The interest in primitive survival has grown significantly thanks to shows like Naked and Afraid, Primal Survivor and Alone. But it isn’t just cool, making you feel like a badass, it could also save your life.
Heading out on a multiday hiking or biking adventure without being prepared could change quickly. The weather could become unpredictable, there could be an injury, without proper navigation know-how you could get lost. There are lots of things that could potentially go wrong.
But that shouldn’t stop you from getting outside. It just means you need to be smart about it and educate yourself. Learning just a few of these skills could save your life in a survival situation.
What is a wilderness survival skills course?
A wilderness survival skills course could mean lots of things. But mainly it is a course to teach you skills you might need in a survival situation.
It is not necessarily a way of living for a year in the woods, though you could do that. What it is, is a way to survive until you can be rescued.
Are there different types of survival skills courses?
Yes! I did a 3-day basic survival skills course. I wanted something to get my feet wet. Without investing too much time and money initially in case it wasn’t for me.
Turned out it was totally for me, but you don’t know that until you get out there.
Other courses within the survival skills umbrella can include advanced courses (usually 5 days or longer), navigation courses, wilderness medicine courses (which I also highly recommend if you spend a lot of time in the wilderness), primitive tool making, and on and on.
The shear number of available courses on different topics can be overwhelming. It really depends on your needs.
If you are going to be spending a lot of time hiking in the wilderness, anywhere in the world, I would suggest a basic survival skills course, a navigation course and the wilderness medicine certification.
How much do they cost?
Well, this question depends on the course itself, the company putting on the course, and the length of the course.
My 3-day survival skills course, put on by the Northwest Survival School was just under $500. At the time of writing this, they offered ½ off any future courses once you took one with them.
A hybrid (online plus 5 day) wilderness medicine certification course by NOLS costs around $800.
The longer and more involved the course, the more it will cost you. There are also courses, if you want to learn more advanced skills, like wilderness medicine in extreme mountain climates in places like the Himalayas. These will likely cost anywhere from $1000-5000, depending on what is included in the course.
How long are the courses?
Again, length depends on the course. How you choose which is right for you, may partially be related to where it’s located and how many days it is. That was certainly a consideration for me.
A 3-day, weekend course, within a days drive to your home, is easier to schedule time for, then a two week long course in Nepal. Or maybe there is a one-day navigation course happening in your town or city.
Sometimes it’s fun to just go all-in and see what happens, but I would suggest starting with these shorter courses. Get a taste for it, see what sticks and go from there.
What can I expect to learn?
In your basic 3-day survival skills course (this is based on the Northwest Survival School’s course that I took) you can expect to learn how to build a shelter, basic navigation, snare setting for small game, smoke signaling for rescue, water filtration, spear making, and basic fire starting techniques.
I also found it helped me figure out my gear needs. It was surprising which gear items were more important for these tasks compared to others.
Why is this useful?
It doesn’t matter how fit you are or how many times you have gone hiking in the wilderness. Some things are just unpredictable.
If something happens and you take a wrong turn and get lost, lose your gear because of a bear, or have an injury, it helps to know some basic skills to keep you alive until someone can find you.
You don’t have to be Bear Grylls or Hazen Audel, just knowing how to provide yourself with shelter, get clean water, and find food could save your life.
And if you want to be as badass as those two, I mentioned, by all means take more classes (I know I plan on it!).
How to be prepared for a survival situation when hiking
Knowing what to bring with you is half the battle. It’s not just about your regular hiking gear. What happens if a bear discovers your pack and takes off with it?
I can tell you; you’re not getting it back. So, what does that leave you with?
It is highly recommended that you get yourself a small survival kit that you can carry on you in the event you lose your gear. Something that can carry the basics.
You can make your own or buy something like the Sirius Survival Kit (I am not an affiliate, nor do I own one, this is just to give you a place to start because the items in this kit are the types of things you should have in your kit).
Having a knife, two flints (in case you lose one), a blanket, a compass, some paracord, and a whistle are all good things to have in your kit. Flashlights and headlamps are also very handy.
Concluding Thoughts
I have always been fascinated with exploration and primitive survival. But it’s not just that fascination that pushed me to try my first course, it was a desire to know that I could take care of myself in a worst case scenario situation.
Which courses have you taken? What do you recommend?
Want to know how to add more yoga and stretch to your training to reduce injury while on the trail? Check out my post for more guidance to help you add a yoga practice to your adventure training plan.
