SURVIVAL STORE

Collage of students learning basic wilderness survival skills at The Survival University. Activities include fire building, shelter construction, knot tying, gear preparation, and using knives. Center logo reads 'The Survival University – EST. 2015'. Text in top right corner reads 'Survival for Beginners'.

2 DAY SURVIVAL FOR BEGINNERS

$295.00

This 2 Day Survival for Beginners class is designed for outdoor enthusiasts, those new to the outdoors, and feel they need to improve their basic knowledge and skills to better prepare for their adventures into the wilderness.

Description

Course Description

This 2 Day Survival for Beginners class is designed for outdoor enthusiasts, those new to the outdoors, and feel they need to improve their basic knowledge and skills to better prepare for their adventures into the wilderness. In this course, students can expect to learn the minimum survival skills needed to sustain themselves in the wilderness should they find themselves lost or in a life threatening situation.

We take the most important elements of survival and self-reliance and focus on the core survival priorities. Students will be given an overview of the minimum survival gear and hiking gear a person should have on them anytime they venture into the outdoors. They will learn the basic skills to use their gear effectively, should the need arise.

The survival for beginners class will cover the basic aspects of modern techniques including emergency shelters, fire starting techniques, water purification, signaling, situational awareness and self rescue.

Itinerary

Day 1 we will cover survival basics in both a hands on and lecture format. We will teach the Rule of Threes, proper gear selection and use, as well as several fire starting methods. You will learn how to effectively use modern fire making tools, best practices on starting a fire, and more.

Day 2 we will take you through the steps of building modern emergency shelters, lost proofing, signaling, water purification, animal encounters and other survival basics that will keep you safe in the backcountry.

Course Topics

  • Psychology of survival
  • The priorities of survival
  • Animal encounters
  • Lost proofing
  • Base fire starting techniques
  • Emergency survival shelters
  • Signaling
  • Situational Awareness
  • Finding water
  • Selecting and using man made water purifiers
  • Basic knot tying
  • Survival gear preparation

Course Outcomes and Demonstrated Skills

  • Basic understanding of the psychology of survival
  • Proper trip safety planning and preparation
  • Demonstrate basic survival skills and the ability to be more self-reliant
  • How to avoid animal encounters and what to do in case of attack
  • Tie several basic knots and determine their practical uses
  • Identifying the correct survival gear and hiking gear to carry
  • Basic fire lays
  • Modern fire starting techniques and long term fire maintenance
  • Constructing effective emergency shelters
  • Learn how to find and purify water
  • How to effectively signal for help

ACCOMMODATIONS

If students do not wish to camp with us, the town of Cripple Creek is a short 15 minute drive from our location and Woodland Park is 30 minutes away. Students will be responsible for making their own reservations with nearby hotels. We do have a central community campfire location with a few designated campsites but mostly offer dispersed camping. Students will be able to drive their car within 100 feet of the main camp and will not have to hike gear long distances.

  • Students will be staying in a dispersed camping area and are welcome to bring their own tent, camper, vehicle, or build a primitive shelter. Each student is responsible for bringing and setting up their own sleeping arrangements.
  • Sanitation/Hygiene: A porta potty restroom and potable water will be provided at the main camp

FOOD AND WATER REQUIRED

Water will be provided but students will need to bring their own food. We recommend quick field expedient meals such as freeze dried hiking meals or MRE’s. They can quickly be made at our primitive camps and won’t slow down the learning process. However, students may bring any food that they wish to cook over the campfire or on their own personal camp stove.

Food can be purchased locally at nearby facilities. Walmart and several local eateries are within a reasonable driving distance.

SUGGESTED GEAR LIST

We do not provide students with gear unless they have purchased it from us ahead of time. Not much gear is needed for our courses, though good equipment does speed the learning process up greatly! Gear does not have to be purchased from our store to attend the course, but we recommend survival gear of equivalent quality.

  • Fixed blade knife (Preferably a full tang bushcraft style knife WITHOUT a serrated edge, 4”-5” blade length, no double edged daggers)
  • Ferrocerium rod
  • Poncho or Rain Gear
  • Outdoor Clothing and appropriate footwear
  • Folding hand saw
  • Overnight Camping Gear: Tent, sleeping bag, ground pad, etc
  • 100’ of 550 Paracord
  • Shemagh or large cotton scarf
  • Headlamp and extra batteries
  • Cooking pot and eating utensils
  • Single walled metal canteen
  • Sunscreen and sunglasses
  • Insect repellent
  • Small Backpack

CLOTHING REQUIRED

Warm outdoor clothing, warm gloves and hat, outdoor boots and wool socks. Cotton clothing is highly discouraged in the mountains! Wool will keep you warm even when wet and synthetics will dry faster. Layers are important in Colorado. You will want a water wicking base layer, an insulating mid layer, and a waterproof breathable outer shell. Check out our Clothes Layering Basics if you are unsure of what to wear.

Check Recommended Gear List for more details!

If it is still not clear what gear is needed for our survival courses, then we have assembled a complete kit that is still high quality but for a budget friendly price. All the items in this kit were hand selected by our instructors to be the best bushcraft tools on a budget. This survival kit is a useful starter kit that can be used in all of our courses. These must-have tools are at a good price. It’s a great survival kit, bug out kit, go bag, or use it as a solid foundation to build a kit that perfectly fits your needs. With this kit and our training anybody can survive like a king in almost any environment!

NOTE

Due to the different levels of prior experience and knowledge among students in each class, individual outcomes may vary. Weather conditions can also be a factor in changing class content slightly. Nonetheless, our instructors will always endeavor to be as accommodating and consistent as circumstances will allow to ensure students get the best training experience and value for money.