Emergency Signaling

[ce4460]

The possibility of an emergency always exist. Most of us carry a first aid kit and fire extinguisher. I guess what I'm wondering if members carry signal horns, flares, signal mirror, etc? And in an emergency, how would you feel about using flares in a fire prone area? Personally, I carry all of these and would use whatever tools I had available, using common sense and degree of emergency to dictate when and how to use flares. I certainly wouldn't want to worsen the emergency for myself or others by starting a wild fire.

 

[Daniel Etter]

My gps unit has an emergency beacon that sends out a signal for rescue. I would avoid any type of parachute flare or launched flare unless you are near a water source (lake, ocean). Have to be careful with airborne flares because the wind can easily make them drift. I carry a few marine handheld flares and smoke in my vehicle. Signaling mirrors and whistles are great because they are compact and very efficient. Mirrors can be seen up to a couple miles and whistles can be heard upwards of 1000 yards.

 

[ce4460]

Very true about flares, not such a concern in rainy Washington, but dedicatedly California. Whistles are a great simple idea. I also have helicopter marker panel for increased visibility from the air.

 

[JMY24]

I have a whistle and an army emergency signal panel stored behind my seat. I used to have a signal mirror. The more methods the better!

 

[4xFar Adventures]

I have an emergency whistle with some other survival extras. You can always use the side view mirrors as a signaling device.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

I carry whistles, signal mirror, and I want to pick up a hi vis panel. Some time back I went away from traditional flares and instead use led flares. The obvious downside is that they use batteries but they're quite handy in a few different situations, easily grab attention, and there is no flame concern. I carry 3 of them without the batteries installed and they would easily outlast a great many traditional flares.

 

[ce4460]

LED Flair? I've not seen one before. @Wawa Skittletits, do you have a recommendation for what kind, what manufacturer? I'm not sure if there is some differences in intensity or illumination duration.

 

[Teague]

Any mirror you can hold in one hand is a signal mirror if you know how to use it. If we're talking a true emergency: loss of life or limb, everyone's vehicle has mirrors. I'll see if I can find an illustration to explain it better than I can.

 

[Teague]

I was taught to keep your hand open, but this is very similar. You don't need the hole in the middle as you can see the sun reflection on the other (aiming) hand. If you don't have the hole, hold it at eye level and aim at the same fingers.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

LED Flair? I've not seen one before. @Wawa Skittletits, do you have a recommendation for what kind, what manufacturer? I'm not sure if there is some differences in intensity or illumination duration.

Here is just an example but they're all pretty similar. I've had mine for so long that I should consider upgrading to a newer version.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wagan-Corp-Emergency-Roadside-Flare-Disk3/26819774

Small, water tight, various modes, extremely durable, etc etc..

 

[TreXTerra]

My signaling gear:

1: Ham radio. I have a 2m 75 watt radio and I make sure to get my local repeater frequencies before heading out.

2: SPOT transmitter.

3: Fire. I always have at least 3 ways to start a fire. It provides comfort and heat, but it also flares up on FLIR and produces smoke. Burn wet green leaves and twigs to make lots of smoke for daytime signaling.

4: Mylar blankets. I have a half-dozen of these, more than I need to keep warm. They are bright and reflective, great for being spotted from the air.

5: Signal mirror: Very small, technique has already been discussed.

6: Road flares: doubles as nearly guaranteed fire starting and no batteries to leak or go flat. They also don't care about extreme temperatures in storage when compared to batteries.

7: Marine aireal flares: can be purchased from most boating stores. These are small, disposable, plastic tubes with a pull string on the back to fire it. Good for attracting search aircraft in dense foliage or rough terrain.

 

[Rogue Beardsman]

I keep flares, a mirror, whistle, a cb, a hand held ham, and a marker panel along with other random ways to make signals. I also keep an old dive strobe. It just flashes steadily for hours and is small enough to fit in a pocket. Ive used it at night and put on top of my rig so i can find it if I'm stepping away from it.

 

[coffeeshark]

I have some chemlights in various colors (blue/red/IR). The IR one has a good length of 550 attached to it so I can use it as a buzzsaw. Used to have a signal mirror too, and a whistle, but I'm not sure where they went.

 

[FlyJeep]

I don't go anywhere without my SPOT.


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