BCS CHIEF INSTRUCTOR GRAHAM’S FIELD TRIP TO THE USA

Starting back in early 2023 I contacted True North Wilderness Survival (www.exploretruenorth.com) over in Pittsburgh in the hope of a meeting whilst over visiting family that May. The meeting was duly arranged, and I met up with TNWS owner Erik & instructor JC coffee and an exchange of survival related topics and it came to light that both companies were very similar. We discussed any further visits and the possibility of some collaborative work.

Roll on to August 2024 and this initial get together had evolved into assisting TNWS on one of their Basic Wilderness Survival courses which was being held in Quebec Run Wild area in southern Pennsylvania near the West Virginian border. This was a two-day event with 12 students travelling from far and wide to attend (one Canadian drove seven hours to get to the area the evening before). The aim of the course was to “teach the fundamentals of wilderness survival so that you can expedite your rescue and return home with pride”.

Meeting up at the start of the trail head in Forbes State Forest on a Saturday morning the obligatory safety briefings were delivered along with some last-minute preparations before hiking into the site selected for the course. For myself I found the terrain very similar to Scotland (apart from the temperature) and overall, the flora was not too alien to me. After arriving at the site TNWS used for the BWS course which was located next to a nice creek it was straight into lessons. This kicked off with a gear overview lesson which was very interesting as there was a discussion about the fact that firearms are an actual consideration as well as carrying bear spray! Before the group shelter (parachute) was erected a lesson on knots that were going to be used over the course was conducted and it was highlighted that these were also knots that can be used anytime and anywhere should any situation arise where they would be required.

Once the group shelter was erected and a bit of a break it was straight into a shelter lesson. For this course, the focus was on emergency shelters and related to the gear discussion about what should be carried when venturing out into the wild. Once everyone was content with this method, we discussed the use of natural material shelters for longer term scenarios including the pros and cons as well as the real time environmental impact they have when it comes to running courses. Before dinner the students then set up their own accommodation for the night. I was using a DD Tarps Explorer hammock so that literally took a few minutes to do which gave me ample time to speak to everyone about their gear choices.

After dinner everyone’s favourite subject fire was covered. Maximum student participation, collecting everything required from tinder to fuel ensured that everyone knew and understood the requirements. The group then practiced setting up a fire lay that would work in the rain, practiced fire lighting methods before then lighting the main group fire. Once fully established and some Q&A, a very interesting survival psychology lesson was delivered by JC to wrap up the day.

Day one was very interesting due to the diverse nature of the group, shared experiences and individuals’ reasons for attending. From a BCS point it was refreshing to see the similarities of subject delivery albeit with an American slant. The darkness brought some very interesting woodland sounds including coyote!

Day two started early for myself as I was only in the country for a couple of days and my body clock was still adjusting! However, it was still nice to lie in my hammock listening to all the sounds as the sun broke. Breakfast ensured that I kickstarted my body with a very strong coffee from Erik!

Once everyone was up and admin all sorted out the lessons continued. A fantastic lesson on signaling devices that should be carried or can be improvised was delivered on a unique part of the local area!  This was on a large sawdust mound from bygone days at least 100 years ago which gave a great elevated platform for this subject. Methods to enable you to be rescued which included the use of fire, electronic devices and standard passive means were given and was very useful. It was very similar to how we do this in the grander scheme of things with some slight nuances.

I then delivered a lesson on natural materials that I had acquired from the surrounding area which would get a fire started including birch bark, fat wood and feather sticks as well as some other tips that we find useful in the UK on our courses.

After a medical considerations lecture from JC which included the type of medical training that people should take and what equipment should be carried, a Q&A session between all instructors and the students finished of the main events before breaking camp and hiking out. On the hike out some real time stories were discussed which ultimately brought home how important the weekends training was.

Overall, it was great to have been part of this course and had the opportunity to deliver training with a great bunch of people. I picked up a few tricks and tips and I hope that I managed to impart some of my experience in this subject to everyone. Erik and I managed to discuss further areas of interest on the 90-minute drive (via Sheets IYKYK) back to Pittsburgh. There is definitely a lot more to come from TNWS & BCS either as part of an exchange in the UK or again in the US.