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 →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 →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 […]
Read more →In my opinion, every survival kit should include at least a 50′ hank of parachute cord. As it is exceedingly strong and exceedingly versatile, parachute cord has, almost quite literally, a 1,001 uses. In terms of wilderness survival it ties together all seven survival priorities. Among other things, it can be used, then, to: form a ridge line for my shelter and tie down the ends; fashion a bow string for a primitive fire; construct a litter to evacuate a patient; and sew a ripped jacket. It can even be used to make a fishing lure! To show you how, I have provided the following video. I thought it a good one so decided to pass it along. Moving on … What is parachute cord? Parachute cord was originally developed during World War II solely for use as the suspension lines in a parachute. However, because the nylon cord is strong, […]
Read more →Last week, I relayed the story of Heather Barnes, a college student studying marine biology, who had just survived 16 hours treading water in the blazing sun, all the while being stung by jellyfish, after being swept out to sea off the coast of Honduras. Her story is a good one. Certainly because it ended happily, but also because she offers us many good lessons for the time when we might need to fight for our lives. What are the lessons? It is helpful mix of what to do, but, maybe more importantly, what NOT to do. For such a smart woman, she did several really dumb things that created her problem in the first place. But, then again, we all could have probably made the same mistakes, and I’m not so sure that I could have lasted as long as she did to make it back to shore. Anyway, […]
Read more →It is again summertime, and if you are like me or many of my wonderful friends, you are spending as much time outdoors enjoying it as fully as possible. But it has been warm, and over the last month or so, even very hot and humid. Not that I am complaining mind you, after all summer should be just that, summer. Still, it helps to remind us of the importance of being properly hydrated. This is something of which we as a nation are certainly well aware thanks to the marketing efforts of large multinational corporations that manufacture electrolyte drinks. The problem, though, is that by and large their messages are misleading and their products not necessarily as helpful as advertised. The real value of taking a wilderness medicine or survival course, isn’t so much learning to deal with a problem as it is to prevent the problem in the first place. […]
Read more →Despite common belief, death caused from the bite of a venomous snake in the United States is exceedingly rare. The Wilderness Medical Society reports that, of the roughly 45,000 snakebites that are reported each year, about 8,000 are confirmed venomous, and of this number only around 10 actually result in death (typically because the victim was very young, very old, or suffered already from an underlying medical condition, like an allergy). In point of fact, more people die each year from bee stings and from taking “selfies” — by literally walking off cliffs or into traffic to get the perfect angle — than they do from snakebites. Still, a venomous snakebite, in particular that of the most common one, a pit viper, is still nothing to belittle, as the injury, even if it means the low probability of death, may still be intensely life altering. In particular, the high potential […]
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