Who gives a Toot? Whistle Tests Are In...

During PWYP VII, Care and I decided that we were going to finally take some time to test my collection of PSK sized whistles to see how they performed. After a fruitless search to borrow a decibel (db) meter, I finally broke down and bought one for the tests. I settled on a Radio Shack db meter and packed it with the whistles for the trip to North Carolina.

The tests were conducted on Chestnut Mountain, NC – out in the woods with all of the ambient noises you’d experience in the field, not in some sound chamber. The decibel meter was set up 4’ from the whistle. Each whistle was blown three times, with each reading recorded by Care. The averages are seen in the following chart. Later, we recruited Jeremy, Rebecca and Emma (the J, R and E of JRE Industries fame) to help out. We had each of them test the whistles in similar fashion and we recorded the results as before. Their averages are also displayed below.

While the tests seem to indicate a clear winner, that’s not my first hand observation. My observations are that:

1. Any whistle that was capable of routinely reaching 105 decibels (db) or better is worthy of serious consideration for everyday carry and/or inclusion in a PSK or 1st Aid Kit. Reaching/surpassing the 105db mark is going to get someone’s attention!

2. Ease of blowing to reach or exceed the level of 105db is a serious consideration. One with a lung condition such as asthma, COPD, or chronic bronchitis would be well advised to look at the whistles that have been noted as being “Very easy to blow” or “Easy to blow.”

3. Whistle construction is critical if you’re going to depend on it to survive. Look for quality construction. If you opt for a metal whistle and live in a cold climate, take precautions to cover the lip piece of the whistle with a protective sleeve of some type to prevent lip damage.

Wykeite Custom (Cylinder Type w/ stainless reed)
Adult Average: 109.6
Child Average: 110
Overall average: 109.8 db
Very easy to blow. Easy to change tone/pitch using fingers to manipulate side of valve. Excellent small size for even the smallest of kits or key ring. Expensive, but the construction is nearly bulletproof. Also available in brass and titanium construction.

Acme Thunderer (pea type)
Adult Average: 105
Child Average: 107
Overall average: 106 db
The former standard issue police whistle and the former standard by which all others were judged.

Acme Tornado (pealess)
Adult Average: 105
Child Average: 107
Overall Average: 106 db
Very easy to blow. Great size for kits or key ring.

Fox Rescue Howler (pealess)
Adult Average: 109.6
Child Average: 110
Overall Average: 109.8 db
Very thin and slim design. Excellent for fitting into a survival kit. Easy to blow.

Mini Fox 40 (pealess)
Adult Average: 112
Child Average: 116
Overall Average: 114 db
A modern classic. Used in most professional sports and, now, in law enforcement. Easy to blow and very, very loud. Becomes much smaller when you clip or file the “wings” off the bottom of the whistle.

US Gov’t Issue (pea type)
Failed: Whistle was discontinued from testing when it could not routinely break the 100 decibel mark.

ACR (pealess)
Adult Average: 109
Child Average: 111
Overall Average: 110 db
Very thin and slim design. Excellent for fitting into any size survival kit. Very easy to blow.

Bass Pro Flat Marine Safety (pealess)
Adult Average: 107.6
Child Average: 106*
Overall Average: 106.8 db
Very thin, almost wafer like and easy to fit into a kit. Produces duo cord type sound.
* Routinely overblown by children present.

Tool Logic Knife (pealess)
Adult Average: 108.6
Child Average: 109
Overall Average: 108.8 db
Easy to blow. Easily overblown without absolutely perfect lip placement.

Jet Scream (pealess)
Adult Average: 109.3
Child Average: 112
Overall Average: 110.6 db
Odd shape and size doesn’t lend itself to being included in all but a large sized kit. A bit on the hard to blow side.

Windstorm (pealess)
Adult Average: 115
Child Average: 117
Overall Average: 116 db
Odd shape and size doesn’t lend itself to being included in all but a large sized kit or attached to a strap or harness. Very, very loud. Hard to blow, requires a lot of airflow. Construction seems a bit flimsy.

