We are thrilled to be able to offer a wide-spectrum of training to you.
Following our May Cowboy Karate combatives class with Ace from Delta2Alpha, we have a selection of classes for Fall.
Our new flagship class, Urban Survival, Evasion & Escape class, will catapult you into a resilient, capable bad-ass who can handle tough, dangerous situations. Think Jason Bourne, but for real.
We are also back to offering Covert Entry, both for public enrolment and an Agency-Restricted version. If you’ve ever wanted to develop an understanding and capability of physical security systems and how they can be compromised (so that you can prevent it).
Our November Counter-Custody & Mixed-skills class will empower you to self-rescue from restraints and abduction.
Finally, we end the year with our Disaster Preparedness class. We cover static and mobile preparedness to build an adaptive and resilient plan for yourself, your home and your business. Don’t be left unprepared.
If you or your group are looking for tailored or private training, Contact Us directly.
That’s right – we are proud to be offering out latest book – Travelcraft – to everyone out there.
We have been working on this book for almost two years, integrating several trips and travel lessons from our own experiences both personally and professionally.
Travelcraft: The Art of Safe And Secure Travel. Real-World Risk Management for Everyday Travellers.
The purpose of this book is to provide travellers with the knowledge, skills, and strategies they need to evaluate and mitigate risks in order to stay safe while exploring the world. Drawing on insights from security professionals, travel experts, and real-world experiences, we cover a wide range of topics, from personal security and health precautions to information security in the pre, during, and post-travel phases to ensure a holistic approach to the entirety of the topic.
Stop Being a Target. Start Mastering the Art of Travelcraft.
The global travel landscape of 2026 has changed. While the world is more accessible than ever, it is also defined by high-velocity digital threats, asymmetrical security risks, and evolving geo-political instability. Most travel guides tell you where to go; Travelcraft teaches you how to get there—and back—safely.
Written by Boris Milinkovich, a Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) with over 20 years of high-level security experience, this is not a book of fear—it is a manual for empowerment. From the “Rule of Stupids” to the technical nuances of digital “juice jacking,” Travelcraft provides a tripartite framework for security before, during, and after your journey.
Inside this comprehensive guide, you will discover:
The Situational Awareness Superpower: How to establish environmental “baselines” and identify anomalies before a threat manifests.
INFOSEC & Digital Hardening: Practical methods to protect your identity, including the use of “USB condoms,” Faraday pouches, and VPN lifelines for the digital nomad.
The Solo Traveler’s Edge: Specialized safety protocols for women traveling alone and students on international exchange programs.
Hotel & Transit Security: How to secure your “home away from home” using simple tools like door wedges and UDT mitigation tactics.
Emergency Preparedness: Advanced first aid essentials, “Traveler Insurance” vs. “Travel Insurance,” and exfiltration strategies for crisis situations.
Whether you are a corporate executive managing duty of care, a solo adventurer seeking a worry-free trip, or a parent sending a teen abroad, Travelcraft transforms you from a vulnerable tourist into a “hard target.”.
Travel can be a wonderfully enriching experience, offering opportunities for exploration, adventure, and personal growth. However, it also comes with inherent risks to one’s safety and well-being. This book provides a detailed guide to travel safety, equipping travelers with the knowledge, skills, and strategies they need to mitigate risks and enjoy safe and rewarding journeys.
Don’t leave your safety to chance. Grab your copy of Travelcraft today and travel with the confidence of a professional.
Grab your copy – either paperback, ebook, or both – on Amazon worldwide. And get it NOW, BEFORE you travel. Being forewarned is forearmed!
Last year I started dipping my toes into watches. Not ultra-luxury nor cheap things, but rather some proper tool and dive watches.
For the past couple of years I have begun to procure some higher-quality tool/dive watches. Mostly for reliability, function and then form. As a recreational SCUBA diver and sometimes-adventurer, I want to ensure I have something rugged and reliable on my wrist. As ex-Military and ex-law enforcement, I also want something that’s “bad-ass”-reliable, yet stylish and somewhat of a conversation starter. Something notable. A watch that would get a nod. More recently, however, I have wanted to support Canadian brands specifically, and Marathon has been on my radar for a while.
I have been thrilled with all aspects of my experience with Marathon – from the amazing customer service, the support in customization and of course, the quality and comfort of the watch itself.
