Author Topic: Rucksack strap whistles.  (Read 1703 times)

richardh1905

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #15 on: 08:55:36, 01/02/20 »
I always carry a whistle on the hill, a plastic one salvaged from an out of date lifejacket, attached with a lanyard to my compass (yes, another bit of indispensable kit that some may think unnecessary).
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mountaingal

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #16 on: 11:50:19, 01/02/20 »
I saw / heard a walk leader using it to get our attention to make an announcement. It did the job ;)  As for me, I bought a 'extra loud whistle' many years ago.  I used it once, when we were left behind the group as we kept gorging blackberries. it didn't get any attention. :(  I've got to remember the distress signal as I never got into that kind of trouble. Has anybody used what3words?

Tame Camper

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #17 on: 11:59:08, 01/02/20 »
Just checked the chest strap of my backpack: no whistle. Got a plastic orange one on the same string around my neck that has my compass on it when I'm out walking. Thankfully never needed it (the whistle that is). It is loud though, very loud!

Jac

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #18 on: 12:35:30, 01/02/20 »
................. Has anybody used what3words?

Had good intentions of installing the app until I realised how much space it needed - my mobile doesn't have enough.
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

ninthace

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #19 on: 12:53:51, 01/02/20 »
... Has anybody used what3words?
I installed it on my phone out of curiosity.  Haven't found a use for yet though.
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alan de enfield

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #20 on: 13:17:15, 01/02/20 »
Several MR teams have suggested that they would rather not use it as it considerably slows them down, there was even an example in the press recently where a MR team went 3 miles the 'wrong side of a mountain' due to 'what3words'.

Many teams are suggesting that as the UK has such a good (OS) mapping system that we should use either map references or GPS, the problem is the 'lets go out on the mountain for a walk brigade' who have never been taught, or made any effort to learn to navigate and have grown up with the 'phone is the answer to everything' philosophy.

A 'middle of the road' review :

https://peaksandlines.com/blog/posts/location-location-location/



However, What3Words’s success has prompted mountain rescuers to warn that it may slow searches in the Scottish hills. They advised people against relying on it. Kevin Mitchell, vice-chairman of Scottish Mountain Rescue, said: “It’s a fantastic idea and for areas of the world where there is not a really good mapping service like we have it’s absolutely brilliant. But in this country, with the Ordnance Survey,...……………….

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/what3words-app-slows-us-down-say-mountain-rescue-crews-c25fgh3h2

A problem identified by one of the emergency services :

……. Take a look at the words again; - storming.blockages.sensuality. Because they are words, you may well think they are easily remembered and, in the event of tending to someone who is unconscious, you may look away believing yourself to have memorised them whilst simultaneously dialling 112/999 and giving CPR. Do it yourself right now; - look away now and repeat the words out loud to yourself. Humans are not used to using words out of context and the tendency is to naturally try to put them into the context of a meaningful sentence. You might therefore remember and pass on to the emergency services something like storm.blocks.sensuality which is in fact located in Canada. See how many attempts it takes for you to repeat the correct words when looking away and then think what it would be like if the pressure was on in a real live emergency. This will be exacerbated by the emergency services’ call taker asking you to spell the words; - extra time, confusion and even more pressure. Those behind the promotion of what3words for this purpose will tell you that they have covered that eventuality so that if you get the code wrong it will be very obviously in the wrong area. But what then? You will have to start all over again; - more time, more confusion and more pressure...…………..

richardh1905

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #21 on: 13:34:18, 01/02/20 »
Has anybody used what3words?

Just came across this last week whilst starting some casual forestry work - the safety briefing sheet included the 3 words for where a helicopter could land nearby, and the foreman also had the app on his phone.

Seems like an excellent system - no worrying about grid references, and eliminates possible misunderstandings over the phone - just give mountain rescue the 3 words and you are sorted.

Must install the app on my phone.
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jimbob

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #22 on: 15:00:30, 01/02/20 »
Just came across this last week whilst starting some casual forestry work - the safety briefing sheet included the 3 words for where a helicopter could land nearby, and the foreman also had the app on his phone.

Seems like an excellent system - no worrying about grid references, and eliminates possible misunderstandings over the phone - just give mountain rescue the 3 words and you are sorted.

Must install the app on my phone.
Except, as Alan showed above, Mountain rescue don't like it, for the reasons stated.
Too little, too late, too bad......

mountaingal

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #23 on: 17:04:01, 01/02/20 »
years ago, there was a campaign for ambulance to recognise GR no, as their system only recognised post code (not found in mountain >:( ). Have they sorted it, or what3words is the alternative to GR?  what3words, if used correctly,  should give you spot on location compared to large area of post code.  If I step across from my lounge to kitchen, the words changes ;) 












































richardh1905

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #24 on: 17:48:30, 01/02/20 »
Except, as Alan showed above, Mountain rescue don't like it, for the reasons stated.

In normal circumstances, I would be able to give either a GR or What3Words (presuming I had installed the app), but many walkers nowadays are incapable of giving an accurate GR, and in the confusion and stress of an emergency situation, an incorrect GR is more likely to be given than an incorrect 3 words.

Either way, I suspect that this app is here to stay, as a lot of organisations are using it. Might as well get used to the idea!
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richardh1905

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #25 on: 17:49:50, 01/02/20 »
years ago, there was a campaign for ambulance to recognise GR no, as their system only recognised post code (not found in mountain >:( ). Have they sorted it, or what3words is the alternative to GR?  what3words, if used correctly,  should give you spot on location compared to large area of post code.  If I step across from my lounge to kitchen, the words changes ;)

As I said earlier, this is all new to me - and I'm astonished that 3 words can give the location of a 3x3 metre grid anywhere in the World.
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vghikers

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #26 on: 19:20:37, 01/02/20 »
Quote
Seems like an excellent system - no worrying about grid references, and eliminates possible misunderstandings over the phone - just give mountain rescue the 3 words and you are sorted.

That's the idea - get many people and organizations hooked into it then...

It's a closed proprietary standard run by a private company that zealously guards its system for motives of profit - a very, very bad idea. Others have expressed concern about this, here is an eloquent extract from the argument to get you started (there is a lot more):-

Quote
what3words is a closed standard. It’s high time we learned the lesson. If you didn’t get it yet, repeat after me: We don’t adopt closed standards. It really is a bad idea to lock yourself into a system like this which is owned and controlled by a private company (Worse. A land-grabbing boom & bust venture-capital backed private company).

They could have created this as an open standard, but sadly it most definately is not open. What do I mean by this?

    The algorithm/idea is patented, very actively preventing anyone from implementing a compatible algorithm or developing anything like it as a competing standard (although the validity of this patent is questionable given the existence of what would seem to be prior art on the idea)
    Hand-in-hand with this patent, the software for encoding/decoding is copyrighted. Any software you can find or reverse engineer from the website or mobile apps, could not be copied and re-used legally. what3words have actively served github with a DMCA takedown notice to remove some reverse-engineered code.

richardh1905

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Re: Rucksack strap whistles.
« Reply #27 on: 20:57:22, 01/02/20 »
hmm - a less savoury aspect of the system.

Edit - I don't think that there is any suggestion that individual users or mountain rescue teams will be charged, but companies that use the system for profit will be, which seems fair enough.
« Last Edit: 21:43:40, 01/02/20 by richardh1905 »
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