C for the win! Three of anything is the classic distress call—unless you’re signaling for pizza, then maybe more is better? Anyone actually tried the whistle trick in real life?

Definitely C! Three of anything—fires, gunshots, big piles of pancakes (hey, in an emergency, carbs count as a signal)—it's the magic number. I actually taught my grandkids this trick when we were camping. They thought it was hilarious to practice with three honks on the car horn, though I’m pretty sure the neighboring campers didn’t find it as funny as we did. The whistle is handy, too, but technically you’d do three blasts for distress, then wait and repeat.

Fun tip: if you’re using a flashlight at night, three quick flashes can work just as well—just don’t blind your would-be rescuers or your dog. Anyone else ever try using mirrors for daytime signaling? I always end up flashing everything but what I mean to, like some accidental disco on the treeline.

Now I gotta ask—has anyone actually had a rescue where