Roy Gonia Lucky Dog (pea type)
Adult Average: 108.3
Child Average: 109
Overall Average: 108.6 db
Easy to blow. Construction seems a bit flimsy.

Bison Small (Cylinder Type w/ plastic reed)
Failed: Reed fell out and was lost just before the test. If you own one or more of these, pop the reed out and epoxy it back into place before relying on its performance.

Bison Large (Cylinder Type w/ plastic reed)
Failed: Reed twisted 90 degrees and could not be blown loud enough to reach the 100db mark. See notes above.

ITWNexus AeroWave Zipper Pull (pealess)
Failed: Too small to manipulate easily. Far too easy to be overblown. Routinely overblown at >91 Decibels.

A good whistle is a must have item for daily carry and for survival kit inclusion. A whistle requires a lot less effort and fewer wasted calories than screaming for help. A good whistle will carry much farther than your voice will, too. Here's a funny but true example of which I speak -

One Sunday morning, I went to Connecticut Hills Game Management Area to do some shooting. (It's the largest piece of state wilderness in NY State.) Once done shooting, I decided to test out my new stainless Wykeite whistle. I blew the heck out of it - man is it loud! As I was packing my truck back up to leave, a NYS EnCon Police Officer pulled up in her vehicle and slammed to a stop. She asked me if I'd heard the whistle, too. (She assumed someone was in distress.) I showed her the whistle and told her it was me testing it. She had been out of her vehicle a full quarter mile away as the crow flies, through heavily forested woods when she first heard the whistle! I was really impressed by the whistle's performance. She wasn't...

M

PS. A special thanks to Jeremy, Rebecca and Emma for their participation in these tests. They're a bunch of great kids that really lend new meaning to what events like these are all about! M & C

Whistle tests, Part Two

This round of testing was conducted at Marty and Aggie Simon's Wilderness Learning Center in Chateaugay, NY. Again, the tests were conducted out in the woods, not in a sound chamber. All of the ambient noises you'd expect in the woods played a part in this series of tests. As I expected, my observations from the initial series of tests held true. Those observations are:

1. Any whistle that was capable of routinely reaching 105 decibels (db) or better is worthy of serious consideration for everyday carry and/or inclusion in a PSK or 1st Aid Kit. Reaching/surpassing the 105db mark is going to get someone’s attention!

2. Ease of blowing to reach or exceed the level of 105db is a serious consideration. One with a lung condition such as asthma, COPD, or chronic bronchitis would be well advised to look at the whistles that have been noted as being “Very easy to blow” or “Easy to blow.”

3. Whistle construction is critical if you’re going to depend on it to survive. Look for quality construction. If you opt for a metal whistle and live in a cold climate, take precautions to cover the lip piece of the whistle with a protective sleeve of some type to prevent lip damage.

For this round of testing, I through in some interesting sound test twists. Enjoy...

TOPS Knives (pealess)

Adult Average: 123.6

Child Average: 117.3

Overall average: 120.4 db

Very easy to blow. Two cord sounds gets everyone's attention. Irritatingly loud.

Victorinox SOS (pealess)

Adult Average: 122

Child Average: 110.6

Overall Average: 116.3 db

Same comments as above. Very similar design between these whistles with very slight differences in execution of design.

Bison Spy Capsule Whistle (pealess)

Adult Average: 108.6

Child Average: 111.3

Overall Average: 109.9 db

Very, very easy to overblow. Lip placement is critical with this model.

The following two whistles from Bison failed original testing due to construction flaws. The reeds were removed from both whistles and epoxied in place prior to this test.

Bison Small Cylinder (pealess)

Adult Average: 107.6

Child Average: 107.3

Overall average: 107.4 db

Very easy to blow. Easy to manipulate the sides of the exhaust port to change whistle tone.

Bison Large Cylinder (pealess)

Adult Average: 106.6

Child Average: 103.3

Overall Average: 104.9 db

Easy to blow. Very easy to manipulate the exhaust port to change tone.

