Sam Smith

Guest Instructor – Primitive Skills and Survival

The wilderness teaches patience, humility, and honesty.

Every skill you learn out here isn’t just about survival,

it’s about remembering who you really are.

Meet Sam Smith

Sam is a Primitive Skills Instructor, Survival Instructor, and Butcher with years of experience living and teaching in the outdoors. His journey began at just 14 years old in an outdoor program for foster youth, where he unknowingly set the foundation for a lifelong pursuit of wilderness living and education.

Over the years, Sam has honed his skills across diverse environments throughout the United States, from the humid forests of the Southeast to the alpine terrain of Montana. Whether hiking sections of the Appalachian Trail, canoeing the rivers of Georgia and Montana, living primitively for months under a tarp in the Rockies, or exploring new areas by car, Sam thrives in nature and embraces every new challenge as another chance to learn.

With experience in both primitive and modern survival skills, Sam blends traditional methods with practical, real-world application. His teaching style focuses on respect for the natural world, hands-on learning, and self-reliance.

Specialties

  • Primitive living skills
  • Butchery
  • Hide tanning and brain tanning
  • Friction fire techniques
  • Buckskin clothing making
  • Primitive jewelry crafting

Learning Experience

Sam has dedicated years to expanding his craft through study, mentorship, and field experience. He has attended and taught at numerous gatherings and schools, including over two years teaching at a primitive skills school. His training includes hands-on learning with some of the most respected instructors in the field:

Notable Instructors & Mentors:

  • Cody Lundin – Survival, fire making, and gourd canteen crafting; Owner of the Aboriginal Living Skills School, author of 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive and When All Hell Breaks Loose
  • Tom Elpel – Botany, plant identification, and canoeing; Owner of Green University LLC and author of Botany in a Day
  • Tyler White – Trapping, Roycraft pack frames, and bucksaws; Primitive and modern survival instructor, content creator for Survival Dispatch and Blade HQ
  • Mark Santamaria – Hide tanning
  • Melvin Beatie – Brain tanning mentor
  • Sam H. – Bark tanning and fur tanning mentor
  • Theresa Emmerich – Hide tanning mentor
  • John and Geri McPherson – Hide tanning through publications
  • Kris Reed – Buckskin sewing; Co-author of Foraging the Mountain West, instructor at Green University LLC
  • Woniya Thibeault – Online buckskin sewing instructor
  • Barnes – Bison tanning; Instructor for Green University, Owner of Montana Survival Seed
  • Gary Steele – Bow and Atlatl instructor, Green University LLC
  • Joshua Enyart – Bamboo fire saw; Owner of The Gray Bearded Green Beret School and YouTube channel
  • Chris Rosa – STOP THE BLEED instructor, flight/combat medic

Teaching Experience

Sam has taught primitive skills, tanning, and survival courses at schools, events, and gatherings across the country, sharing his expertise with students of all ages.

Teaching Highlights:

  • Green University LLC
  • Rabbitstick Primitive Skills Conference (Idaho)
  • Between the Rivers Gathering (Washington)
  • Online classes for SageSmoke Survival
  • Bozeman Renaissance Fair
  • Kids programs for OWLS School

Sam continues to expand his teaching and fieldwork, bringing his passion for traditional skills and nature connection to every class he leads.

Not Sure Which Course Fits You Best?

Schedule a quick call to talk through your goals and find the right training path.

Start My Training Path