others. i'm still trying to hunt down the ""formula"" for the perfect whistle, though....

 

[santaman2000]

Acme Thunderer.

 

[pysen78]

I'm not sure how it competes but the newer version of the lightmyfire firesteel has a built in whistle in the striker:
http://www.activeoutfit.se/6577-large_default/light-my-fire-firesteel-army-20.jpg

I find it loud enough, but I haven't really given it a lot of testing vs. other whistles.

 

[wheelnut]

I have an Acme Thunderer which was my grandads when he served in the Police, really loud but as has been said not a survival whistle as it's heavy and made of metal which you don't want if it's cold.
I also have a plastic Jet Scream, really loud but you have to put in a lot of effort to get it to be loud otherwise it sounds a bit meek, so not worth the expense.

There is a plastic one on the chest strap of my Lowe Alpine rucksack, this is really good, it's loud with very little effort.
There is a plastic green one in my Go Outdoors Hi Gear First Aid kit and again this is really good, loud with little effort.

If we could get the one on the buckle of the rucksack on it's own, that wins on being plastic, very small and light, and very loud with little effort. Great for any survival kit.

 

[santaman2000]

I have an Acme Thunderer which was my grandads when he served in the Police, really loud but as has been said not a survival whistle as it's heavy and made of metal which you don't want if it's cold......

Your police don't work when it's cold? Long winter night shifts? I did. Likewise the same whistle I used on winter bird hunts (signaling the dogs) The same whistle referees use in the dead of winter at football games.

Yes, you're absolutely right, it is cold to the lips. But TBH, in a survival situation you'd likely blow it less frequently than the pros listed above, and would certainly be less able to replace a broken plastic one.

Like you, I also have one that's a family heirloom. I still have the one Daddy used bird hunting over 60 years ago. He got it when he and Mama moved back home from Panama in the early '50s and used it until his death in '72 when I inherited it. I don't know if he bought it new or if it had been his Dad's (he was also a bird hunter)

 

[cbr6fs]

Storm whistle

Tried many whistles over the years and this is the loudest by a noticeable margin to my ears.
It's loud to the point of being painful.

Had several knocking around the house, car, bags etc for years and i haven't broken one yet, so they're also pretty tough.

 

[Laurentius]

I have an Acme Thunderer which was my grandads when he served in the Police, really loud but as has been said not a survival whistle as it's heavy and made of metal which you don't want if it's cold.
I also have a plastic Jet Scream, really loud but you have to put in a lot of effort to get it to be loud otherwise it sounds a bit meek, so not worth the expense.

There is a plastic one on the chest strap of my Lowe Alpine rucksack, this is really good, it's loud with very little effort.
There is a plastic green one in my Go Outdoors Hi Gear First Aid kit and again this is really good, loud with little effort.

If we could get the one on the buckle of the rucksack on it's own, that wins on being plastic, very small and light, and very loud with little effort. Great for any survival kit.

I have been to the Acme website, I had no idea they did so many different whistles, I think I will settle for a brass thunderer as it fits the traditional aesthetic, keeping a plastic one in reserve for those conditions where it is so cold that bare metal would stick to my lips. Belt and braces.

 

[Laurentius]

Storm whistle

Tried many whistles over the years and this is the loudest by a noticeable margin to my ears.
It's loud to the point of being painful.

Had several knocking around the house, car, bags etc for years and i haven't broken one yet, so they're also pretty tough.

I was looking for something that suits the retro aesthetic though, I guess maybe an alphorn might do instead though it would be a bit difficult to carry

 

[cbr6fs]

I was looking for something that suits the retro aesthetic though, I guess maybe an alphorn might do instead though it would be a bit difficult to carry

Carrying a alphorn would just lead me to a world of disappointment for me.
I'd expect to see the gorgeous Julie Andrews to run over the crest of a hill every time i blew it