Emergency Whistles

[dave54]

One is floating around the bottom of my pack someplace.

[longri]

Had one. Gave it to a friend who hiked out solo 2 days early because he couldn't sleep at altitude.

I wonder if 125mg tablets of acetazolamide might have worked better. That's what I take when I'm having trouble sleeping at altitude and it works like a charm.

I made him go to the doctor and they prescribed Xanax. I found that 151 made him sleep better Still has my whistle though.

Just because a doctor prescribed an anti-anxiety medication doesn't mean it was the appropriate treatment. I was once prescribed a tranquilizer for what turned out to be esophageal reflux. The appropriate medication that I eventually got was cimeditine, a stomach acid inhibitor. The first doctor had me (wrongly) pegged as an anxiety case.

But if 151 worked for your friend it's unlikely that his problem would have been helped by acetazolamide. I wonder what his story was?

[longri]

Longri wrote:

Would we have heard them screaming help instead? I

A whistle is much easier to blow than to yell, and the sound travels much further, even up to a mile away.

So I've been told. But I haven't seen the data so I'm skeptical.

That little orange whistle that came with my pack was pretty weak. I'll bet I could out yell it.

[Randyhol]

My wife and I both carry Storm whistles as part of our emergency kit. Never hike anywhere, day or otherwise, without them. And carry earplugs. Almost made myself deaf the first time I tested the whistle, so figured the ear plugs would help if we were using the whistle for real. Orange version, dangles from head gear when we are out during hunting season, for a bit more visibility for hunters!! Otherwise always on our hip.

[rlown]

hearing is different than seeing. If I were down, I'd crawl to the nastiest looking dying pine tree with the dead needles under it, and light it up. Of course this year, It might be hard to see with all the other smoke, but It's your best chance if you don't know if anyone is looking for you.

Then blow your whistle. And then pay your fine.

[maverick]

If I were down, I'd crawl to the nastiest looking dying pine tree with the dead needles under it, and light it up. Of course this year, It might be hard to see with all the other smoke, but It's your best chance if you don't know if anyone is looking for you.

So how do you crawl away from the new wildfire that you may have just started Russ?.

[rlown]

you know I'm never that far away from water, Mav.. and downhill and upwind.

So I've been googling around trying to find a whistle success story and I can't find one. Go.

[The Other Tom]

There is one built in to to the shoulder strap of my current (GoLite) pack. My previous Gregory didn't have one built in, so I cared one which I would describe as "police grade".

[robow8]

you know I'm never that far away from water, Mav.. and downhill and upwind.

So I've been googling around trying to find a whistle success story and I can't find one. Go.

Besides the one that started this post?

It seems like the sternum strap whistles are anemic at best. I carry one of these http://www.sportchalet.com/product/adve ... rom=Search
on a piece of cord around my neck. That way, if I get separated from my pack, I still have it with me.

[Fly Guy Dave]

So I've been googling around trying to find a whistle success story and I can't find one. Go.

How about the woman who was missing for nine days after the Sierra Club outing?

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/602 ... od-whistle

...and to answer the OP, I always have a whistle with me, one on my fishing pack, one on my small day pack and another on my backpack. Since I almost always go solo, not having one would be a dumb idea, in my opinion. A quality whistle is louder than a shout and your voice will eventually give out after a lot of shouting, injury or dehydration. A pretty basic piece of safety equipment.