I see the nose flute is popular (at least with the players, if not the listeners). Been there, done that. I keep a wooden "train whistle" in my bag for all "train songs."

I also play the Mc Nally "Strumstick". Mc Nally sold his design of the Backpacker Guitar to Martin a few years back. The "Strumstick" is a about 20" long. It has a small sound box, a fretted neck and three strings. The neck is about an inch wide. The frets are set like a lap dulcimer and the strings are tuned to an open chord. You can effectively fret any string at any fret an yield a harmonious chord. Being small it is highly portable. Being small, it has a sound much like a wounded wasp (or perhaps a jaw harp or mouth bow), very thin, but still musical.

I have a set of wooden spoons that are permanently attached at the handle end (really made from one piece of wood). They are nearly as versatile as a regular set of spoons and much easier to play.

Of course, rhythm instruments tend to make for the strangest animals. I do not own one, but I have played a rain stick. I have numerous "eggs" filled with sand. I have also played the tuned drums made by carving "tongues" of various sizes in a wooden board mounted on a sound box. You strike the tongues with a rubber tipped mallet. Very nice sound. It's not an instrument, per se, but I have a friend who mounted a rubber chicken head on her Kaypro capo. She calls it, of course, her capon.

Roger in Baltimore