Please Take A Whistle!

[+bottlecap]

I have had a whistle in my pack, (back to boy scouting), since I have started caching, (my over the top 18 finds). Today it came in handy.

I was following a trail out from a DNF, and heard shooting. It was obvious that it wasn't a hunter, but someone target shooting, by the ammount of rounds fired.

I had a little idea where I was in the way of which way the rounds were being fired, but can you ever be sure?

As I was walking, I would blow on the whistle.

When I got reasonably close the shooting stopped, and didn't start again until I was face to face with the shooters, and they let me blast off a magazine. BTW, they were being totally safe with thier shooting, they stopped to give me peace of mind.

MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN WHEN IN THE WOODS!

A whistle takes very little room.

Edited April 13, 2006 by bottlecap

[+PrimaryCache]

Good advice, it also applies to any parents out there who take the kiddos along. I bought a pair of good whistles for mine, they love wearing them and they love using them once we're out even more. I've given them the speech... blow three times short, three times long, three times short in case we get seperated. I don't think we need to worry about stumbling onto a hunter though, I suspect they hear us coming a mile away.

[+Thrak]

A whistle can save your life if you break a leg or fall off a cliff. You can only shout for help for a limited time and your voice will only carry a short distance. You can blow a whistle intermittently for a very long time and the sound carries very well and won't be mistaken for a natural sound.

[+Team_Talisman]

I take along a mini air horn....usually found under $5.00

 

Dave from Team_Talisman

[+gof1]

The air charge in an air horn will not last long.

You can blow a wistle for days.

[+nrtrider]

Not to blow our own 'whistle', but If you are ever in our neck of the woods, we just placed a cache with whistles and other noise makers as the theme...New River Trail - In beTween

[+Milbank]

These look like they would make cool trade items..

[+Ed & Julie]

The Fox 40 whistle has always been my favorite whistle, sold at most sporting good stores.

 

Professional sports teams and refs use them, they are pealess, and LOUD!

 

Ed

[+YuccaPatrol]

I carry one of these Storm whistles. . . claimed to be the loudest whistle in the world.

 

http://www.stormwhistles.com/

[+briansnat]

MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN WHEN IN THE WOODS!

 

What if they are hunting YOU?

[+Henki]

Good advice, it also applies to any parents out there who take the kiddos along. I bought a pair of good whistles for mine, they love wearing them and they love using them once we're out even more. I've given them the speech... blow three times short, three times long, three times short in case we get seperated. I don't think we need to worry about stumbling onto a hunter though, I suspect they hear us coming a mile away.

 

I do hope, for your sanity's sake, that the whistles are taken away when you're home!

 

 

Great advice on carrying whistles; I'd never thought of that before.

[+Big-AlH]

I carry one of these Storm whistles. . . claimed to be the loudest whistle in the world.

 

http://www.stormwhistles.com/

 

Maybe I'll use this on my next urban micro hunt. When someone looks at me funny as I'm feeling around a building I'll walk over and blow as hard as I can.

 

-al

Edited April 14, 2006 by Big-AlH

[+frivlas]

Hmmm......thanks for the good idea. I/We cache with our 4 and 6 year old sons and I lately have been getting worried about them wandering off. I think I will have to get them each a whistle that they only have posession of when we are on the trail.

[+Team_Talisman]

Actually signals like horns, whistles and gun shots are a matter of choice for drawing attention...

 

As long as you can breathe whistles work for short distances, air horns in wilderness areas draw attention for a lot longer distance and every knows there are no semis in a wilderness, 3 gunshots for hunters seems to be a, help me, or find me.

 

I would say different areas calls for different means of "noise for help" devices....

 

 

Dave from Team_Talisman

[+Adrenalynn]

every knows there are no semis in a wilderness

 

Yeah, I just hate dragging 70lbs of compressor, 40lbs of horn, and 250lbs of batteries out into the woods though!

[magellan315]

Actually signals like horns, whistles and gun shots are a matter of choice for drawing attention...

 

As long as you can breathe whistles work for short distances, air horns in wilderness areas draw attention for a lot longer distance and every knows there are no semis in a wilderness, 3 gunshots for hunters seems to be a, help me, or find me.

 

I would say different areas calls for different means of "noise for help" devices....

 

 

Dave from Team_Talisman

 

Actullay you'd be very surprised how many people do not know that three gun shots is signal for help, unless they hunt. The Fox 40 and Storm whisltes can be heard from 1 mile away, hardly a short distance and I can blow my whistle long after you have run out of ammo.