The Maple Leaf edition of the 41mm GSAR is a special edition variant of the Government Search and Rescue watch Marathon has had available for years. Issued to Military and Search & Rescue personnel worldwide, it is a solidly-built reliable tool watch which easily navigates extremes of depths, pressures, temperatures and shocks. It features a Sellita SW200-1, self-winding automatic movement with Incabloc shock absorber and 26 jewels for accuracy and a 41hr power reserve. The lume is provided via MaraGlo and tritium gas tubes for easy legibility. A screw-down crown and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal complement the stainless steel case for a water resistance of 30ATM (300m/1000ft). More than I’ll ever need. I suppose if I went overboard at some point and the crabs ate my body, I could be identified by the watch. The customized engraving and “Frankensteining” of the parts to create a unique timepiece for me says a lot about the company as well as the individual piece.
My watch from Marathon is a bit of a custom-Frankenstein: it is a 41mm GSAR with Stainless Steel bracelet, BUT with a Red Maple Leaf, rather than the grey one. Marathon had this combo with a slightly older movement years ago in a 41mm case and when they upgraded the internals also moved on from the Red Maple. So, that means Marathon currently only has a Red Maple on the 46mm or the Arctic White 41mm. They were super-kind to customize mine with a red leaf on the black face and then do some fantastic case engraving as well.
Custom 1 of 1. Love it.
First impressions: this watch is SOLID. I own other tool watches (Doxa Sharkhunter, Momentum SQ30 Eclipse, Scurfa MS-25 PVD, Citizen Pro Diver, and others) but this one is an absolute unit. It sits a bit tall but not to the point that it impedes anything I wear. It fits well on my wrist and the bracelet and watch are both comfortable to wear. I thought that the crown might dig in a bit but I was pleasantly surprised that it never does.
The 41mm fits my wrist just right, and the micro-adjustments on the stainless steel bracelet are spot-on and very comfortable.
I have worn this watch a lot, in both outdoor and work environments and have had zero issues. Accuracy has been spot on with no issues other than when the reserve runs out and I have to re-set the time. I have since received a watch winder and when it’s spinning it maintains accurate time to the extent that I can’t really tell any deviation. Though it is a lot taller than some of my other watches, it is still unobtrusive and wears easily in any context. The crown doesn’t dig into me in any way, which was a concern when I initially tried it on.
The Tritium lume is wonderful at night. I have had no issues with it. It is bright and clear and legible in the dark. By far it’s the brightest late-night watch I have. The indices are clearly marked and the different colours make telling the time easy.
On thing I will say is that I have not taken it diving…yet. I will be sure to do so the next time I go and update this post when I do. Suffice it to say, I left it in a waterfall for an hour and it just got cold – no skew in timekeeping or function at all. I do wear it in everything else I do, so rough days, workouts, building and getting dirty has zero negative effect on it. Perfect.
I left the GSAR in an ice-melt waterfall for an hour and there were no issues. It was just really cold when I put it back on.
The extra care and work the Marathon team put in to this piece – and how they cared about the entire process was a refreshing change from the world of customer experiences which have seemed to have gone downhill over the past several years. The Marathon crew was awesome in that they delivered my watch to me at the Toronto Timepiece Show ( https://www.timepieceshow.com ), which was a nice treat as I got to meet the fine folks involved in making it happen.
Meeting the Marathon crew at the Toronto Timepiece Show was a real treat. Made the watch more special as I met everyone who had a hand in making it happen.
Another thing I am fond of with my Marathon GSAR is that, amongst watch nerds and “operational” types, it has instant caché and recognition as a solid watch. Reliable reputation and it’s also a cool watch to discuss with other nerds like me. Though it’s not a Rolex or Omega, I feel that, in a pinch, it could be traded for something like safe passage or some food or money during an emergency while abroad. The bezel, with its solid clicks do make rudimentary navigation by watch easier. Of course, in these days of crazy tariffs and whatnot, paying less for a watch because there’s no import fees or duties, can make it a more affordable watch than some alternatives.
Bottom line: this is an awesome TOOL WATCH. Hands-down, it’s a workhorse which embodies the ethos of “use your tools”. It does what it’s supposed to do: it keeps accurate time, in harsh conditions, is comfortable, reliable AND it looks sharp. The heft of it makes you know it’s there. The look of it draws the eye. The insides keep the time and lets you forget about having to check it it’s working or not.
