Today, an expedition composed of six Brits and Australians, led by Tim Jarvis and Barry Grey, completed a re-enactment of one of the greatest survival adventures of all time. The team followed the path of Ernest Shackleton, the acclaimed polar explorer, who in 1914 set out to sea from Great Britain on the Endurance with a crew of 56 men, just as hostilities broke out with Germany, to be the first to cross the Antarctic continent from sea to sea via the South Pole. However, soon after leaving port, the expedition faced one difficulty after another. Ultimately, though, even after overcoming all of those obstacles, the Endurance became hopelessly trapped in sea ice. Knowing that their only chance for survival lay in their own hands, Shackleton led his men over high walls of pack ice, hidden crevasses, raging seas, blinding blizzards, even a mountain, to a remote whaling station on […]
Read more →In the national news this month, two separate incidents occurred that involved two different sets of hikers who had set out for an enjoyable day on the trail. However, in both cases, their fun quickly became an ordeal when the weather suddenly turned against them and they were not properly prepared for conditions. In the one case, the story had a happy ending. Two sisters were rescued after spending a night on a mountain in California. They suffered the effects of hypothermia, but will likely fully recover. The other outcome, however, was terribly sad. A man and his two young sons succumbed to hypothermia overnight after getting lost on a remote trail in Missouri. When I initially read about this latter incident a few weeks ago, I had planned on writing a detailed post about it. However, the more details that I discovered, the more that I couldn’t bring myself […]
Read more →Whether it is a survival situation, or a medical issue, a recurring theme in dealing with an acute emergency in any remote location is the importance of improvisation. That’s because rarely, if ever, will we have with us an unlimited amount of resources. In particular, tools, supplies, and, perhaps most importantly, time, will likely be in short supply. Most often, we will be forced to make due with what little we may have and in a terribly short of amount of time (thus, making an already stressful situation, even more so). However, this need not necessarily be too bad — In fact, it could actually be an asset. We just need to train ourselves to do two things. First, we need to be able to mentally accept that which we can’t change … Or, as a wise old man once elegantly stated, “Embrace the suck!” And, secondly, we must learn to […]
Read more →Unless you tend, like me, to be oblivious of popular culture, then you all know that the end of the world will be tomorrow, Friday, December 21, 2012. That is just a few, short hours from now. If, though, you are also like me, you are already making plans for this weekend. In particular, I will be spending Sunday afternoon hiking with my friends, Edie and Celeste, who have invited me out as a guest with their Meet Up group. Afterwards, the three of us, then, will quite likely head over to Mad Mex in Shadyside for a margarita or two … or three. This so-called Mayan Doomsday Prophecy has been a staple of discussion for about ten years now, probably since just after the humdrum conclusion of Y2K (which I find almost hard to recall now). Since then it has become a fixture of fear-mongering websites and blogs, books, even […]
Read more →As I regularly explain to clients during our wilderness survival courses, a lack of food in a survival situation is not necessarily a big deal. In fact, in such situations, food is a detriment as it is a stressor on the body. This is one reason why you’ll often hear survival instructors talk about the Rule of 3s — That is, one can go 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter in harsh conditions, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. The following news account, then, helps to underscore my point: Police in Manitoba ended their investigation today surrounding the events that caused a man to become lost and stranded in the wilderness for three weeks while hunting. Other than an apple, which he ate on Day One, he had no other food and lost 40 pounds. So, this story helps to illustrate why, of the Seven Survival […]
Read more →Do you remember Lexi DeForest? In case you don’t, she is the Colorado State University student who in late August made a video of herself while she laid waiting (painfully) for a Search and Rescue team in a remote section of Wyoming after severely breaking her ankle. For more information about what happened, please read our original post. Anyway, about a month after her accident, Lexi posted another video. In it, she provides more information about what caused her to fall and the effort involved afterwards to rescue her. Like the first one, this video offers us all many great lessons — Chief of which is the power of positive mental attitude. Happily, Lexi appears to be doing amazingly well. Check it out for yourself:
Read more →In all of his wilderness survival courses, True North instructor, Erik, repeatedly stresses the paramount importance of PMA … Positive Mental Attitude. As he explains to his students, in a survival situation, it really doesn’t matter how much technical experience and training you have, or even what cool equipment you have in your backpack, that will help determine if you live or die. Rather, it is what is in your head and heart that most counts. A video-diary that Lexi Deforest, a Colorado college student, recently recorded when she became trapped in the mountains after her foot became detached from her leg in a climbing accident is an excellent example of the power of PMA. Thanks to Jake Griebe of SOWMAS, a Wisconsin based wilderness medicine and survival school, Erik just watched Lexi’s video which has since gone viral. We’ve provided a video link below for you to watch. But […]
Read more →In his wilderness survival courses at True North, Erik doesn’t teach about plants as a primary food source. Instead, he typically discusses a long list of what he calls the “myth of wild edibles.” This is a slight overstatement, Erik soon admits to students, but he makes it to emphasize two important points. Primarily, he wants them to begin re-thinking, and re-shaping, the world around them so that they are better prepared for an emergency situation, and not rely on preconceived notions from silly television shows or third-hand sources. Just as importantly, wild edibles are not Erik’s speciality, and he refuses to pretend that he is an expert where he is not. After all, our overarching focus at True North is all about giving students the information and training that will help keep them, and their loved ones, safe in the wilderness. So, it is our pleasure to introduce Jake […]
Read more →For anyone who is interested in becoming certified in Wilderness First Aid (WFA), or who wishes to renew their certification, Exkursion has added a course to their Summer schedule. It will be held on two consecutive Sundays, August 5 and 12, from 3:00 to 9:00 both days. The cost will be $185. This is a great opportunity for several reasons. First off, wilderness first aid training provides a potentially life saving skill for anyone who spends time in the woods or any remote setting. It is also a terrific confidence builder. After completing the training, you will be better equipped to assess trauma and medical problems, and you will have a better understanding of how to treat such common wilderness maladies as shock, hypothermia, bleeding, fractures, dislocations, bites … the list goes on. In turn, this particular course is great because the program is being taught by SOLO, the oldest, […]
Read more →Earlier today, my friend and fellow outdoors instructor, Derek “The Deuce” Tirado forwarded to me a newspaper article published today in the Canadian Herald Sun. You can find below the story in its entirety. As a heads up, I think that you will find it a gripping account since it plainly illustrates the extreme ends to which one must sometimes go to survive. And, of course, because it underscores one particular life lesson: It is better to potentially be judged by twelve than definitely carried by six. Read on … Lost Camper’s Smoke Signals Accidentally Start Massive Island Fire CANADIAN tourist who broke his foot while camping alone on a remote island in Norway has been rescued after sending out smoke signals – but the fire he started then engulfed a large part of the island. The 25-year-old man, who has not been identified by authorities, spent three days on […]
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