Gear – Whistle

Fox 40 Micro Pealess Safety Whistle — 4.8 grams

Here’s a nice little piece of insurance, a basic communication and signaling device. Like all emergency gear that you hope to never need, if you ever do, it has to perform reliably. A whistle is basic safety gear, an essential on remote trails for summoning help and rescue, but also potentially useful in any town or city in the world for warding off danger.

To make the most of your whistle, which has limited musical range, learn the International Whistle Signaling Code.

Keep your whistle handy. If you need to use it for signalling, relax, take your time. A blast should last 3 seconds. Multi-blast signals should have a clear pause between each blast so the count can be accurately heard and interpreted – take a single deep breath for one. Beware that some locations may cause echoes, which can confuse the signal. Wait a minute before signaling again. Keep trying until you receive a response. The response to all signals is a single blast.

The International Whistle Signaling Code.

One Blast – “Where are you?”

Two Blasts – “Come here. Come to me.”

Three Blasts – “I need help!”

Bottom line:

On my next walk I’ll carry this “best yet” essential little gem in my handy bag. Of the many choices in whistles, this is the lightest, loud and effective one of the lot. I got mine from REI.