You have all heard the maxim, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” But is it true? While I agree with it conceptually, I have never been able to completely embrace it in practice. Especially when it comes to outdoor activities. In my view, it is the small stuff which is most important. It is the small details on which everything else (that is, the big stuff) is based, and if that base is bad, everything else could quickly fall apart. During my courses, I regularly remind students that they need to pay attention to detail because, otherwise, those oversights have the potential to combine to create a very serious situation for themselves, and others. After all, a catastrophe does not result simply as the result of one single, isolated incident, but rather as a chain of seemingly unrelated incidents that reach a critical mass. By sweating the small stuff, one can […]
Read more →Last November, Ron Hutter, an experienced hiker and former Boy Scout, set out on a 20 minute hike intended only to pass the time before meeting a friend for lunch. As such, he left his backpack in his vehicle. Not long after starting out, though, he realized that he had somehow missed the trail and was lost. He spent the next four days and three nights fighting to survive. Towards the end of that first day, Hutter took stock of his meager supplies, which included just 10 ounces of water. At this point he remembered, as he explained in an interview after his rescue on Tucson News, a “survival technique.” That is, to stay hydrated, he would have to start drinking his own urine. Is Drinking Urine Really a Survival Technique? One of the most common questions that I am asked during my survival courses and lectures: “Is it okay during a survival situation to drink […]
Read more →Lately, I’ve been thinking about fear, a lot. Initially, a client asked me a few weeks ago during a survival course how to best conquer it during a wilderness emergency, but I’ve continued to reflect on the topic for a mix of reasons, some practical, mostly personal. To be clear, I am not sure that it is possible, or even justified, to recommend to anyone some specific, or “best,” way to deal with fear. After all, it is so situational, dependent on many factors, like personality, background, and events. Besides, it seems to me so presumptuous to offer some catch-all answer. For what it’s worth, from my experience, I don’t think that it’s even possible to conquer fear, rather only to manage it. Even then, it’s still hard, feels messy, and tends to leave one second-guessing the events for a long time afterwards. Personally, I take much from the writings of Persian jurist and […]
Read more →If I were to ask you what kills more people in the backcountry than anything else, what would you guess? Based on talks that I have had with students in our various survival and medicine courses over the years, your answer might likely be some wild creature. Topping the list of the usual suspects are bears, cougars, and snakes. I certainly cannot blame them because deaths due to such attacks are featured most prominently in the news media, not to mention that they make a good plot thread in a screenplay. After all, few movie trailers could be more dramatic and exciting than Leonardo DiCaprio fighting off a grizzly (even if it was computer-generated). But the simple (even if boring) fact of the matter is that what kills more people in the outdoors, either directly or as a significant contributing factor, isn’t wildlife (which is exceedingly rare), but rather an easily understood and […]
Read more →Take a good look at the two compasses in the photograph below. Can you see any difference between them? Even though these compasses are each made by different manufacturers, their difference may only be negligible. After all, they are both lensatic compasses with the same basic frame. They each have sighting features. They both have phosphorescent markings. They are the same color. And they both have a magnetic needle that points North. I will suggest that one big difference is the price. One costs about $75 and the other about $25. So, let’s consider that you are in the aisle of a big-box retailer, eyeing these compasses for your next outdoor adventure. Which one would you buy? Would the choice be easy? … Buy the cheaper one and save $50? Would you be willing to stake your safety, and the safety of those with you, while out in the woods? Presumably, […]
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True North is extremely pleased to announce that we have been included as one of the top ten wilderness survival schools featured in the Spring 2016 issue of Survivor’s Edge. As outlined in its article, Masters of Survival, the folks at Survivor’s Edge write, “Here are ten well highly regarded schools that will teach you what you need to know to survive and live off of the land.” We’re not exactly sure if we are comfortable being described, even indirectly, as a “master” since it’s extremely humbling to see our name alongside so many other nationally known and well respected survival schools from all around the United States in their list. Still, if this attention in any way reflects how hard we continue to work to provide you the finest training in wilderness survival, emergency medicine, and land navigation so that you are best prepared to protect yourself, and others, in an emergency anywhere, anytime, then that’s fine […]
Read more →I realize that first-aid for teeth isn’t as exciting as more lifesaving procedures, like using a tourniquet or providing CPR, but, let’s face it, if your tooth happens to get knocked out — root and all — I’m going to bet that it’ll feel almost as important. After all, the potential of such a tooth injury is a relatively common consequence of many outdoor activities like rock climbing, skiing, and, of course, mountain biking. On the upside, it can be fairly easily implanted by your dentist with a high probability of lasting success. But if you are in a wilderness location with delayed access to a tooth doctor, how then can you best preserve it in the meantime? That’s because the dislodged tooth is really not much different than any other amputated body part, like a finger … It must be kept “alive” until it can be reattached. Here are […]
Read more →Yesterday’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, at a center for people with disabilities which left 14 dead and 21 others injured, is a shocking tragedy which words cannot fully express. Adding to my disbelief, though, was my surprise when reading this morning in The Washington Post about the details of the shooting. That is, it reports that, not only was this mass shooting in the California only the second one yesterday (there was an another in Georgia), but it is the 355th for the year. Honestly, I find this difficult to comprehend, and, frankly, I have no meaningful commentary to offer. But since at True North our mission is to help prepare you for emergencies, I can at least confidently write that the key to best dealing with the unexpected — anywhere, anytime — is preparation. So, here are two resources that I have shared several times already this year, but think that it […]
Read more →At True North, our instructors teach our clients that when dealing with an emergency, a response that is simple and quick is usually best. That’s because in an emergency, a survivor is almost always handicapped in some way by limited resources, whether it be gear, energy, or time. So a survivor often must make the most of these limited resources by making good decisions as quickly as possible, and taking action as automatically, almost robotically, as possible. One survival skill, then, that should reflect this is tying knots. Why is knowing such a skill so well so important? Because this ability can help you to hit all seven of your survival priorities. So with the right knot, or set of knots, the survivor can more effectively and efficiently build a shelter for the night; create a bow to make a fire by friction; or make a litter to haul an injured […]
Read more →At True North we regularly explain to our clients that when it comes to being rescued, it is the responsibility of the survivor to the best of one’s ability to assist in being found. No matter how well equipped rescuers may be, you still remain the proverbial needle in the haystack. Even if they have helicopters with the latest in technological equipment, they could easily continue to fly above you and never even notice that you’re there. After all, you are so very small while the world is so very big. As a survivor, therefore, your ability is vastly improved when you are prepared with the appropriate gear, skills, and knowledge. So, you may want to consider adding a flare to your survival kit. In particular, during our recent Advanced Wilderness Survival course, I wanted to experiment with a good visual signal, the smoke-flare. Such a signaling device is intended for […]
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