US Navy Issue STORM (pealess)

Adult Average: 120.6

Child Average: 111.6

Overall Average: 116.1 db

Easy to blow. Requires a little more airflow than someone with a lung condition might be able to muster. A tad large for small kit consideration.

REI/Nexus Buckle (pealess)

Adult Average: 106.3

Child Average: 105.3

Overall average: 105.8 db

Very easy to overblow. Lip placement is critical.

London Metro PD Type / Railroad type (pealess)

Adult Average: 116

Child Average: 102.3

Overall Average: 109.1 db

Not so easy to blow. Requires a lot of airflow to achieve a high decibel meter reading. Unique sound surely gets folks attention when at max output.

Soda Can Whistle (pealess)

Overall Average: approx. 99db

*NOTE* We included this because it's something you can make in the field from a tin soda or beer can. Instructions can be found by attending Marty Simon's training classes. While the soda can whistle only achieved a decibel meter reading of 99, it's one heckuva lot easier to use this whistle than to expend your energy or voice shouting for help.

Some interesting twists -

Human Scream (pees after coffee or soda)

Adult Average: 107 db

Child Average: 104.3 db

*NOTE* Our adult tester, Kevin Estela (aka Estela216, a Moderator at KnifeForums), screamed three times the first at 110db, the second at 107db, the third at 104db. After the third scream, his voice was notably affected. By the next morning, he suffered a slight case of laryngitis from the event. Important to note! CARRY A WHISTLE! Our young adult tester, Becky Two Knives, screamed three times, the first at 101db, the second at 107db, the third at 105db. During her second scream, she belted out a change in tone that didn't even register on the decibel meter. That scream damaged the hearing of all present and scared the coyotes off Marty's property for a night.

Car Horn (pealess)

Average: 104 db

Tester with lung condition (pees after Yuengling)

US Navy STORM average: 102.6 db

Bison Capsule average: 115 db

*NOTE* It became blatantly apparent to me during this test that ease of blowing the whistle is of critical importance in whistle selection.

More tests to come in the upcoming months - stay tuned...

M

Edited to add a special note of Thanks to my assistants; Kevin Estela, Matt (cyclist), and Becky Two Knives.

Bladeless Personal Survival Kit...

Many times; people ask the question, "What survival items can I carry when flying, going to federal installations, or other security checkpoints where a knife is prohibited?"


Here's a couple possible solutions to that problem that I highly recommend:


Solution 1. Doug Ritter / Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pack (modified)

Doug's PSP is a very well thought out compilation of basic survival components that comes prepackaged in a highly water resistant, translucent zip pouch. Here's the contents list as provided by Doug and AMK:

• Spark-Lite™ Firestarter
• 4 Spark-Lite™ Tinder-Quik™
• Fox-40® Rescue Howler™ Survival Whistle
• Rescue Flash™ Signal Mirror, 2 x 3 inches 20mm
• Survival Compass
• Duct Tape - 26 inches x 2 inches
• Stainless Steel Utility Wire - 6 ft.
• Braided Nylon Cord - 10 ft. 150+ lb.
• #69 Black Nylon Thread - 50 ft.
• Fishing Kit - 4 x medium Fish Hooks, 2 x Split Shot and 1 x Snap Swivel, in a clear plastic vial with cap.
• Heavy Duty Sewing Needle
• 4 Safety Pins
• Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil - 3 sq. ft.
• #2 Pencil and Waterproof Notepaper - 2 pieces
• #22 Scalpel Blade *REMOVE TO CLEAR SECURITY CHECKPOINTS*
• Kit Specific Illustrated Survival Instructions
• Contents List
• Fresnel Lens Magnifier - 2 x 3 inches
• Pocketsize Clear Vinyl Pouch - 4 x 5 inches
• Weight: 3.9 oz

The PSP is a great value. Purchase of the PSP is cheaper than buying the individual components and all of the components are top shelf items. IE. See my whistle and signal mirror test results on this site as proof positive of the quality of this kit's components.

