I have enjoyed ETS site for about a month now and have enjoyed and learned a lot. The forum seems like a great place to get advice so I though I would join and take part. I have started my altoid take along and so far I have: fire,fishing,meds, repair taken care of. I live in eastern Ky. and need advice on signaling for my mini kit. I carry flares in my larger kit but when traveling with others I don't always take it. I knew a man who went over a hill in a car,in the middle of winter, and had to lay there two days because he didn't have any way to signal. A mirror would not have helped him and his cb would not reach over the hills. This has happened more than once with less favorable outcome. Anyway, all advise would be helpful.<br><br>

We have similiar accidents here in Southern California. Cars go over the steep canyons into heavy chapparel. Some are only found years later by hikers or after a brush fire.The best chance,given limited visibility for mirrors and flares and poor signal reception, is audio. I carry a whistle and one of the portable marine horns . These are powered by disposable cartridges. This is assuming someone is close enough to hear you, and has the presense of mind to recognize it as a distress call.So, just like a marine or arial journey; let somebody know where you are and going ( even if its just a note) and carry a few supplies. Often overlooked,is practical footwear. I had to walk back from a disabled car in the middle of nowhere. I had plenty of gear, but high heeled cowboy boots made short work of my feet!<br><br>

Being here in the East, I'm not very familiar with the sort of territory you're talking about- would aerial flares and a pen launcher be helpful?<br><br>The odd thought occurred to me that someone might market a distress balloon, day glo with “HELP” on it or somesuch, to be flown like a kite- could be useful in a lot of situations- but I suppose helium is too difficult to store for disposable canisters to be lightweight.<br><br>>>Often overlooked,is practical footwear. I had to walk back from a disabled car in the middle of nowhere. I had plenty of gear, but high heeled cowboy boots made short work of my feet!<<<br><br>I’ll second that- I once had to walk for some miles (my own stupid fault- ran out of gas) in driving snow through wet slush in city shoes. That was the end of those shoes, and it was a very painful experience- and could have been a lot worse. Now I carry a parka and insulated boots in the vehicle all winter. Even if I’m dressed for it, they could be handy for a passenger or a rescue.<br><br><br>

Thanks for your reply Chris. I like the horn idea. You could use it even if you were injured. I agree that someone may not recognize my call for help. As you stated on another post, this site should be on bathroom doors, church bulletins, and anywhere else we can find.<br><br>

Signals are signals, because they are out of the ordinary. Car alarms are a public nuisance. When was the last time you heard one go off, and rushed to apprehend a stereo thief? I walked up to a car with the cardboard shade proclaiming "need Help, call Police" there was an apparently unconscious person inside. He was asleep and had put the cardboard up for shade.He was angry I woke him!<br><br>