Marathon offers several variants of their 41mm SAR watches. For me, this was the perfect one.
My Marathon GSAR on a hike – complimented by my cool Wild Geese Explorer’s Club patch. I’m in good company.
The 41mm fits my wrist just right, and the micro-adjustments on the stainless steel bracelet are spot-on and very comfortable.Custom 1 of 1. Love it.Meeting the Marathon crew at the Toronto Timepiece Show was a real treat. Made the watch more special as I met everyone who had a hand in making it happen.
Protecting yourself from pick pockets to escaping a foreign country as it’s collapsing, you will learn how to observe – exploit and disrupt.
The world’s most unpredictable environments aren’t always overseas—they’re often the streets we walk every day. Urban Movement, designed by renowned unconventional security specialist Ed Calderon, is a deep dive into the mindset &methods of staying one step ahead wherever you are.
Blending street-level criminology with field-proven tradecraft, this course reveals how to see the world through the eyes of a threat actor—whether it’s a pickpocket, scammer, or violent criminal—and use that perspective to sharpen your own situational awareness.
What You’ll Learn:
Environmental Exploitation
Criminology
Technology & Tactics
Surveillance & Counter-surveillance
And much more
Whether you’re a civilian traveler, a law enforcement professional, or a military operator, Urban Movement equips you with an adaptable framework for navigating uncertain environments.
Why Take Urban Movement?:
This is not a course about theory—it’s about experience. By training your perception, sharpening your decision-making, and practicing deception from both sides, you will learn to see the world differently. You’ll walk away with a heightened awareness, unconventional problem-solving skills, and the ability to adapt in dynamic, unpredictable environments.
More than a class, this is a mindset—a way of seeing the invisible patterns in the urban landscape, and learning how to move through them
For those of you who may not know, 2025 has been an incredibly challenging year. It all started with a move that didn’t go quite as planned…and then all the turmoil that followed.
In a nutshell, due to a variety of circumstances beyond our control, we were waylaid by life’s fickle nature and find ourselves in a position where the “retail” part of our business has suffered immeasurably, and that has likewise affected everything else we do. On top of all that, our Instagram account is down. We will look to continue corresponding through our website and are looking into options on how to proceed…Me*ta doesn’t like us.
To that end, we are making the difficult decision to take a step back and re-tool, well, everything.
(Don’t worry, all orders still not shipped will be soon as we replace lost and destroyed inventory and try to fulfil orders as quickly as possible).
We will be closing the web store temporarily while we sort out our offerings and inventory. We will also be stepping back from social media and instead focus on developing new products and training for you – the real bread & butter of what we do. Gear is good, but skills are better.
We have a few projects on the go, including an upcoming new book, as well as some training courses in development. We are also exploring other ways to bring content to you.
We will keep our products (Books, audio books and e-books) on Amazon (around the world) and also ensure the TNT Storefront updates more regularly (see bottom of this post). We will continue to work with trusted partners to bring you new and innovative offerings.
Our sincere goal (and hope) is that we can come back stronger, more streamlined, and in a better place to offer you only the best training and knowledge available.
We will still continue to run classes and put out materials, but only in a very limited capacity. We will also remain open to providing private classes for groups (civilian and gov’t) to keep current and offer training to those who want or need it.
We have Ed Calderon returning to Toronto in February for Urban Movement (sign up directly with Ed), and we are delivering a module at the Home Invasion Defense Symposium being held by Full Spectrum Defense in Kitchener.
Thank you everyone for your continued support, and be sure to spread the word and get your friends to sign up for our newsletter.
Stay safe, stay crafty and cultivate resilience.
ⰽⱆⰾⱅⰹⰲⰹⱃⰰⱅⰹⱁⱅⱂⱁⱃⱀⱁⱄⱅ
Branded Products
Our merch store will still continue to be up and running and we have other items to add to it soon. Pick up your stuff and check back regularly.
Through all the chaos that we have been through in 2024, we look forward to the possibilities of 2025.
2024 brought with it many challenges for True North Tradecraft. Challenges and triumphs. We are humbled by all of it, and by your support, and are looking forward to some pretty great things on-tap for everyone.
