The Best Emergency Whistle for Outdoor Survival

The Whistles We Compared

Our research narrowed the field down to the several survival whistle brands and types that we tested: SOL, Coghlan’s, Windstorm (and Storm), HyperWhistle, Nitecore, Vargo, Noopel, and more.

There are a lot of brands that make whistles these days with a wide range of prices and quality/durability. In a survival situation, you want your emergency whistle to be dependable, so we focused quite a bit on durability and quality. You can see our full list of review criteria below in the What to Look For section, with an explanation for each.

We obviously steered clear of cheap recreational whistles, because the performance and the durability are not going to be where we need them. We also did not consider any electric-assist whistles or air horns. Lastly, we have a couple of whistle combos that we tried (whistles bundled with firestarters, compasses, etc), but they were not impressive enough to make the final cut. There were still plenty of options to consider in the outdoor survival space.

What to Look For

The best whistles have several important features to look for.

1. Value
2. Loudness
3. Effectiveness
4. Durability
5. Versatility

When you get the right blend of these, you can find a reliable whistle that will help you reach help in the event of an emergency. Below, we break down what each of these features means for a truly dependable survival whistle:

Value: Cost vs. Benefit

The amount of money you spend on something like a whistle shouldn’t blow out your budget. Having one is better than having none, but the same applies to other tools and gear you may need for an emergency. Budget according to your risk and your needs rather than just spending lavishly.

On the flip side, you don’t want to go too cheap. A whistle designed for kid’s soccer doesn’t hold a candle compared with our budget pick. Don’t get stranded in the wild with a whistle that can’t be heard around the bend. When you are trying to signal somebody or get rescued, you don’t want to be relying on your dollar store find.

You never want to spend too much money on one resource, especially something like a whistle. It’s better to diversify your tools and preparedness gear to make sure you are covered for a wide range of scenarios. There is a sweet spot where you get high value out of the best features with not too high of a price, which is where our top pick sits.

Loudness

How loud a whistle sounds depends on how hard you can blow into it, but it also depends on the design of the whistle. Loudness for whistles, like many other things, is measured in decibels. There is a wide range that you can find, but you want one on the high end of the spectrum since loudness usually corresponds with distance (but more on that below).

We used the Decibel X iPhone App positioned 10 feet from the whistle to determine how loud each one was.

Here are the test results:

• Baseline (loudest whistle by mouth, without using hands) = 82 decibels
• SOL Slim Rescue Howler = 100 decibels
• Vargo Titanium Whistle = 100 decibels
• LuxoGear Emergency Whistle = 120 decibels
• Windstorm Safety Whistle = 123 decibels
• HyperWhistle = 142 decibels

Just because a whistle is loud doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the most effective or the best to use in an emergency though.

Effectiveness

The effectiveness of whistles and various pitches and tones over distance is still something that is researched today. Loudness, in decibels, is certainly a large contributor to whistle effectiveness, but it isn’t the end-all-be-all measurement.

Many emergency whistles use multiple pitches by varying the airflow distance inside the whistle. A few use a ‘pea’ that rattles around inside the whistle to make it warble between pitches’. These changes in the whistle tone let the whistle be separated from other noises over long distances and make the whistle more effective overall.

Durability

One issue with whistles that use the separate ‘pea’ inside, is that the pea can become saturated with spit or water to be less effective, or in worst cases can cause jams for the whistle. This can be a durability concern, along with the material type of the whistle and the construction method. Plastic whistles need to be thick and weather-resistant to avoid cracking and deterioration in the elements.

All of our suggested whistles are thick-walled plastic, sacrificing metal durability for performance and lighter weight. Durability is not a concern, with military, LEO, and survival applications having already proven all three picks.

Versatility

Being able to use your whistles quickly and in a wide variety of situations gives us versatility. Having the versatility to add your whistle to a keychain, lanyard, or pull string is expected. Being able to use it underwater, like the Windstorm and HyperWhistle is even more unique versatility. Versatility adds layers to your preparedness.

How to Use an Emergency Whistle

There are plenty of ways to communicate or get some attention at long distances, and an emergency whistle is a simple and effective last resort option. Sure, a cell phone is the most convenient. Satellite phone if you can swing it. Two-way radios work great as well. But when circumstances call for it, sometimes you just need a really loud noise.

People have been whistling to communicate over long distances for a long time, using just their mouths and fingers. Of course, engineers had to do one better, so they designed metal whistles (and eventually plastic), and then tuned the airflow and frequency to increase the decibels. Hand-held whistles are easy to use too since you just blow into them.

You may want to use some hearing protection (or cover your ears) with a few of the louder whistles, like the Storm or HyperWhistle.

Here is a nice demonstration of where the Storm, Windstorm, and HyperWhistle clock in at on an SPL meter :

Who Needs an Emergency Whistle?

Everyone can use an emergency whistle. Plenty of women keep loud whistles in their purses, but it’s not just for the ladies, fellas. When you are outdoors, loud noises have always been a good method to get attention or even communicate over distances, and a solid survival whistle can fit the bill.

Whistles are small and lightweight, so it’s no surprise that emergency whistles show up in several of our survival kit checklists.

We highly suggest putting one in these kits:

You should consider adding a whistle to these kits:

Whistles are useful beyond emergencies too, of course. A solid emergency whistle can be used at sporting events, while hiking or boating, and anywhere else where you may want to be heard outdoors.

Sources and References

All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best emergency whistle is useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical military and prepping experience:

Flamme, G. & Williams, N. (2013). Sports Officials’ Hearing Status: Whistle Use as a Factor Contributing to Hearing Trouble. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. Issue 1, Pages 1 – 10. (Source)

Bong-Young, K., Jong-Bae, K., Kwang-Bok, Y., & Myung-Jin, B. (2018). A Study on Sound Transfer Characteristics of Whistle and Voice. International Information Institute (Tokyo). Volume 21, Issue 8, Pages 2149 – 2156. (Source).

Shadle, C. (1983). Experiments on the acoustics of whistling. The Physics Teacher. Issue 21, Page 148. (Source)

The Final Word

Whistles have been used for thousands of years for long-distance communication. When it comes to safety and survival, you want to keep it simple and effective- and it doesn’t get better than a proven emergency whistle.

To go along with your whistle, you should also consider a few other tools that can help you communicate outdoors:

We presented quite a lot of information, but as always: if you have any questions let us know and we would be happy to help. Our research and testing found that the SOL Slim Rescue Howler is the best option given its value, loudness, effectiveness, durability, and versatility. If you take our suggestion and grab one of our whistle picks- make sure you get used to it by learning how to use it.

It’s always a good idea to get used to your gear and resources before emergencies- an emergency whistle does no good if it’s broken because you didn’t inspect it!

Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.

Prepare Your Way With Us

No judgement and no imperatives. Prepare the way you want to with the trusted source millions of modern preppers have relied on.

Our newsletter fires out every Monday where you can expect:

• Practical prepping guides and tips
• Thorough survival gear reviews
• Noticeably absent spam and popups
• < 0.4% of people unsubscribe