Survival Blog

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The Survival University offers our community of outdoor adventurers a robust library of training material through our Survival Blog. We believe in passing on our knowledge to empower students with a wealth of information that we find relevant to learning.

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Man wearing layered winter clothing outdoors including insulated jacket, shell, gloves, face covering, and pack while standing in snowy mountain terrain

Clothing Layer Basics for Being Outdoors

Clothing is your first line of defense outdoors, not a fashion choice. This guide breaks down how layering actually works, why materials and fit matter, and how to stay warm, dry, and functional in real conditions. If you spend time outside, this is a system you need to understand.

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Jason Marsteiner hiking solo in the Colorado mountains with a pack and dog, illustrating responsibility and decision making in solo adventuring.

Solo Adventuring: It Concentrates the Responsibility

Solo adventuring concentrates responsibility onto the individual. This long form piece looks at what the data actually shows about risk, why fear often misses the mark, and how mindset, planning, and experience shape outcomes, with specific guidance for older solo hikers and women.

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Hiker walking through rocky terrain on a quiet Colorado trail, illustrating common outdoor risks like footing and terrain

The Mountain Lion Story Is Loud. The Real Risk Picture Is Quiet.

Hypothermia rarely announces itself as an emergency. It quietly erodes judgment first, long before the body shuts down, turning small decisions into dangerous ones without you realizing it.

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Jason Marsteiner standing near a frozen alpine creek on a clear winter day, illustrating how cold environments can feel safe while still impairing judgment

How Hypothermia Changes Your Thinking

Hypothermia rarely announces itself as an emergency. It quietly erodes judgment first, long before the body shuts down, turning small decisions into dangerous ones without you realizing it.

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Lost proofing and navigation training in the Colorado mountains with The Survival University.

Lost Proofing: The Mindset That Brings You Home

Getting lost isn’t random, it’s preventable. Lost proofing teaches awareness, communication, and preparation so you never become a headline. Learn the mindset and habits that bring you home.

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Survival day pack with knife, radio, and whistle showing real-world preparedness. Title: Rethinking the 5 C’s of Survival

Rethinking the 5 C’s of Survival: What Really Keeps You Alive

The 5 C’s of Survival have guided outdoorsmen for years, but gear alone doesn’t save lives. Real survival is about mindset, adaptation, and the decisions you make when everything goes wrong.

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Jason Marsteiner wearing a beanie and backpack, looking over a city at night with blurred lights behind him, representing urban awareness and resilience

Why Modern Comforts Make Us Weak

The government shutdown and SNAP crisis reveal how fragile modern life really is. Comfort kills, but awareness builds resilience and real security.

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Hunters on a mountain ridge with lightning striking in the distance during a storm

Lightning, Hunting, and the Harsh Lessons of the Mountains

When two hunters in Colorado, Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, recently lost their lives during a lightning storm, it shook the hunting community. If you don’t know their story, they were archery elk hunting together in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado when they went missing. Search and Rescue teams spent days combing the rugged terrain after their GPS device stopped transmitting. Eventually their bodies were found, with signs of burn damage and melted clothing that pointed to a strike.

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Golden hour mountain trail with glowing grasses and pine trees under a warm sunset sky

What Nash Quinn’s Disappearance Teaches Us About Being Ready for the Backcountry

Nash Quinn vanished on a routine ride near Laramie. His story is a powerful reminder of why preparation, communication, and humility in the outdoors matter more than we think.

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Weathered get-home bag with tarp and metal bottle on a cracked Denver curb, next to a crumpled city map, against a graffiti-tagged brick wall at dusk, with faint mountains in the hazy skyline.

Urban Survival in 2025 Wilderness Skills for the Concrete Jungle

Urban Survival in 2025: Adapting Wilderness Skills to City Environments

What happens when the grid goes down in Denver? Here’s how wilderness survival skills, straight from the mountains, can save you in the concrete jungle.

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Forged in the Wild: 50 Days That Transform Lives

Join a 50-day wilderness immersion in Colorado. Forge survival skills, mental grit, and a new you at The Survival University’s epic training ground.

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Navigation Unleashed: Maps, Compasses, and Wild Adventure

Master navigation with maps and compasses. Explore orienteering, topo skills, and wilderness know-how in this ultimate guide.

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