Although a great value, the PSP can be made better. A little forethought by the purchaser in making some appropriate additions can save a lot of grief in an emergency. Here's some suggestions for possible additions:

1. Add in a Reynolds oven bag, Gerber baby milk bag or USGI hot water bag for water storage.
2. Add in a few MicroPur water purification tablets or other individually wrapped water purification tabs of your choice or preference.
3. Add in a few bandaids and simple wound management stores.
4. Add in a Photon LED flashlight of your choice.
5. Add in a day or two worth of personal medication.

Another suggestion is to make up and include an identification card that includes In Case of Emergency (I.C.E.) information for rescuers should you be injured or otherwise unresponsive.

An I.C.E. card should include your name, address, emergency contact info, medical info, and allergy info, and any other info you might have that would aid rescuers in treating your condition(s).

With the aforementioned additions; the PSP becomes a complete means of providing meaningful, field tested and proven gear to assist you in meeting basic survival requirements of water, shelter, fire, first aid, food procurement, signaling and self rescue.

Solution 2. Home Rolled Pocket Survival Kit (PSK)

Only you know your personal skill level and what you really need to bring with you to improve your fare in an emergency. Find a small easily pocketable container like the Witz ID Locker shown above and assemble your own PSK. As stated above, make certain that you have a sufficient store of gear to meet survival basics - include items for:

1. Water storage and purification,
2. Shelter and/or shelter building,
3. Firemaking,
4. First aid,
5. Food procurement,
6. Signaling and self rescue.

You may also want to include utility items like a small pocket pack of duct tape, sewing needle and a floss card, among others, to assist in field expedient means of gear maintenance and repair. Lastly, throw in an I.C.E. card as discussed above.

The PSK shown above is my personal "I can't take a blade" kit. It includes:

• Witz ID Locker transparent, crush and water resistant case
• A section of ranger band (rubber band made from an inner tube to be used for tinder)
• Two preassembled 12' fishing lines
• USGI MRE Hot Water Bag with markings for up to 16 ounces of water
• MicroPur Water Purification tabs
• SparkLight
• TinderQuik
• Light-My-Fire mini FireSteel and striker
• AMK mini signal mirror
• Acme Tornado whistle
• Button compass
• Floss card w/ sewing needles and threader taped on
• Bobbin of #69 black sewing thread
• ICE Card

I carry the kit shown above with a separate, dedicated First Aid Kit which is also geared up for my specific needs. This First Aid Kit is assembled in a very small Witz See-It-Safe. I've separated the kits in an attempt at minimizing the possibility of being separated from all of my emergency stores by the loss of one single package.

These two mini kits, along with my normal EDC items on my keyring and pockets, give me a lot of emergency support in several easy to carry, unobtrusive packages...

M

"Hey, Buddy, Have you got...?" Let's talk EDC...

How many times have you been asked that question? Conversely, how many times have you had to ask that question?

Everytime I get asked, "Have you got...?", I get a feeling of pride knowing I probably do have the requested item. I also get a little irked that folks just aren't prepared to fend for themselves in even the smallest of life's little emergencies. I get really irked when the inquirer wants to use a piece of my gear for something clearly outside the scope of what it was made for - like wanting my knife to cut a wire tie or pry open a can, or worse, a door lock.

"Have you got...?" isn't a question I ask very often. Why not? Because I've taken some personal responsibility for myself and I routinely carry items to handle life's little emergencies.

That being said, Let's talk about the concept of "Everyday Carry," hereinafter referred to as EDC...

The concept of EDC is really pretty simple. Select some useful items that you routinely need/want/use, assemble them into a container that keeps them protected and handy, then carry that package with you daily - everywhere you go. Another method of EDC is to select the items you want to routinely have available and them fit them into or onto items you always do have available. An example of this method might be to add a small LED flashlight and/or other items you deem necessary to your keyring and wallet.



The object is to keep selected items portable enough and light enough that you don't get lazy and start leaving them behind. Murphy lurks for such moments.

