Cold-Weather Fire Starting: Tested Techniques for Wet, Windy, and Sub-Zero Conditions
The Yukon River Test In the summer of 2005, I was guiding a group of German tourists on a three-day canoe trip along the Yukon River for a local outfitter. We pulled up at a remote campsite on the riverbank — the site of a former small settlement, long abandoned, the kind of place that […]
Wilderness Emergency Signaling
A Systematic Approach to Getting Found When It Matters Section 1 — Opening Hook It was just after 2 a.m. on a March night near the Mackenzie Delta — -38°C (-36°F), wind chill pushing it well past -50°C (-58°F). A snowmobile operator had separated from his group ten kilometres outside of Inuvik. He had his […]
Why Analytical Thinkers Make the Best Wilderness Students—and How to Use That Advantage
A Winter Call in Hay River It was winter in Hay River, Northwest Territories — the kind of cold where lying unconscious outside, even for an hour, puts a person in serious danger. Someone had called it in: a man found lying in a narrow path through the trees, not visible from the road. By […]
Hypothermia Recognition and Response: Field Lessons from Five Years as an Emergency Medical Responder
The Day I Was the Patient I’ve responded to cold-exposure calls over the years. But the incident that taught me the most about hypothermia recognition wasn’t one I attended as a responder — it was one where I was the person going down. I was hiking in mild conditions, the kind of day that doesn’t […]
Water Procurement and Purification in Northern Wilderness: A Systematic Field Protocol
A Lesson on the Yukon River It was mid-summer on the Yukon River, and the rain had been falling hard for hours. I was guiding a group of tourists from Germany — enthusiastic, prepared in every way their itinerary suggested, and completely unprepared for what the river had in mind. Our planned water stop was […]
Mental Resilience in the Field: How Professionals Stay Calm When Plans Fail
The Call That Changed How I Teach Preparedness It was February, and the temperature had dropped to -38°C (-36°F) outside Inuvik when an emergency call came in. A group of workers travelling on the Dempster Highway, had gotten their truck stuck in a ditch after dark. One of them had a suspected broken wrist. Two […]