The Compass and Whistle on your buckle

Compass
A compass cannot tell you where you are or what you are looking at without a map to triangulate your position, but it CAN indicate direction of travel in dense fog or when you have to travel in the dark. Remember to keep the compass LEVEL. As tilting it keeps the needle from swinging freely.

If you have a cell phone and a signal to call for help, you can use the compass to direct a team to your rescue using landmarks, for example: “I am Southwest of the hill with an antenna on it and on the North side of the river”. From there they may be able to find you or tell you a direction of travel to find yourself.

 When traveling, Hold the compass directly in front of you, not at an angle. Rotate your body and the compass together when you are finding a direction of travel. Pick a far landmark and another closer one and line them up to follow (mountain peak, group of trees, etc.). Always look behind you and take note of the landmarks as well. This is what you will be seeing when traveling back.

It is advisable to take a course in using a compass and reading map. There are also some great resources on the internet and on YouTube.

Whistle:
The buckle whistle is a fine piece of signal gear for audible signaling and can even be used hands free if needed.

Three blasts with a short pause before repeating of a whistle are generally interpreted as a universal signal for distress.
Nearly anywhere in the world, if someone were to hear your three blasts, they would recognize it as a call for “help” and you dramatically increase your chances of being located and making it out alive. 
You may also elect to use the audible version of S.O.S. by using the three short blasts – three long – and again three short, (repeat).

Whistles are the perfect signal device to give to your kids on outings since they’re easy to operate and most kids like making noise anyway. Instruct them to blow the whistle in blasts of three and to stay in one spot until help arrives, should they get separated from you in the outdoors.

Compass Video