These advanced offerings cover wilderness and survival skills in technical depth and are delivered by our most experienced instructors or by guest instructors with expertise not easily found. We cover fundamental skills in a weekend workshop or a 5-week series of classes.
We occasionally offer camping trips where students participate in a field-based overnight course - immersing themselves in critical skills that expand resilience and opportunities for adventure. For program dates and to register, visit current registration page. Any of the content can be offered to private groups or individuals on a customized curriculum focus and schedule. Knife use and Wilderness Tools - In this lesson we review and practice the anatomy and safe use of knives, hatchets, axes, mauls and saws.
We learn how to be effective and confident using these tools in a wilderness setting. We learn how to maintain and preserve tools and talk about what kind of tools are most appropriate for which application and user. All tools provided. Cordage, Knots, Lashings and Rope - This session introduces students to a skill set integral to applications from survival traps to shelters, rock climbing and primitive crafting.
Understanding basic knots has a big impact on elevating competence in wilderness settings and in general. We cover how to make useful cordage from natural and synthetic material, how and when to use lashing or knots and various hitches that make life easy. Survival Fire - We cover the fundamentals of fire and discuss the "Fire Triangle" components and process in depth. We use matches and lighters and progress to using strikers to ignite various materials students gather at different points through the day.
We look for various materials that can be found to start fire quickly and easily in a survival environment. Participants learn how to manipulate and process natural and synthetic materials to make them more combustible and how to extend the life of a fire that needs to be left by itself but must not go out.