In review of the year past, lets take stock of what we managed to accomplish:
We released our third book – Gut Checks & Go Bags;
Launched audiobook versions of two of our books;
This past year, we ran several seminars. We had a slew of people through, teaching Disaster Preparedness, Personal Safety & Security, along with Covert Entry.
We had the privilege of teaching Covert Entry to the RCMP ‘H Division’ ERT.
We were guests on CTV’s The Social, to discuss personal safety.
We were guests on several podcasts (incl. The Collective IG, The Secure Dad and The Distinguished Savage);
We exhibited at the National Women’s Show;
We were featured in an article in the Epoch Times, discussing preparedness;
We had a great trip through Europe and dropped several scavenger hunt NFC tags and shared safe travel tips along the way;
We did some cool collabs – more to come;
Launched our “SETEC ASTRONOMY” and “You Can’t Handcuff the Wind” stickers;
One of our articles were featured in Covert Entry Magazine Vol. 2.
…and so much more behind the scenes to deliver to everyone.
2025 will have some big things in store for everyone, including:
Training will be kicking up again, starting with two (2) seminars in February 2025 (see sign-up links in the Webstore);
A new book will be coming out in the New Year…we will be launching (sign up to the newsletter for early drop info);
We will be streamlining and cleaning up our website, webstore and inventory; and…
We will be moving. Yes, we are removing in the Spring. This will expand our ability to create content AND to host small-scale training in-house.
Didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas? Sign up for a class. Buy a book (or all 3) and gear up.
As we end off the year, tie it off nicely by setting yourself up for success in 2025. Join us for training, starting in February, and invest in yourself and the insurance that comes with building capability and cultivating resilience.
The other week, True North Tradecraft, along with Eclectic Survival Systems, had the distinct honour of delivering a robust covert (non-destructive) entry class to Emergency Response Team (ERT) members of RCMP “H” Division and the Halifax Police Service.
This group of professionals spent two days with us, learning everything from next-level physical security to hands-on entry methodologies using the latest gear.
We even made a slight nuisance of ourselves when practicing (all approved, of course).
All in all, a fantastic time with much learned by all.
If your Unit or Team would like to learn these skills, contact us at [email protected] for a quote.
We are pleased to announce that that due to popular demand, our book, Negative Space: A Guide To Personal Security, is now available as an audio book on Audible and iTunes.
After receiving many messages and emails asking for an audio book version, we took the leap and had the audio book produced to make it even more accessible. It is available as a download from us directly, through Amazon/Audible and iTunes as well (links below).
A new approach for 2024 to bring our skillsets to you in a more accessible format.
Starting in early-2024, We will begin offering 1-day Seminars, covering our legacy curriculum in a new format and making both the price point and time commitment more accessible to those with busy schedules. They will be on Sundays, during the day.
Of course, we will still plan to have our weekend-long immersive workshops, as well as Mixed-Skills classes with trusted partner instructors. We also continue to be available to be hosted to deliver these seminars to private groups.
***NOTE: We still offer RESTRICTED-LEVEL CLASSES in COVERT ENTRY and COUNTER-CUSTODY to LE/MIL/GOV organizations. Email us at [email protected] for details.***
In the meantime, we will be offering Seminars on the following topics:
Situational & Behavioural Awareness – S.A.F.E. (Situational Awareness For Everyone)
Introduction to Personal Safety & Security
Disaster, Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity
Lone-Worker Safety
Travel Security (AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST)
Women’s Safety (Women-Only) (AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST)
Introduction to Counter-Custody, Self-Rescue & Restraint Escape – (Part 1 of 2)
Counter-Custody, Self-Rescue & Restraint Escape – (Part 2 of 2)
Introduction to Lock Picking (Pt 1 of 2)
Physical Security and Non-Destructive Entry Methods (Pt 2 of 2)
The Back-Up-Bag Protocol
***Stop The Bleed first aid classes (to be added to the above)***
And more to come!
These Seminars can be taken individually as a stand-alone or together in series towards building a wide-spectrum of skill sets. Depending on the subject matter, there will be differing ratios of theory and practical learning.
Soon, we will be listing the classes individually on our web store, with dates and seminar outlines, to sign up to.
