Backcountry Survival Course
Backcountry survival training is about making the right decisions and doing the right things. Its also about trying to avoid survival situations and turning them into inconveniences. The course covers the basics of what you need to know about surviving a forced overnight.
It’s also about how to avoid the part where things go wrong. (as much as is possible) Things happen and sometimes there is nothing anyone can do.
Imagine this: You are on a day hike with a friend in an unfamiliar area on a route neither of you have done before. The weather changes to thick cloud and heavy rain. You think you downloaded a map on your phone but you can’t find it. You think your on a trail but it doesn’t make sense. Did you miss a turn? Not sure where you are? Phone dies as its cold, soaked and trying to find a cell signal constantly. Is this a reality? All too easily this situation can and does occur. Do you have the skills to survive for a day and a night possibly more until you are found?
Day hikers are the most likely to find themselves in a backcountry survival situation in comparison to any other outdoor recreation activity. This is because hiking is the most easily accessible outdoor activity to novice, inexperienced and ill equipped recreators. All you need is a backpack and shoes. Shoes, not boots. We all have those.
Survival basics gives you enough information to make informed decisions and hopefully stay out of trouble in the mountains. The course covers the basics of what you need to know about surviving a forced overnight. If you are new to hiking or outdoor recreation this will be a great taster experience for you with some great takeaways that will help you to enjoy the mountains with more confidence.
Who is it for?
This course is ideal for teenagers, beginner day hikers, novice hunters or anyone that wants to recreate in some of the wild places in Canada. I believe this knowledge is a prerequisite for anyone that spends time in the woods and mountains. Its a whistle stop tour of shelters, fires, knifes, knots, water and what you need to worry about to stay alive! There is so much to cover that we have a 5 day version for a more in depth and skills approach.
Survival Itinerary
Two days to prepare for survival situations.
This is an action packed weekend of cramming in all the skills and knowledge. There is so much to cover we have a version that is 5 days long!
Day 1
Day 1 after meeting at the start point and transferring to our basecamp we will start out with an introduction of the course and the physical and psychological impacts of high stress and exposure to weather conditions. We will introduce and give you an idea of the kind of rescue timelines that you should expect and what it takes to be able to survive a couple of nights in the woods.
“Prevention is better than the cure.” We all hope survival situations never happen and doing our best to prevent them is a part of it. We will cover the aspects that are in your control.
Then we dive in and get our hands dirty. We will be using the materials around us and what is in our day bags to make improvised tarp shelters and some comfy beds for the night. Once you are ready for the night we jump into fires and all the tricks you might need. How to light fires in torrential rain how to pull your truck out of a ditch with just a rope.
Cooking a dinner of stew over the fire and some warm hot chocolate you can settle in for the night and enjoy sleeping in nature.
Day 2
After a simple cooked breakfast
Now we have your attention about what survival can look like we look in depth in what your daypacks should have as a standard. It doesn’t have to break the bank and shouldn’t be a prefabricated kit. We also go through your vehicle survival kit and what you should carry in your vehicle at all times. More often than not you will find you are helping other people out of the backcountry if you are well prepared.
We will build as a group a natural shelter that can be used for a forced overnight.
We will go into a little bit about self rescue and how to improvise a way to pull your truck out of a ditch with just a rope.
Signaling and getting help can be critical and building a signal fire is a great way to draw attention. Weather and wildfire conditions permitting we will light it.
After a lunch in the woods we will have a play at further signaling and how to find yourself again should you get lost.
Wrapping it all up in the afternoon and making our way back to the meeting point.
