How To DIY An Emergency Whistle For Extra Safety On A Camping Trip

From first aid kits and fire starters to a thermal blanket and compass, there are lots of essential supplies that could save your life while camping. One important addition to your emergency supply kit? A whistle, which can be used to call for help or get the attention of rescue teams in the area. And if you've forgotten to pack it, you can easily whip one up with the help of one of the many acorns you might find on the forest floor.

Although they contain the single seed of an oak tree (Quercus), which can grow up to 80 feet high, acorns themselves are tiny, measuring between 1 to 7 centimeters in length. They come in lots of different colors, from tan to dark brown to greenish-brown to nearly black, and you're most likely to find them from late summer to early winter, when oaks begin to drop them. Yet, despite the acorn's small size, you can emit a much louder whistle from it than you might expect — and this could be life-saving in an emergency. 

Start by removing the acorn cap from the nut. Then, hold the cap so that the opening is facing you. Place your thumbs over the opening, leaving a little V-shaped crevice between your thumbs. Put your mouth over the V-shape so that no air can escape before blowing into the open cavity. If it doesn't make a whistling sound right away, you can adjust your thumb position to experiment with the size of the V-shape and see what works best. The fun part is that every acorn whistle will be a little unique. As YouTuber cutlerylover explains, "Different size caps, different depths — sometimes you get like a really deep one — they'll make different tones or pitches." And acorns aren't the only item this DIY whistle hack works well with. YouTuber musicgeniuses demonstrates how you can use this same technique to make a whistle out of a bottle cap, too.

You'll also want to be sure that you know how to use your whistle correctly in the event of an emergency. Blowing on your whistle three times in quick succession is the universal signal of distress — and it's also worth knowing that, as cutlerylover points out, "It takes less energy to blow into this than it would to just yell for help."

Whistles aren't the only DIY hacks that will come in handy outdoors. You can also DIY your own water filter while camping or hiking, just in case you run out of fresh bottled water. Or, if unforeseen circumstances force you to stay in the wilderness longer than you had anticipated, craft a DIY survival fishing kit so that you can still stock up on a high-protein food source.