This has become such an underestimated product over the years. That is kind of sad because in a way it is so important to carry with you at all times while enjoying your time in the woods.

I will be short with this one!

My wife Josie and I carry this simple piece of gear pretty much at all times except when it’s on our pack.

A few good reasons for having it that I believe is first it will replace and be more effective than your voice will ever be if you are in desperate need of letting people know where you are depending on your situation.

Let me give you a few examples!

1. You are lost and you see someone or hear from a distance someone who would need to find you. Well let me tell you that your simple whistle (that should always be on your person) will let them know where you are.

An interesting fact is that a whistle like the Fox 40 can be heard (on a perfect day, it always depends on a lot of things) from a distance of 600 meters. Now this has been tested and I know there are a lot of factors that we must consider. I am not here to argue with no one about this. But the truth is, is that the sound can reach so much further than your voice. That is what is important to realize especially when you are in a desperate need to be heard. I could even boldly say that some have said that the Fox 40 can be heard even further.

Anyway this is not a blog to see who is right or which whistle is the loudness. We are not here to say…Well my daddy is better than your daddy! Logically we know that a whistle is a great piece of gear when it comes to sound and is a must at all times (it’s just my suggestion) to have on your person.

2.   Let’s say you are camping with friends and it’s time to get some fire wood. You leave but this time the fire wood is harder to find (which happens a lot). So you need to go further. Finally you find some but as you start processing it you hurt yourself badly with your axe. You need medical attention fast. Well your whistle will be the right tool to use so that you friends can spot you quickly and take care of you.

3. When in bear country we know that it is a fact that it is important not to surprise a bear as you trek in the woods. So it is important that the bear knows that you are there before you find him out. People will carry bells on them as they walk (which is a good method) but to me it can become annoying to my ears. So the whistle becomes a great way of telling the bear that I you are coming.

What I usually do is give one big blow of the whistle every 15 minutes as I walk (you never use the distress call, the rule of 3’s just for fun, use it once so you don’t scare people for no reason that you are in danger). This way it lets the bear know that I am there without having to hear annoying bells all the time.

Well I did say this one would be short…

Anyway let me just suggest a simple whistle that has passed the test of time. It has a simple construction and will work effectively in pretty much any weather and is fairly cheap to buy. The very well known and classic Fox 40. 

Here are some of the great features to consider:

• No moving parts to freeze, jam or deteriorate
• Flawless, consistent and reliable
• The harder you blow, the louder the sound
• Easy to blow and cannot be overblown
• It will be heard above ambient noise, the roar of engines, breaking waves and thundering gale-force winds
• The chambers are designed to self-clear when submerged in water

I don’t have much else to say about it. I know I have bought it as a gift to people I care about. It’s that affordable.

What is the most important thing about this blog my dear friends is….Please do not forget your whistle the next time you go out!!

Mike