The next item on your compulsory kit list no matter how short the event, is a whistle.
Why not just shout?
A whistle will only ever be needed in an emergency when you need to draw a rescuer or a marshals attention to your location. The sound of a whistle carries a lot further than the sound of the human voice. A whistle can be heard as much as 3 km away, sometimes more. The human voice only carries a couple of hundred meters in most circumstance.
It is easier to blow a whistle than to shout especially if you’re going to be shouting for a while. Your vocal chords will be tired quite quickly but you’ll be able to blow a whistle for an extended period of time.
The universal signal for help is 3 sharp blasts of a whistle.
Whistles come in various shapes and sizes. Emergency whistles do not have peas in them like a referees whistle because the pea can get frozen or stuck and render the whistle useless. When choosing a whistle look for one that has over 100 decibels. TIP – You can use a smartphone app to measure how load a sound is.
Attach your whistle to your pack with a lanyard and either leave it hanging off the front of your pack OR keep it close at hand in one of the front pockets of your pack or race pants. You may need it when you have very little mobility.
The tiny little whistle could one day save your life. Never leave on a trail without one.