So what items might you need? That's a question you have to answer for yourself, based on your own needs assessment. Considerations in making that needs assessment might include -

Where do you live? Consider here the general climate of your area. Necessity may dictate that gear selections change with the seasons.

Where do you work? Are you miles from home and need to get back there? What assets, if any, exist at your office or place of employment? Are there company work rules that prohibit carrying certain items? Are you inside all day, traveling, or out in the field? In a dire emergency, can you safely exit from your building? Are means of egress well lit and/or is there emergency power?

Where do you travel to and from? Are you traveling using a personal vehicle or public transportation? Does your typical trip involve traveling highway or back roads? Are you traveling through rural areas or well populated areas? If in the city, are you traveling "rough neighborhoods?"

What items are allowable? Do company rules or public transportation rules prohibit items? Do you need special permission or permits to be able to carry certain items?

How far away is safety, rescue, repair or resupply? Are you miles away from civilization? Are you on the 89th floor of a hi-rise? Can you communicate your emergency to someone? How long will it take someone to get to you? How long will it take you to make it out on your own? What's your method of resupply? Is it the stop-n-rob store down the street, your car, or home? Are there simple materials on hand for field expedient repair of what you actually have available?

Lastly, What have people routinely asked me if I had? A knife? Scissors? Bandaid? Needle and thread? Something for a headache? Something for a stomach ailment? Some string?

Here's my "Top 10" suggestions for EDC:

01. Select a decent knife. Other than a rock, the knife is man's most basic tool. It has far more uses than a rock and is easier to pack and carry. There are literally thousands of decent choices out there today. Need help in making the right choice? Read my reviews here or go to http://www.knifeforums.com/ to ask for help. Want multifunction from your knife? Select a real (Victorinox or Wenger) Swiss Army Knife or a quality made multitool by Leatherman or Victorinox. Can't carry a blade because of work rules or public transportation rules? Victorinox and Leatherman also offer up several models without the knife blade.

02. Select a long lasting LED flashlight. Night falls and buildings get dark with the lights out. Not being blessed with night vision, humans typically need light to avoid the dangers of the darkness. A simple 1/4 ounce Photon on your keyring can put out hours of useable light sufficient to traverse a set of stairs or an unknown trail. Got more space available? Look at offerings by SureFire, Fenix, Streamlight, Inova and the hosts of other decent manufacturers available. A decent flashlight also makes a great night time signaling device.

03. Select a decent whistle. A whistle can signal distress and attract help much more efficiently than your voice. Need help selecting a whistle? Read my "Who gives a Toot" article on this site. That article will be continuously updated as more whistles become available for testing.

04. Add some bandaids to your kit or wallet. Want to get fancy? Use the bandaids that come impregnated with antibiotic. (Make sure you don't use the antibiotic bandaids if you or the victim is allergic to antibiotics.)

05. Add a floss card to your kit or wallet. Tape onto the floss card a threader and a couple needles - instant cordage and instant sewing kit. Throw a few medium safety pins wherever you find available space.

06. Add in a small roll of or pocket pack piece of duct tape. Duct tape can fix anything - just ask Care's Dad.

07. If you're traveling rural areas; add in a reliable means of firestarting, some tinder, a means of collecting water and some water purification tablets.

08. Throw a couple bandanas into a pocket. A bandana can be a prefilter strainer for questionable water, a bandage, a sling, a dust mask, and any one of a dozen other uses.


09. Add a small prytool to your key ring or kit. Such a tool is an invalueable aid in opening a stuck door or window and can be used for a host of other chores including digging through sheetrock or prying open a clam.

10. Add a waterproof "spy-capsule" containing at least a couple days worth of personal medications to your kit or keyring.

It's time we all took some personal responsibility for our safety and survival. Packing up a small selection of EDC items and maybe a 1st Aid Kit and Personal Survival Kit is a step in the right direction. Just starting out? The Doug Ritter Personal Survival Pack from Adventure Medical Kits has a lot of the items listed above already included at a tremendous savings over buying the items individually. Doug's kit is easily modified to meet each individual's need and is backed by great customer service and support...

