True North Outdoor Skills Training

True North Outdoor Skills Training Professional outdoor skills training in survival, wilderness medicine, and land navigation since 2011. True North is also available for workshops and lectures.

Trusted by outdoor enthusiasts, professional responders, and military personnel nationwide. True North Wilderness Survival School is ranked as one of the finest survival training programs in the United States. Featured in Backpacker, Associated Press, CNN and many other national and international media, True North provides those who work or play in wilderness environments with the skills and knowl

edge to confidently deal with emergencies in remote, austere, and hostile environments while awaiting rescue or back up. The heart of our program are wilderness medicine and survival courses that are open to those of all backgrounds and levels of experience. We also offer traditional map & compass training and various types of urban first-aid certification, including CPR, for lay and professional responders alike. Many of our courses are available for private instruction, either as an individual or an organization, and they can be custom tailored to fit your needs or requirements. True North trains individuals as well as professional rescuers, law enforcement, and military. True North is an accredited provider of the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Wilderness Medical Society. Based in Pittsburgh, True North conducts its programs and courses in a mix of state, county and municipal parks, including private lands, all around Pennsylvania and the Northeast. Explore, Help, Lead. Confidently.

Another outstanding Wilderness First Aid course is in the books.Many thanks to Lauren, Ron, Evan, Hayden, Bob, Tom, Sam,...
06/01/2026

Another outstanding Wilderness First Aid course is in the books.

Many thanks to Lauren, Ron, Evan, Hayden, Bob, Tom, Sam, Matthew, Leo, and Rob for their hard work, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn throughout the weekend. They spent two days developing practical skills to assess and manage medical emergencies in remote environments where help may be hours away.

Of course, many thanks also to our furry friend who reliably attended both days around 4:00.

Congratulations to everyone on successfully completing the course — and thank you for training with True North.

If you'd like to gain the skills and confidence to respond to emergencies in the outdoors, consider joining us for an upcoming Wilderness First Aid class.

👉 Learn more at www.exploretruenorth.com

Today, we remember and honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to this nation.
05/25/2026

Today, we remember and honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to this nation.

It’s been a busy week at True North.Over the past several days and nights, we ran our Baseline and Advanced Military Lan...
05/23/2026

It’s been a busy week at True North.

Over the past several days and nights, we ran our Baseline and Advanced Military Land Navigation courses — including SOF Overland Development — working with a terrific group preparing for SFAS, RASP, and an Army SMU assessment.

While we enjoyed brief stretches of spring sunshine, most of the training was conducted in cold rain, slippery mud, and miserable conditions.

Perfect.

Because difficult terrain, poor weather, fatigue, and discomfort are exactly where precise map-and-compass skills matter most — and where confidence is built.

If you are preparing for an upcoming assessment and selection course, consider checking out our Mil-Nav Program — trusted by members of the SOF community nationwide.

👉 Learn more:
https://www.exploretruenorth.com/courses/mil-nav-program

The weather in the Highlands this past weekend was miserable — cold, rainy, and muddy.Perfect conditions for our Basic W...
05/18/2026

The weather in the Highlands this past weekend was miserable — cold, rainy, and muddy.

Perfect conditions for our Basic Wilderness Survival course!

A huge round of thanks to Allison, Lindsay, Tom, Donnie, Jake, Chad, Sam, Taylor, Heidi, and Morgan for showing up ready to work despite the conditions. Throughout the weekend, they learned how to construct improvised shelters, start fires in the rain, test improvised water filters, and apply other important survival skills in a realistic environment.

They also enjoyed some of the local wildlife along the way — including salamanders, owls, Pileated woodpeckers, and, amazingly, even a newborn fawn that was only hours old.

But perhaps most importantly, they never stopped smiling and laughing throughout the training.

That mindset matters. In difficult conditions, attitude is often more important than skill — and this group had both.

If you’d like to develop the skills and confidence to stay safe and make good decisions outdoors — even when conditions aren’t ideal — consider joining us for an upcoming course.

👉 Learn more and view upcoming classes at www.ExploreTrueNorth.com

True North enjoyed a terrific weekend teaching Wilderness First Aid alongside a fantastic group at ASCEND Climbing on th...
05/11/2026

True North enjoyed a terrific weekend teaching Wilderness First Aid alongside a fantastic group at ASCEND Climbing on the South Side.

Many thanks to Hannah, Abby, Eliza, Scott, Connor, Christian, John, Mike, Sean, Jeff, Alex, Eric, and Bob for all of their hard work, positive attitudes, and great sense of humor throughout the weekend. Training is always more rewarding when clients show up ready to learn, work hard, and support one another — and this crew certainly did.

We’d also like to thank the staff at ASCEND for once again being such outstanding hosts and supporters of outdoor education.

Emergencies outdoors can happen quickly — and knowing how to respond can make a real difference for yourself, your family, or your partners on the trail.

If you’d like to develop the skills and confidence to help the sick or injured in outdoors environments where help may be delayed, consider joining us for our next Wilderness First Aid class on 30–31 May at Settlers Cabin County Park.

⚠️ Only 1 slot remains.

👉 Learn more and register here:
https://www.exploretruenorth.com/courses/wilderness-medicine/wilderness-first-aid

Our upcoming Wilderness First Aid class this weekend at ASCEND Climbing is officially full — thank you to everyone joini...
05/06/2026

Our upcoming Wilderness First Aid class this weekend at ASCEND Climbing is officially full — thank you to everyone joining us.

BUT if you missed this one, we have just 1 slot remaining in our next WFA course on 30–31 May.

Whether you spend time hiking, camping, climbing, hunting, paddling, or simply exploring the outdoors, Wilderness First Aid provides practical skills and confidence when help may not be immediately available.

Small class size. Hands-on instruction. Real-world scenarios.

👉 Learn more or reserve the final spot here:
https://www.exploretruenorth.com/courses/wilderness-medicine/wilderness-first-aid

Cold, wet, and miserable weather — but a terrific weekend of training.This past weekend, we ran our Basic Land Navigatio...
05/05/2026

Cold, wet, and miserable weather — but a terrific weekend of training.

This past weekend, we ran our Basic Land Navigation and Advanced Land Navigation courses with a strong group who traveled in from around Pittsburgh — and as far as Washington, DC and Fredericksburg, VA.

Conditions like these aren’t comfortable, but they’re valuable. Real-world training doesn’t happen on perfect days — and learning to move confidently through challenging terrain and weather is exactly where these skills are built.

Many thanks to everyone who showed up ready to work and pushed through the conditions with smiles. It was a pleasure training with you!

If you’re looking to develop this skill set, consider joining us for an upcoming class.

Our June courses are full — but there’s still limited space remaining in July.

👉 View our Land Navigation Program and upcoming classes:
https://www.exploretruenorth.com/courses/land-navigation

All the best to a former client — who recently reached out after completing U.S. Army Officer Candidate School and will ...
04/30/2026

All the best to a former client — who recently reached out after completing U.S. Army Officer Candidate School and will be commissioned this weekend.

He wrote: “I wanted to thank you for your tremendous assistance in getting me comfortable with land nav… I finished OCS last month and this weekend I will be pinning on 2LT rank. Thank you once again.”

We always appreciate updates like this — we genuinely care about how our clients perform when it matters.

Success in these environments doesn’t come from shortcuts — it comes from preparation, repetition, and sound judgment under pressure. That’s the standard we train to at True North.

If you’re preparing for OCS, SFAS, RASP, or even an SMU — where passing the land navigation phase is critical — take a look at our Mil-Nav Program.

https://www.exploretruenorth.com/courses/mil-nav-program

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