Posts Tagged ‘survival’

Drinking Your Pee: Survival Technique or Myth?

On March 10, 2017   /   General   /   Comments Off on Drinking Your Pee: Survival Technique or Myth?
Drinking Your Pee: Survival Technique or Myth?

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 […]

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Managing Fear

On April 21, 2016   /   Uncategorized   /   Comments Off on Managing Fear
Managing Fear

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 […]

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Survival Skill: Knots

On November 2, 2015   /   Equipment   /   Comments Off on Survival Skill: Knots
Survival Skill: Knots

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 […]

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Summer Reading Suggestion

On August 19, 2015   /   Reading   /   Comments Off on Summer Reading Suggestion
Summer Reading Suggestion

As I sat on the beach last week during my vacation, I managed to relax and have fun.  One of the many highlights of my days, then, was listening to the waves crash as I read with great interest my newest book.  Of course, being a wilderness survival instructor, I tend to read non-fiction accounts of survival.  After all, reading offers a great way to help learn from others about what it it takes to deal with adversity, often when you may most feel like giving up. This book was unique, however, in that it’s main focus is on the only official canine POW of World War II.  No Better Friend: One Man, One Dog, and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage and Survival in WWII, written by Robert Weintraub, describes almost incredible accounts of heroism, fortitude, and devotion between dog and human alike. Born in Shanghai, China in 1936, Judy, an English Pointer, was […]

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Congratulations Survival Grads

On March 30, 2015   /   Adventures   /   Comments Off on Congratulations Survival Grads
Congratulations Survival Grads

True North is really proud to welcome our newest survival graduates who completed our Basic Wilderness Survival (BWS) course this weekend.  Some might think that this was some simple Spring camping trip, but, trust me, they’d be wrong … definitely wrong. After all, Winter would better describe the conditions!  This crew of four not only arrived bright and early at the trailhead, despite ample snow on the ground at Quebec Run Wild Area in the Laurel Highlands and the forecast upcoming overnight low temperature of 14 degrees, but they put their nervousness and physical discomfort aside to work hard all day, laughing and smiling throughout.  Even when they emerged from their tents the next morning with frost on their hats (where it had actually hit 12 degrees overnight) they continued to amply demonstrate positive mental attitude — the hallmark of the survivor — at its finest. We enjoyed a wonderfully diverse group who took our BWS […]

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True North Announces New Partnership

On February 26, 2015   /   News   /   Comments Off on True North Announces New Partnership
True North Announces New Partnership

True North Wilderness Survival School is proud to officially announce that it is partnering with the Allegheny County Parks Department to run a series of outdoor education programs throughout 2015.  The schedule will include courses in wilderness survival, land navigation, and first-aid, to name just a few. These events will help to meet several goals all around, but, more importantly, will offer many benefits to the Western Pennsylvania region. ACPD is eager to develop and manage programs that will help contribute to its mission of enhancing the quality of life and well being of the residents of Allegheny County by showcasing the beauty and diversity of its extensive park system, while also offering outdoor educational opportunities that will help foster a deeper respect for the conservation of its natural and cultural resources. In turn, True North is excited at the prospect of working with a broader range of outdoor enthusiasts to help develop […]

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