M

Practical Minimalism...

Two long trips to and from Virginia, one long trip to and from Maine, three long weeks of 100 miles per day patrol left me with a screaming sciatic nerve. A literal pain in the ass!

My solution? Other than mega doses of Aleve, I did a complete EDC (every day carry gear) re-evaluation and an evaluation of how the gear that remained would thence be carried.

I emptied my pockets of gear and took the few things that were on my belt off. I was 4 lbs lighter than two minutes before. I thought to myself, "That's plain nuts." Looking at the pile of gear; it contained no less than 4 different knives or multitools, a cell phone, wallet, 2 bandanas, a PSK (personal survival kit), a 1st Aid kit, a bottle of breath drops, two BIC lighters and two key rings loaded with gear that was made redundant by other pocketed items. Time to trim down - especially when you consider that I have a go-bag that travels with me 24/7/365 that carries a full sized SwissTool X multitool and a Blind Horse Knives Small Tiger Knapp fixed blade knife.

What had to stay with me? Wallet, bandanas, breath drops, one BIC lighter, ONE small knife or multitool, a small PSK geared up solely to enhance the skills I have and one keyring with NO or minimally redundant items.

I took everything out of my wallet and put in only what absolutely needed to be there - Driver's license, hunting/fishing license, pistol permits, medical insurance card and ONE debit card. Bandanas were a no-brainer - they stayed because there's too many practical uses for them on a daily basis and they're invalueable in an emergency. The little bottle of breath drops stayed because it keeps my raspy voice working. The cellphone stays because it's a valueable work tool and lifeline.

It took a couple weeks to pick a knife. I spent two weeks tracking what I used on the former pile of tools I carried. I determined, based on actual use of the items, that I most needed a locking blade, a medium screwdriver, a toothpick, a super small screwdriver and it had to have a means to attach a lanyard or watch chain. The blade needed to be long enough to cleanly slice summer sausage and wide enough to plop a huge dollop of canned pate onto a water cracker. Additionally, the knife had to fit into the watch pocket on my jeans and cargo pants. Lastly, when it was placed into my watch pocket, it could not interfere with my ability to draw a pistol from the main pocket. These determinations basically meant that I needed to select an 84 or 85mm Swiss Army knife with no more than two layers. Selection then became easy, there was only one that met all of my criteria above, that being a Wenger 85mm Evo S10 with a Victorinox eyeglass screwdriver mounted into the cork screw. It's weight is advertised as 1.9 ounces, but mine tips the postal scale at 1.9 ounces with the added-on screwdriver.



My Otterbox 1000 sized PSK and Witz ID locker 1st Aid kit went by the wayside. I selected a Sparklite sized translucent container for my new PSK. Whatever I really needed had to fit in. It does. I carry a small AMK signal mirror, cylinder shaped handmade brass whistle, pico sized photon type light, three sewing awls and threader, a travel sized roll of floss, a ferro rod and striker, some tinderquick, some post-it notes, a piece of pencil, a spare cuff key, fish hooks and sinkers, a spare toothpick and a SERE compass in a box that's 2.5" x 1.5" x 5/8". Weight is 2.1 ounces. The beauty of the container is that nearly all of the contents can be easily seen from the outside. I added a homemade ranger band to secure the container from accidental opening.



Nothing gets carried in back pockets except bandanas. They're for padding while tucked away. Everything else is divied up between cargo, front and watch pockets. The only item added to the mix is a homemade watch chain to secure the SAK from being accidentally dropped. It also adds a touch of class to the mix.

In as far as my keyring goes, all of the keys that see only occassional use and all of the redundant gear was stripped off. Remaining onboard is an Egear Doug Ritter Pico light, a small traser glow ring marking light, an ID tag, and a delrin space capsule with a couple day's worth of critical meds in it. The two full sized BIC lighters were replaced by one Mini BIC.

I feel much better now. Light and Airy. Practically minimalistic...

M :)