---

Reviewer Information
Gender:	Male
Age:	65
Height:	5' 6" (1.6 meters)
Weight:	159 lb (72 kg)
Email:	mike-at-pahiker-dot-com
Home:	Southwest Pennsylvania, USA
Background:	I’ve been hiking since ’65 with occasional backpacking trips (backpacking became a love affair in the early 80’s). My first sleeping bag weighed in at 8 lb (3.6 kg) by itself! These days my loaded pack only weighs about 15 lb (6.8 kg) sans food. While most of my adventures are in the Northeast I’ve also been spending a good deal of time in the desert Southwest and most places in-between. My trips tend be in the cooler months - September through May - as I’m not much of a hot-weather person.

---

Product Information
Manufacturer:	High Spirit Flutes
Year Acquired:	2020
URL:	High Spirit Flutes
MSRP:	$95 US
Material:	Walnut
Size:	Listed:	14 in (35 cm)
	Measured:	14 in x 1-1/8 in diam (35.6 cm x 2.9 cm diam)
Weight:	Listed:	N/A
	Measured:	4 oz (113 g) Walnut

---

Product Description

High Spirit Flutes make a number of different types of flutes, all of which are individually handmade by Native Americans. One set of flutes they make are good for backpacking, they are smaller and lighter than their other flutes and some, like mine come without a block to worry about (see image below - left has a bird, right does not) - birds control the sound quality and can get out of adjustment, a flute without a bird is permanently tuned and thus cannot get out of tune by jostling around in my backpack.

A few comments about Native American Flutes.

• Musicians are into the key of an instrument, and several of my flutes do have keys marked on them (see photo A, D, and G, last one has no marking), but not all NAFs are marked as to their key. The reason is that the NA flute is meant to be a personal instrument, that is it is meant to be played solo, not with other flutes. Because of this the note is not as important as its range (high vs bass), so I don't really pay much attention to the key of my flutes. I will pick it up and play a few notes to see if I like its voice (the sound it makes).
• NAFs are easy to care for, most require occasional adjusting of the bird if the notes start to sound off. The Backpacking flute that I carry with me does not have a bird, so there is no real care other than occasionally wiping the dust off of it, and this is for appearance sake more than anything.
• Taking a flute into the backcountry does require protecting it from water. NAFs are made of wood, and because of this can be damaged if they are exposed to rain (or falling from a raft into the whitewater 😁). I have a flute sack to protect it from scratches from other things in my pack, but to protect it from moisture I usually wrap it in a plastic bag (acquired as packing from something I purchased online) before putting it into the sack.

---

Usage Report

Unlike Western flutes, the Native American flutes work on a five-note scale where each note works well with the other notes, so there is no long learning time involved. They are also intended to be played from the heart, not from a musical score - I play the notes as the spirit moves me. As my skill developed my songs have become more complex, but never the same, I play the notes as I feel them.

I find that I really like relaxing, possibly around a fire, after a hard day backpacking, by playing the flute. Couple years ago I was at Bright Angel campground in the Grand Canyon and started playing the flute. I was amazed at how many people told me they enjoyed it, and I don’t think I’m all that great at it. But I do find that it can take the edge off during a lunch break, in the evening after dinner, or while waiting out a shower before I head off in the morning.

Every flute comes with an instruction booklet, but there are also online classes and videos on the High Spirits website. There are five holes on mine (though six hole flutes are available as well), to hold the flute the pads of the index, middle, and ring fingers of the dominant hand (right in my case) are placed on the bottom three holes; the index and middle fingers of the other hand cover the top two holes, with the ring finger resting on top of the flute. Both thumbs go on the bottom of the flute, both pinkies support the sides (see image). The mouth is placed on the upper end of the flute, over the hole (but not inside the mouth), to make the sound I then blow gently, but consistently, into the hole, different sounds come from lifting the fingers off of the holes.

I have carried one of my flutes with me on just about every hiking and backpacking trip since 2015 when it went with my to Bright Angel campgrounds. I have taken it to the depths of the Grand Canyon and the summit of Mount Washingtion (New Hampshire); it has seen the heat of an Arizona summer and the cold of a New England winter; the dry heat of the Southwest deserts and the high humidity of the Alleghenies. As I've become used to these musical campanions I can hear how each of these environments affects the sound a wooden flute makes, and have grown to appreciate the beauty of the Native American craftsmen who created these wonders.

The beauty of the Native American Flute (NAF) is that every note that can be played matches any other note. While musical scores are available on many websites for the NAF to play composed songs, it not necessary to learn to play Western style songs in order to enjoy the NAF.

---

Summary

The High Spirits flute it a beautiful musical instrument that is easy to learn, relaxing to play, and light enough not to be noticeable in the backpack, and comes at a reasonable price (some under $100).

The one problem I have, and it is a personal one, is that if the finger pad doesn’t fully cover the hole a sour note is played. One of the holes in my backpacking flute is larger than the others, so I sometimes have a difficult time covering it properly. The other flutes I have (5 in total) all have equally sized holes, but they also have a movable bird, so I have to make sure it is properly seated if I take it in my backpack. I wish the fixed flutes did not have different sized holes.

• Things I like:
• Fun to play, and easy to learn.
• No rules to playing (don’t have to learn to read music sheets).
• Small and light weight for packing.


• Things I don't like:
• Difficulty covering the one hole to prevent a bad note.
• It is wood, so if it’s going to rain it needs a cover.