Survival Immersion (5 Day)
Can you survive in the backcountry for a few days when the s%^t hits the fan? Your snowmobile gets stuck and you can’t get out, what do you do? What if your friend rolls their ankle and can’t walk? Knowing how to deal with these common issues and being prepared is the best defense against the unknown. This Survival immersion course will do just that.
We cover all the basics in this course and go further in depth to what a survival situation might look like. We spend a large amount of time on preparation and selecting equipment, fires, shelters, signal fires, self rescue, water and food choices. This should be a prerequisite for anybody thinking of multiday backpacking or canoeing trips as well as for anybody thinking of becoming a guide in any aspect of the outdoors. You will be sleeping out in the woods and cooking your own meals. This may indeed be a challenge for some campers but we are there to help you at each step.
The survival course culminates in you putting your new skills to the test in a supported scenario where you spend a night alone in the woods. This can be a spiritual, challenging and highly rewarding experience. What you will learn cannot be taught by reading a book or watching you tube. Out there, in the woods and mountains, there are more variables than can be documented in a video.
Your personal reactions and decision making skills will be highlighted and help you become aware of yourself and what is important. Survival Immersion can be a personal journey of growth and fulfillment as we overcome challenges and obstacles. This course can give you insight into your own personality your stressors and triggers. We can learn to become more comfortable in the natural environment without all our technological solutions.
We will give you the confidence that should the s*** hit the fan then you might just be all ok.
“For a man who is lost, the three greatest dangers in order of importance are: Fear, Cold and Hunger. He may endure extreme hunger for a week, and extreme cold for a day but extreme fear may undo him in an hour. There is no way of guarding against this greatest danger except by assuring him that he is fortified against the other two.”
Ernest Thompson Seton
Ernest Thompson Seton was the first Chief Scout of America. This quote stands true today. You never know how you will react in any given survival situation. Having training will help to make your choices easier and could be the difference between life and death. That sounds dramatic, but we all have experience of making a bad decision or getting flustered when under stress.
Survival Immersion is about helping you to learn and to face challenges in the wild. This course is ideal for anyone wanting to improve their skills or to understand what it means to be in a survival situation. Serious backcountry users, guides or prospective guides, this course should be a mandatory minimum experience. You will be a far richer, capable and confident person in the backcountry.
This course is for anyone that is looking to gain confidence or push their recreation far off the beaten track. It also builds in a sense of security and resilience in the backcountry. BC has some of the worlds most stunning and beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers and coasts and yet they can prove deadly. This makes BC a great place to learn the skills and mental preparation should things not go quite to plan. You can carry that knowledge in your back pocket to give you the confidence to go that bit further or feel more comfortable.
My personal lifelong bushcraft journey started with a 5 day survival course. Take the plunge and sign up!
What’s Included
This is an overnight course so you will be sleeping in the backcountry
All meals for the duration of the course. Please arrive having had breakfast on the first day.
Saws, axes, pots, pans and other specialized equipment is provided.
Please bring the following items to this course. Ideally they should be packed in a backpack, large day pack or multiday pack. Please line the inside of your bag with a bag liner or large contractor garbage bag. It will keep all your belongings dry without the need for expensive bag liners.
Tools / Equipment
Optional (this is all provided but we recognize people sometimes have personal preferences and gear)
Fixed blade knife (for more information see Article about Knifes)
Folding pruning saw (optional, these are provided)
Essential
Sleeping bag (Rated for the seasonal temperature, Synthetic is best but down is fine too)
Back pack (that will fit a sleeping bag, water bottle and some extra layers)
Headlamp and spare batteries
Watch ( or phone in a waterproof case/bag)
Lighter
Water bottle (wide mouth and preferably stainless steel, Nalgenes are just fine)
Plate or large bowl, spoon, mug (plastic or tin, non breakable)
Sunglasses
Toque, wool hat, sun hat, cap or Stetson
Clothing and Personal Items
All clothing should be wool, fast drying synthetics, bamboo or similar. No cotton please! Please use a level of judgement if the course is running in august you might not need your thick base layers. Take a look at night time temperatures or the daily low and bring clothing suitable for that temperature. If your not sure please contact us or just bring the extra layer. Always bring waterproofs! More details in the Article on Clothing.
Waterproof pants and jacket
Insulating layers (fleece, wool tops, synthetic puffy/insulating jackets)
Work gloves or garden gloves
Warm gloves
Neck Gaiter or scarf
Toque, wool hat, sun hat, cap or Stetson
Base layers top and bottom
Wool socks
A full change of clothes (t shirt, pants, underwear, warm layer)
A wool jacket or old shirt for sitting around the fire. (It will protect your nice synthetics from melting, this can be cotton!)
Hiking boots (break them in prior to the course please, you will be a lot more comfortable)
Personal medications, glasses contact lences etc
Toothbrush and toothpaste
