True North is very pleased to announce that it will be participating in the “UPMC Morning of Education” on Friday, October 18 sponsored and organized by UPMC Prehospital Care. This purpose of this event is to provide continuing-education training and credits to EMS personnel and other medical professionals in and around the Western Pennsylvania region. The theme of the program is the “Outdoors” so all of the lectures will focus on emergency medicine issues in remote locations where definitive medical care is delayed. Erik will kick off the day with his lecture “Cool Lessons: Dealing with Hypothermia in the Backcountry.” He will then be followed by two physicians who will each talk about altitude sickness, then the treatment of venomous snakebites. All in all, it should be an informative and fun day … Especially since it will which will be held at the Pittsburgh Zoo!
Read more →One of the most common questions that I am asked during one of my wilderness first aid or wilderness survival courses, or during a lecture, is the the following: “Is it okay during a survival situation to drink one’s urine?” This definitely is a good question for several reasons, most of all, since it is being asked within the context of helping to stave off dehydration, the idea appears to make sense. After all, as one may reason, if one is dehydrated, one needs water, so one shouldn’t waste it, even if it is one’s own bodily waste product. More to the point, however, so many people ask the question because they have seen it discussed and done so many times on so-called reality television programs. This wouldn’t be so bad except that there are people who, during a wilderness emergency, actually have resorted to drinking their urine. So, what […]
Read more →It seems that stories about the struggle to survive and overcome great odds in the unforgiving wilderness rarely endure. Sure, an account may effect big headlines in the newspapers, and people may actively chatter about it amongst themselves with particular emphasis on the gory details, but even this quickly fades and people just as quickly forget. While many know the basic facts about the Donner Party, few seem to know the real details, much of it inspiring, and fewer still seem to know anything about the U.S.S. Indianapolis. This is a shame … For them, and for us. However, the story about the death of Christopher McCandless, who in 1992 slowly starved in an isolated bus near Denali National Park long endures. Many of us, of course, read the accounts that Jon Krakauer wrote, first in Outside in 1993, and later in his 1996 book, Into the Wild. And, certainly, the […]
Read more →About two weeks ago, I cringed slightly when I paid $79.95 for a LifeProof case to protect my iPhone 4 mobile telephone. However, at this point, I can easily say that I couldn’t have spent my money better. To be clear, it’s not that I necessarily minded paying such a high cost to protect my iPhone, because the simple reality is that my mobile telephone is far more to me than just a luxury or convenience, it is a genuine work tool. Primarily, of course, I use my iPhone to help run my True North programs. Among so many things, I can quickly respond to client emails during the week or help direct them to a meeting site should they suddenly become lost; I regularly use a mix of Applications to check the weather forecast, sunrise and sunset, and topographic maps to help with planning; and, of course, depending on my location, […]
Read more →I am usually very reluctant to make the effort to see, or to recommend to others, a movie that is “survival” themed. That’s because most are usually junk in that they are based more on entirely contrived drama than actual fact or reality. However, I just watched the trailer for a movie that is to be released in October that I might just have to see. All is Lost is an American film about a man who becomes lost alone at sea after his sail boat sinks soon after being struck by an adrift commercial shipping container. The film appears to be unique in that there is very little dialogue and the only cast member is actor, Robert Redford. There isn’t even a soccer ball named Wilson! Anyway, check out the official trailer below. If anyone is interested in seeing it too, just let me know … I’ll even buy the […]
Read more →If you are like me, then you have faced the aggravation of dealing with broken zippers on gear and clothing. While it is a simple problem in theory to fix, the reality is that it is potentially quite frustrating, time consuming, and expensive (relatively speaking). This morning, I came across the website of FixnZip, makers of zipper repair products. Check out their website for more information. And please check out too their videos below. I am intrigued enough that I plan on buying a few repair kits. I’ll be sure to let you know what I find out. ——————— How to fix a broken zipper on a jacket: How to repair a broken tent zipper:
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Are you interested in a way to help protect the environment and save some money on a True North course too? On Sunday, October 6, True North will spend the day volunteering in a wonderful event that will benefit, not just our local communities, but our entire region. We don’t want, though, to keep all the fun to ourselves … True North wants You to join in too! Organized by Paddle Without Pollution (PWP), the purpose of this event is to clean up debris along the banks of the Kiskiminetas River near Leechburg, Pennsylvania. PWP staff and many volunteers will paddle their kayaks and canoes in search of the debris that sadly pollutes our waterways like bottles, tires, televisions, bicycles, and plastic industrial drums (to name just a few), while other staff and volunteers manage what is brought to shore for pick up later by the local government for proper disposal. To […]
Read more →True North is very pleased to share that it is mentioned in the September 2013 issue of Backpacker. This nationally distributed magazine features a wide array of information and articles focused on wilderness hiking and adventure. First published in 1973, it has since become one of the leading journals in the outdoors industry. Erik was interviewed in May, and then again in June, for two articles related to water. One focused on filtration and purification of water, while the other on finding it using land navigation skills. You can check out his remarks regarding one of them in the Skills section under Instant Upgrades “Pro Tips” on page 44-45. But we’ve just so happened to provide a copy of it below! We certainly would like to thank Backpacker for the shout out, but we especially want to thank all of our friends, partners, and, most definitely our clients, who really made this possible. […]
Read more →I have been diligently working these last few weeks on an article about first aid treatment for venomous snakebites that I will be submitting to an outdoors magazine in the next few days. In it, my goal is to underscore many of the same points that I already have in several blog posts this last several weeks. One important point, then, is to try to help dispel many myths and misconceptions concerning snakebites, not just when it comes to first aid, but also about how supposedly “deadly” they are. The fact of matter is that while snakebites are certainly a serious medical emergency, not very many people actually die. Consider, for example, what happened this past Sunday on the Yough River Trail in Fayette County, about 25 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. A woman was gathering firewood when she thought that a bee stung her hand. Instead, she found a copperhead […]
Read more →If your were to ask someone what is “wilderness,” then they most likely would give you a definition that includes such features as mountains, rivers, and trees located miles and miles from the nearest town. But “wilderness” has a far wider scope that surprises most people. Wilderness is typically defined as one or more hours from definitive medical care — that is, a hospital Emergency Department. While this definition certainly fits remote arctic, desert, and ocean environments, among others, it also applies to more urban settings as well. Wilderness, then, can also apply to a “resource poor” environment. This could be some typical third-world city, like Port-au-Prince, Haiti; a medical emergency on an airplane flying at 30,000 feet; or even an American city that has been overwhelmed by a natural disaster. As a consequence, “wilderness” could even apply to that ED in that same overwhelmed city. If the hospital has […]
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