Wilderness survival | True North Wilderness Survival School

Survival Training Technique … Learn From Other’s Mistakes

On October 16, 2017 / News / Comments Off

On Saturday morning, I read the sad news account of the death of a South Korean exchange student a day earlier at the famous Seven Sisters Cliffs in England. Business Insider reported that Hyewon Kim, who was touring the area by herself, asked someone to take a photograph of her as she “jumped” from the cliff. Kim walked by numerous posted signs that warned her of the danger along the cliffs to find the perfect spot for her photograph, which presumably she intended to then text to family and friends back home. However, her simple hop into the air caused the ground to crumble so Kim fell 200 feet to the shore below, suffering “catastrophic injuries.” What most of us would have considered a typical lark in the outdoors is now a tragedy for a family Do you think that this is the first time that I’ve read about such […]

The Most Dangerous (but Ignored) Wilderness Threat

On March 27, 2016 / General / Comments Off

If I were to ask you what kills more people in the backcountry than anything else, what would you guess? Based on talks that I have had with students in our various survival and medicine courses over the years, your answer might likely be some wild creature. Topping the list of the usual suspects are bears, cougars, and snakes. I certainly cannot blame them because deaths due to such attacks are featured most prominently in the news media, not to mention that they make a good plot thread in a screenplay. After all, few movie trailers could be more dramatic and exciting than Leonardo DiCaprio fighting off a grizzly (even if it was computer-generated). But the simple (even if boring) fact of the matter is that what kills more people in the outdoors, either directly or as a significant contributing factor, isn’t wildlife (which is exceedingly rare), but rather an easily understood and […]

Wilderness Survival isn’t just about the Wilderness

On October 1, 2015 / News / Comments Off

Would you like to know a little more about True North’s wilderness survival philosophy directly from the source? Now you can! Last week, Erik sat down with Aaron Watson, host of the podcast Going Deep. Amongst various topics, the two discussed the attraction of Nature, outdoors education, and Erik’s philosophy of wilderness survival. In particular, that wilderness survival doesn’t just apply to some remote location … It’s about Life too! To listen to their conversation, check out Episode #29.

Men’s Health Interviews True North

On July 30, 2015 / Adventures / Comments Off

Earlier this month, Gregg Stebben, co-host of Men’s Health Live, a weekly syndicated radio show from Men’s Health magazine and Entertainment Radio Network, recently interviewed Erik Kulick for it’s “Better Man Project.” This interview is now available online. You’ll find links below to the full episode as well as the interview segments: July 18, 2015 | FULL SHOW | #134 From Pluto to your kitchen table, we explore it all this week on Men’s Health Live (@MensHealthRadio). Click to find out how to cook like a pro-chef, survive a dinosaur attack, and truly connect with Mother Nature. Segment 9: Wilderness Survival There is no safety net in the great outdoors, warns survival expert Erik Kulick (@SteelCityEK). Before you become stranded or injured, start prepping! Click now. Segment 10: Wild Man at Work Squaring off against Mother Nature will make you a better man…if you survive! Find out from survival expert Erik Kulick […]

Outdoor Gear … Consider Renting

On May 22, 2015 / Equipment / Comments Off

I have long been a bit conflicted about the huge array of gear and clothing that retail stores — nowadays almost exclusively dominated by “big box” stores — sell to all skills levels of outdoors people at fairly astonishing prices. I suppose that what most bothers me is the disconnect between the gear that we need (perhaps better defined as the gear that we are told, or believe, that we “need”) just to enter the Great Outdoors. To me, the Great Outdoors should be the great equalizer where everyone, regardless of skill level and wallet or purse size, can experience and share the beauty and wonder of our natural world. Still, I accept that having proper gear and clothing can make this experience not just more safe, but more comfortable. Heck, let’s face it, not having a tent, or a cheap one at that, or an inappropriate sleeping bag, on a […]

Using the Outdoors to Find Your Bearings

On May 7, 2015 / Adventures / Comments Off

Usually at some point while teaching a wilderness survival course, I explain to a class that the skills and knowledge that they are acquiring isn’t just limited to dealing with an emergency situation in a remote outdoors location. Their wilderness survival ability is also applicable to Life in general. That’s because survival isn’t really so much about how much gear that you have in your backpack, or how much specialized training that you have. Rather, in any survival situation, it’s what’s in your head and heart that most matters. So if you want to be a good survivor, and even test your chances of being one, oftentimes you can just look to see how you are “surviving” in your daily life. This may sound odd, but the simple truth is that the hardships that we sometimes experience in our daily lives — whether being laid off unexpectedly from a job; being diagnosed […]

CNN Interviews True North

On April 10, 2015 / Adventures, News / Comments Off

Last Friday, CNN news anchor, Brooke Baldwin, again interviewed True North’s own Erik Kulick on her program Newsroom. This time, she wanted to ask about his thoughts concerning the rescue of Louis Jordan, the sailor who was rescued one day earlier, approximately 200 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, after apparently spending 66 days lost at sea in a sailboat. Given that this admittedly inexperienced sailor showed none of the expected hallmarks of a castaway, like severe sunburn, blisters, profound dehydration, and weight loss — not too mention that both of Jordan’s shoulders appeared remarkably normal considering that he stated to the U.S. Coast Guard that he had broken his shoulder early on in a storm — the media grew skeptical as the story developed. So Brooke spoke to Erik to ask his opinion about Jordan’s account. Just below, then, is a transcript of their talk. And if you like, you can watch […]

Congratulations Survival Grads

On March 30, 2015 / Adventures / Comments Off

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 […]

True North Announces New Partnership

On February 26, 2015 / News / Comments Off

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 […]

Emergency Water Sources

On February 23, 2015 / General / Comments Off

In a wilderness emergency, especially one in which you suspect that you may not be rescued within 72 hours, potable water can be critical to your survival. This is because by that point – perhaps even sooner depending upon certain factors like the weather, your level of physical exertion, and medical condition – your bodily functions begin to become impeded and your mental status impaired. So, while you may have the necessary equipment to filter and purify water, you have to first find it. Can you? Just in case you are uncertain, let me share with you a few ideas and tips to consider. Where to Look Here are a few suggestions on finding sources of water: Keep in mind the basic truism that water doesn’t flow uphill or run along the top of ridgelines, so you’ll have much better luck looking in low spots, like valleys and drainages. There, not only […]

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