Survival Skills Course Questions From A Civilian.

[Longstreet]

Before I start, I hope I have posted this thread in the right area. If I have not, my appologies and if the administration could move it to the right area, it would be greatly appreciated.

I venture out into the wilderness several times a year and participate in backcountry camping/canoeing with my girlfriend. Living in Canada, I do not let the change of seasons stop me and have camped in rain, cold, heat and even snow (I took a beginner course on this and look forward to doing it again this season).

I have been researching a number of backcountry schools/courses in an attempt to make myself more skilled with being outdoors. Currently I would say that my camp skills are intermediate as I feel comfortable when being in the wilderness and have strived to learn more SA to improve myself. That being said, I am comfortable so long as I have my my packed kit.

I bought a SAS survival book and while I feel it is far too much infomation, I did put together the recommended survival kits (which I always carry with me when camping) and have learned a number of good tips. Clearly though this book has information that is far too advanced for me, but it does make a good read when using the washroom . . .

What I would like to know is that do you think it would be benficial for me to take some advanced survival skill courses or do you think the knowledge learned would just be lost/forgotten given the amount of time I spend outside? Would I learn much more from simply camping more often and reading? Some of the courses I have found sound amazing and cover such areas as learning to deal with being alone, making a shelter, building a fire without matches, catching animals and preparing them to eat. I beleive that these skills are important (and many others too), but wonder that if they are not being used reguarly, will they be forgotten?

The courses I have found are far (I would have to travel to the US) and are rather expensive - there is a definite financial commitment for taking them. I do not mind making this investment, but I do not want to throw my money away either. Can anyone make any suggestions or comments with regards to my situation? If you need to me to clarify anything else, I will gladly do so. Thank you.

[Eagle5US]

The Boy Scouts of America Handbook is one of the best books out there for basic survival. It is also inexpensive, easily packed, easily replaced if destroyed and simple to read and understand if you happen to be in a situation where your wits may be impaired.
As far as courses go, I will have to defer to others.
Enjoy the wilderness - too few people do.

Eagle

[Pete]

Survival Skills are universal - location is not.

Practice survival in the area you plan on living and camping in.

Taking a good survival course in the American S/W would be fun and teach you the basics of survival and how to procure water and food in that area. Not too much use in Canada.

Since you like camping you can take the things that would work in your area from a good survival book. Practice a few each time you go camping. Buy a whole rabbit in a store or dealer and take it with you. Try and cook it using one of the methods in the book. Get a small game license and try and get something during hunting season. Cook it in your back yard.

Survival is not something you need to learn all in one weekend. It can be a set of skills you add over the course of time. Make a list and check off what you can do now, stuff you need practice on and skills you need to learn.

[Paslode]

There are several good topics on survival and preparation on this forum that I have found useful, especially this one:

http://professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10819&highlight=prepared

Lots of useful tips in there.....use of the 'search' button can bring you a treasure trove of topics.


As Eagle5US mentioned Scouting is a good source. If you have kids you might consider getting them and yourself involved in Scouting, you can learn outdoor skills and much more.....and have fun while your doing it.

[Razor]

While there are a number of survival courses you can pay to take, I agree with several others here and recommend talking to a local Boy Scout troop (Canada or US). Even if you don't have kids, many troops would be happy to teach you some basic skills, or even have you tag along on a campout to get some hands-on training. You never know who you'll find among the adults in the troop either. Heck, you may even find the merit badge counselor is a former SF guy that has some experience living in the woods. ;)

[B219]

"Be Prepared" -BSA

"Luckily I have my feathers numbered for just such an emergency." - Foghorn Leghorn.

[yasnevo]

"Где нет никакой дорожки, сделайте вашу дорожку"

eto da...

[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

[QUOTE=Pete;225788]Survival Skills are universal - location is not.

Practice survival in the area you plan on living and camping in.

QUOTE]

Longstreet, I concur completely with this and the rest of Pete's advice. You have some very unique areas up there in the Great Northern Forest from Taiga to Tundra and each provide significant challenges and "gifts" that can be used to your advantage. Learning how to suck water from bamboo will do you no good unless you are lost in one of your zoos:D Situational awareness is always important and while learnng how to catch and cook rabbits (hares in your area of the world) might be psychologically satisfying you will certainly starve to death if that is all you depend on as they have absolutely no body fat. If you are asking for a survival guide to Canada from your ugly Americans cousins, most of us would not be able to survive in Quebec as French for many is not one of our skill sets and no one gets by anywhere in Quebec unless they speak French or can help them in their undying efforts to create their own country:D

[JNC]

Tom Brown runs a survival course in FL. Tom Brown is the guy that helped make the movie, "The Hunted". He also makes the tracker knife.
Anyway, here is a link I found one day where this guy wrote about his whole exp. there. Seems like it would be good, but I think it is also expensive.
http://www.freewebs.com/myakka/index.htm

[Longstreet]

Thanks for the advice everyone. It looks like I will have to look into getting a Boy Scout book. I agree totaly that learning to survive in one part of the world that is not the 'norm' for me would be silly, but I was thinking that some skills would be universal (ex. catching and preparing game or navigation skills).

Mr. Moroney, I understand that you live or are from Vermont. Can you recommend any good backcountry hiking/camping sites in Vermont or surrounding states? I have tried searching for such sites in Vermont and found many family car camping sites or short hikes, but not what I am looking for.

And you are damn straight about Quebec. I totaly avoid that province like the plague. Sometimes I wish they would just break off so the rest of Canada could move on. I can speak some French after being instructed since Grade 4. Unfortunately the French I learned was Parisian and totaly different than what they speak in Quebec. Ah the Canadian government at its finest . . . Sacre Bleu!

[Longstreet]

Mr. Moroney please scratch that last request. I just found a number of camping sites that may be what I am looking for. I must have gotten Vermont confused with some other state. My appologies.

[mac117]

Longstreet......just don't ever forget that your imagination is the key to your survival.