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Survival 101 Gauntlet course image with men and women training in the forest. Scenes include fire starting, chopping wood, building shelters, and using primitive tools. The center features The Survival University logo with the words Survival 101 Gauntlet.
The Survival 101 Gauntlet Patch is earned, not given. Awarded only to those who complete five days of intense survival challenges at The Survival University, it stands as a symbol of grit, skill, and the ability to perform under pressure.

5 DAY SURVIVAL 101 GAUNTLET

$545.00

Five days. No fluff, no second chances. This advanced course takes the skills you learned in Survival Basics 101 and pushes them through timed drills, surprise scenarios, and high pressure challenges. Pass every test and you earn the Survival 101 Gauntlet Patch, proof that you did not just study survival, you lived it.

Tap each tab below: Description, Additional Information, and Class Details. You’ll find the course overview, class times, driving directions, what to bring, and overnight arrangements.

Description

Survival 101: The Gauntlet
You learned the skills. Now it is time to prove them.

This five day intensive takes everything from our Survival Basics 101 class and turns it into a test of grit, speed, and decision making under pressure. Instead of long practice blocks, you will face a series of real world survival challenges designed to push your limits. Fire, water, shelter, navigation, food procurement, signaling, and medical are all in play, but you will not know what is coming next until it hits.

Expect timed drills, surprise scenarios, and group missions that test not just your skills but your ability to stay calm and adapt when the clock is running. Every challenge is pass or fail. Finish it and move on. Miss it and you will know exactly what needs sharpening before you come back.

Those who succeed earn more than confidence. They walk away with our Survival Challenge Patch, a symbol that you did not just learn survival, you lived it.

Prerequisite: Completion of the 5 Day Survival Basics 101 course is required. This ensures every student enters the Gauntlet with the same foundation of skills.

The Survival 101 Gauntlet Patch

This is not a souvenir. It is not a token you buy at the gear shop. The Survival 101 Gauntlet Patch is earned the hard way, through five days of timed drills, surprise scenarios, and the kind of pressure that shows who has trained and who has only read about it.

Every student who wears this patch has proven they can light fire in the rain, build shelter before dark, find and purify water, navigate strange ground, and signal for rescue, all while under the clock with instructors watching every move. It is a pass or fail test. Either you complete the challenges and walk away with the patch, or you do not.

The patch is more than fabric. It is proof you faced the Gauntlet and did not fold. It is a mark that when things go sideways, you do not just know survival, you have lived it.

Course Overview

  • Course: 5 DAY SURVIVAL 101 GAUNTLET
  • Duration: 5 days
  • Location: Mountain Camp, Colorado – 9,500 ft elevation, pine and aspen forest, private land
  • Class starts: 9:00 AM.
  • Class ends: 5:00 PM.
  • Required arrival for check-in: 8:00 AM, one hour before class starts.
  • Training approach: Scenario based survival challenges with minimal instruction. Timed, high pressure, and pass or fail. This is not family friendly and not beginner friendly.

Instructor

TSU Resident Instructor

Training Format

Course Level

  • High intensity course. This immersion course involves extended field activities and limited comfort.
  • Students should be prepared for long days outdoors at high altitude with limited comfort.

Training Activities

  • Must be able to hike uneven terrain with a loaded pack.
  • Perform moderate physical tasks such as cutting wood or carrying supplies.
  • Tolerate extended exposure to cold, wind, and rain.

Course Requirements and Inclusions

Prerequisite

What is Provided

  • Training environment, potable water, sanitation facilities, and expert instruction.

What is Not Provided

  • Off-site lodging, meals, or transportation to and from the site.

Course Patch

  • Students who pass all challenges will earn the Survival 101 Gauntlet Patch.
  • This is a pass or fail course.

Refund Policy

  • Due to limited class size and immersive format, tuition is non refundable.

Before You Arrive

Arrival and Directions

Arrive by 8:00 AM for check-in. Class begins at 9:00 AM. Plan your drive so you are at the meeting location one hour before instruction begins.

Address: 71 Monarch Dr, Cripple Creek, CO 80813

Driving Directions: [Click here for directions]

Important: Once class begins, students remain in the field for the full five days, including overnight. Students sleep in tarp shelters they set up themselves as part of the course. Tents and hammocks are not used in this program. Our camp is remote and GPS is often unreliable. Please read the driving directions carefully and save or print them before leaving. Cell service is limited once you enter the mountains.

Course Arrangements

Overnight field training is required throughout this five-day immersion course. Once class begins, students remain on the training property for the entire program and sleep in tarp shelters they build themselves with instructor guidance. Students bring the tarp shelter system, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad specified in the gear list. Tents, hammocks, and off-site hotel stays are not permitted during the course. Use of the training property overnight is limited to enrolled students and authorized program participants. Campsites are not independently rented or offered to the general public.

Porta potty restroom and potable water are provided. Please call or email us before the course if you have questions about overnight arrangements.

Food and Water

  • Students must bring their own food.
  • Recommended: freeze dried meals, MREs, or other quick camp food.
  • Any food suitable for campfire cooking or small backpacking stoves is acceptable.
  • Potable water is available on site. Students will also collect and purify water during challenges.

What to Bring

Bring serviceable gear only. There are no loaners during the course. If your gear fails or breaks you must adapt with what you have. Our on site gear shop will be open before class starts only. Shop hours for replacements are from arrival until class starts on day one. After that no loaners or staff gear will be issued. If an instructor judges any item to be unsafe it must be removed or replaced immediately with your backup gear. Safety overrides policy enforcement.

Core Survival Tools

  • Fixed blade knife (full tang, 4–5” blade, plain edge)
  • Ferrocerium rod and striker
  • Folding hand saw
  • 100 feet of 550 paracord
  • Small backpack or daypack

Shelter & Sleep

  • Tarp shelter system (tarp, stakes, cordage)
  • Sleeping bag and sleeping pad
  • Rain gear or poncho

Cooking & Water

  • Metal pot or cup
  • Eating utensils and small bowl/plate
  • Single walled metal water bottle or canteen
  • Meals and snacks

Lighting & Miscellaneous

  • Headlamp with spare batteries
  • Personal first aid kit
  • Notebook and pencil (optional)

Optional Comfort Items

  • Small camp chair or stool
  • Pillow or cushion
  • Extra snacks or comfort food
  • Camera or phone for photos

Clothing and Weather

Clothing

  • Non cotton layers (wicking base, insulating mid, waterproof outer shell)
  • Outdoor boots and wool socks
  • Warm gloves and hat
  • Sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent
  • Shemagh, bandana, or scarf

Course Notes

Weather Disclaimer

  • The course runs in all weather conditions.
  • Be prepared for sudden temperature swings, rain, hail, or snow at 9,500 ft elevation.

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