Frequently Asked Questions

There are many reasons for you to take a class with us, really it is for you to decide What's Your Reason. However, wilderness training courses are not just for the extreme outdoor adventurer or military personnel, they are geared for anyone who spends time in the outdoors either because they simply want to be better prepared for whatever they are doing or for those that want to learn the skills necessary to take on a new adventure or challenge. Many take them just to reconnect with nature, to take an adventure, become more independent, a personal challenge, invest in yourself, to more able to help others, or just because its fun. Whatever your reason is, we know you will walk away having gained more knowledge and with a great experience.

Our students truly come from all backgrounds and represent a wide variety of interests and outdoor experience. We have seen all ages from 6 years old up to students in their 70’s with the most common students being in their 30’s or 40’s, both male and female. Many experienced outdoor adventurers register for our classes because they have realized that while they have vast experience in their outdoor hobby of their choice, they don’t have survival experience and are unfamiliar as to what to do should something go wrong. But we also see a large amount of students that have no outdoor experience whatsoever and wish to gain the skills so that they can become more comfortable when they head into the outdoors.

No experience is required for any of our basic or advanced courses, however, we do recommend that you take our basic or standard courses, or have previous equivalent experience before jumping into our more advanced courses. Whether you have only car-camped, have hiked all of Colorado’s 14'ers, and/or are an experienced outdoorsman we are confident that you will learn something from taking our classes and enjoy your experience.

This is a difficult question to answer as everyone’s skillset and mindset are different. No matter what your toughness threshold is, we make every attempt to cater to your experience level (within reason) and make your time with us enjoyable while testing your abilities. We aren’t glamping, the classes aren’t meant to be easy, and that’s the point but we have never had a student not be able to physically or mentally complete a course.

Our main campus is held on private land roughly 15 minutes outside of Cripple Creek Colorado. Visit our DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS page for details. Some courses will be held outside of our main campus and you will receive specific details upon registration. 

Our campus is rustic and you will need to bring all of your camping gear along with food and appropriate clothing for cold, heat, rain and snow. You will also want to bring mosquito repellent and personal items to make your experience comfortable.

Check out our suggested GEAR LIST page.

While you can share most of your typical camping gear, we highly recommend that you bring your own “required” tools found on the gear list HERE. Any items on this list that you do share will greatly slow down your learning process. It is highly recommended that each of you have your own knife and ferro rod.

Dogs are allowed so long as they are obedient, good around other people, and are not aggressive towards other dogs. If your dog has not been socialized with other dogs, please do not bring them. Keep in mind that we are in a wilderness setting and wild animals do pass through or near camp from time to time. If your dog is prone to chasing animals such as deer and elk, we may ask you to leash them should it become a problem. We understand that dogs will be dogs, but if your dog becomes a nuisance to other students and/or training activities, we may have to ask you to leave or take your dog home. Bringing small dogs is HIGHLY discouraged as they tend to be aggressive towards all other dogs they are not familiar with and are easy prey for owls, hawks, and other predators.

We know what’s on your mind. You do not have to poop in the woods. While we do not have running water, there is a porta-potty at our main camp. Without running water, there are no modern means to bath but we do have the ability for you to do so during the spring/summer/fall months. A city water supply is near camp where we can fill our solar shower to bath. The water is also potable so you may fill your water bottles to stay hydrated or for cooking purposes. We also have a large 20-man wall tent and a smaller 10-man wall tent complete with wood-burning stoves for you to use at your leisure.

Students may camp in a tent or hammock, sleep in a vehicle, or bring a camper. We encourage you to stay on campus for the rustic experience however Cripple Creek offers lodging that is roughly 15 minutes from camp. There is also a KOA campground roughly 3 miles away from our camp that will offer some amenities. 

Registration for courses requires payment in full at checkout. We do however offer a payment plan through AFFIRM which is a third-party entity. Learn more: https://www.affirm.com/how-it-works

You can find our refund policy HERE