I’m heading to Utah in a few weeks. For those who’ve talked to me for more than 10 minutes, you know that Utah is my Mecca. So needless to say, I’m super excited. I plan on driving about 2,000 miles around southern Utah over nine days. One of my stops is the amazingly beautiful, Reflection Canyon. If you have not seen pictures of this place, do yourself a favor and Google it now. Here’s the kicker — getting to Reflection Canyon requires driving down a very rough and unpatrolled “road” for about two hours. From there, you have to hike in complete wilderness (no paths, signs or guides of any kind) for 10 miles. Needless to say, there is no cell coverage and no water access of any kind the whole time. Despite me being overly prepared with tools and skill sets, I am concerned about the inability to call […]
Read more →One of the most fundamental elements of life, and to potentially surviving a wilderness emergency, is potable water. Yet, the methods to making contaminated water safe to drink is often misunderstood. The process involves two steps, not just one, as many believe or are told, even by the staff at big-box outdoor retail stores. So, remember, making water potable involves both filtration and purification. Both steps are needed because, depending on your chosen methods, not all necessarily remove the pathogens that will make you sick, namely parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Most manufactured filters will remove relatively big critters, like parasites and bacteria, but not viruses. In turn, many purifications methods will not be fully effective if water hasn’t been initially filtered. There are several methods to filter water, whether it is a piece of equipment or some improvised means. Such examples include: Sawyer MINI Water Filtration System Lifestraw Bandana Improvised three-stage […]
Read more →Whether we are hiking, fishing, paddling, or enjoying the beauty of the Great Outdoors in any number of others ways, emergencies can occur. If you ever found yourself in the woods in need of help, what type of signaling device do you think would be the most helpful? Consider a study by the National Park Service conducted in 2014 which summarized the most common reasons why people needed to be rescued in its parks. The single most common activity in which the subjects of a search were engaged was the “Day Hike” (42%). This far outpaced the next activity, overnight backpacking, at 13%. Other activities represented low single digits, where even “Technical Climbing” only accounted for a mere 2% of rescues. And during these activities, the most common factors that contributed to the need for help were “Fatigue / Physical Conditioning” (23%) and “Error in Judgment” (19%). I would submit that this study is representative […]
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, […]
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 […]
Read more →Speaking from experience, it’s seems that whenever one has to suddenly deal with an unexpected problem, rarely does it occur in perfect conditions. This, most especially, when it involves the outdoors. So, in this vein, my mind regularly ponders varying ways and means to effectively stay warm if one of my “day hikes” should ever turn into a overnight. Out of this, then, let me share with you a product that you may want to consider adding to you gear inventory. Now, of course, whenever I head out into the woods on some adventure, I am properly prepared to meet my seven priorities of survival — in particular, Priority #3 Shelter — but my concern is that even if I can protect myself from the wind and rain, it may still be hard to stay warm. Build a fire, right? Building a fire to dovetail with my shelter seems to be a […]
Read more →I know that it may be hard to believe, but activities that involve Winter camping offer some of the best opportunities of the year to enjoy the Great Outdoors. There tend to be far fewer people on the trail, and one can, quite literally, see, hear, feel, and smell a world completely different than the one that more commonly exists during the warmer months. But to be perfectly honest, I often need to remind myself of theses wonders in order to overcome my inherent resistance to sleeping overnight in the cold. After all, sleeping when one is cold to the point of suffering doesn’t help make for a fun, or, from a wilderness survival perspective, a safe trip. So here a few simple tips to consider: Keep your internal furnace burning all night. Before going to bed, eat (unless you have some kind of medical restriction) a high-calorie snack that […]
Read more →I have been working on a side project these last few weeks and thought that I would share some of the information that I have gathered regarding it. It is arguably more geared towards the professional first responder, but it may interest and benefit many of you who are lay responders too. After all, I am a strong advocate of the principle that, no matter one’s level of training, it is important to continually practice and learn so that one may keep one’s skills sharp and up to date. Certainly, being prepared to protect oneself when an emergency arises, and to do the same for others, is a fundamentally important component of wilderness survival. Whether we are professional or lay trained, we all know that in a medical emergency uncontrolled bleeding is a clear life threat. Sometimes, unlike in the photograph posted above (which I only chose to illustrate a […]
Read more →The Great Outdoors is a wonderful place to recreate physically and spiritually. Even better, in many cases, you can do so without spending a dime. Few other things in life are more wonderfully egalitarian. However, “without spending a dime” is just a manner of speaking, of course. Because for the most part, no matter, how economical we may want to be when we spend time engaged in some chosen activity under the sun or stars, the basic reality is that we must spend some amount of money. It could be just to buy a simple pair of hiking boots, a hat, a fishing pole, or the fuel that we pump into our car’s tank. How one chooses, then, to buy any apparently necessary items most likely depends on a number of criteria. A good set of starting points most likely are the chosen activity, one’s skill level, degree of commitment, […]
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